Chelsea sealed a place in the top four and next seasons Champions League following their 3-0 win over Watford at the weekend. The season has been one of highs and lows for the Blues and there was talk that Sarri could be sacked during the low points.
Sarri has especially come under criticism for his decision to deploy Jorginho in a defensive midfield role and move N’Golo Kante to a more advanced midfield role.
Overall, ending with a top-four place is not a bad achievement for his first season, especially as the Italian inherited a side that was low in confidence and had structural issues last summer. Some speculated that the West London giants would struggle to launch a credible challenge for a top-four finish this season considering the issues they faced.
Something Chelsea have lacked over the years is stability. The club tends to not keep managers for long even if they win major silverware and it is very rare that a manager will leave Stamford Bridge on good terms. This has ultimately been a big factor in the club struggling to achieve consistency during the past few years.
The club must aim to change this. A good step in the right direction would be to keep Sarri on. The Italian may not deliver trophies in his first season but it must be remembered that that would be a difficult mandate for him, especially considering that he inherited and still has a side which is less gifted than that of Manchester City and Liverpool.
Should Chelsea’s transfer ban stand, it would also be a difficult task to expect the manager to deliver silverware again next season. Instead, he will need to work with the club’s young talent and securing a top-four finish next term would be a big achievement considering the situation.
