Maurizio
Sarri's days could be numbered at Chelsea due to the club's past success
with changing managers mid-season, says Jamie Carragher.
Chelsea slipped to their fourth away defeat in a row at the Etihad on Sunday
as they were thrashed 6-0 by Manchester City, leaving Sarri's side sitting
in sixth place, having been 11 points clear of Manchester United, now in
fourth, less than two months ago.
The result piled the pressure on Sarri, who has not seen his side score an
away goal this year and Carragher believes that two past examples of Chelsea
replacing Luiz Felipe Scolari with Guus Hiddink, and Andre Villas-Boas with
Roberto Di Matteo - and the success both incoming managers had - could work
against Sarri.
"The problem for Sarri is that Chelsea have had success changing managers
midway through the season in the past," Carragher told Monday Night
Football. "There were managers in the past that tried to implement a certain
type of football at the club [Scolari and Villas-Boas].
"Chelsea weren't in disastrous positions in the league at either time, but
you have to look at what happened the seasons after they left [Hiddink won
the FA Cup, Di Matteo won the FA Cup and Champions League after coming in
mid-season].
"What that does is that sends a message to the club's supporters that change
isn't a bad thing. I don't think Sarri is getting that support from his own
supporters and that is the big problem. His big problem is who is actually
supporting this man if the board aren't.
"We are not speaking about Arsenal and Unai Emery, who are on the same
points as Chelsea. Chelsea are in a cup final too. We are speaking about
Sarri because it is Chelsea and what they have done in the past. I would
like to see them stick with Sarri, but unfortunately we know that these next
set of fixtures, because it is Chelsea, will be crucial.
"Top
four is everything to these clubs now, even more than the cup final. The
Tottenham game will be key to this as opposed to the others. As soon as
Chelsea's hierarchy feel they could miss out on the top four, that is when
they will feel they can make a change.
"We often see teams at the bottom throw the dice and take a risk, and we
might see Chelsea do the same, and see if a new coach will get them into the
top four. If Sarri wanted to come into a club and implement his own style of
play, which will take time, he may have actually picked the wrong club."
Fellow Monday Night Football guest Patrick Kluivert insisted, however, that
Sarri needs time, but must be willing to adapt his system to suit the
players he currently has.
"First of all the players need to look at themselves - it is a team effort,
they are really lacking in team spirit," Kluivert said. "You cannot give all
the blame to the coach. It is a matter of results, and this result against
City was a disaster.
"You have to look at the players and put them in the right position. If they
do not fit into the system you want to play, you have to change the system.
"If you look at these players individually, I would love to work with these
players and give them the opportunity to play in the position where they
need to play. I think that he needs more time. It is not easy."
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