P302Rivals Football - Chelsea FC
Sarri
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 09/04, 06:36

Why has it taken until you were rightly booed for your continuing negative team starting elevens, before you have done the bleeding obvious?
If only you had put faith in the more forward thinking RLC, and the more dynamic CHO, maybe we would be closer to the top two?
The give away for me, with CHO, was in the pre-season game against Arsenal, when the lad tore strips off of Bellerin. To then wait until April to give the lad his first league start, was wrong.
Hopefully, sense will now prevail for the remainder of the season.
Sense will mean that Willian, Pedro, Alonso, Kovacic, Christensen and Giroud start in Prague.

Sarri
by Famous, 09/04, 07:43 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

Maybe we might have been closer to 7th, who knows?
RLC has been injured too often to play more than he has (as usual), he’s even said that himself.
CHO has been improving all season and earned his place, that’s what every kid should have to do. People forget it was Sarri who picked an 18 year old out of last summer’s short pre-season and promoted him to the first team squad, I think he’s been handled pretty well on the whole. The flirting with Bayern won’t have done him any favours I’m sure and I’m not entirely comfortable with players who clearly love this club getting stick whilst a teenager who clearly wanted to leave at the first opportunity gets lauded as a hero. Do you honestly think any of our other recent managers would have played him more than what Sarri has this season?

Sarri
by nstand, 09/04, 09:04 @ Famous

For me Sarri’s hand seemed forced in January. If Munich hadn’t been doing what they did would CHO have played the games? I doubt it. RLC has had injury concerns but he has persisted with Kovacic/Jorginho, Alonso and Willian/Pedro for way too long

Sarri
by Famous, 09/04, 09:51 @ nstand

It’s chicken and egg, would Bayern have wanted him had he not been involved in the first team in the first place? Would another manager have involved him as much as Sarri has? I’m not so sure.

Willian and Alonso set up the goals against Cardiff just over a week ago, I think losing that game would have changed the whole complexion of this run-in.

Sarri
by nstand, 09/04, 10:48 @ Famous

We will have to agree to disagree!

I expect and want Willian and Pedro to play and start - in Prague for example, it's always about balance of team, we run a very real risk of having no Hazard or CHO in just over a years time. I don't see CHO and RLC's development in the glass half full as you do.

Sarri
by Famous, 09/04, 11:48 @ nstand

It’s always difficult with young players because you have to give them the chance in order for them to prove themselves, but then they have to do enough to earn that chance in the first place. Maybe they could and should have played more than they have done and maybe we’d have been better off if they had done, who knows, but they’re currently in our starting XI on merit and that’s the pleasing thing, and thinking further ahead than just this season, I’m hoping we and they will be better off for them having had the fight they’ve gone through to earn their spot.

Sarri
by upthechels @, 09/04, 12:24 @ Famous

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That's how I feel mate, they're there because they have done enough to earn it. I doubt Sarri plays players because fans demand it. Said it before and say it again, I think Sarri has done a decent job re CHO. Had you asked me during the summer where CHO will be this season I'd have said sitting on a bench elsewhere. Oh, how wrong that would have been. Sarri has to be credited with a large part of the progress. That's not to say I never saw moments where CHO could have been used and wasn't, far from it. It's that bigger picture I'm delighted with.

Sarri
by Famous, 09/04, 13:42 @ upthechels

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Sarri
by cfcww, 09/04, 10:35 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

But it was probably clearer to Sarri that when he played in the community shield against City that he was not ready and needed to nurtured. Walker had him in his pocket all game and he didn’t get past him once.

Sarri
by upthechels @, 09/04, 10:56 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

I think RLC is going to be one of those players that is more often than not less than 100% fit. I reckon his whole career will be littered with bench/missed games and a long run in the side virtually impossible.

CHO is now looking much better than early season IMO. I've also noticed a willingness to get back and cover much more, since that mistake for England. I reckon Sarri has sat him down and referenced that moment, and many more no doubt. He is now demanding Sarri use him with his performances on the pitch, just how it should be.

A special word for Jorginho...an absolute delight to watch when it all comes together for him.

Sarri
by cfcww, 09/04, 11:36 @ upthechels

I will be very surprised if RLC ever starts more than 25 games a season as a midfielder and even more surprised if he is not substited in the vast majority of them. It will be a shame as I enjoy watching him drive through the middle and he looks a very natural finisher.

Sarri
by upthechels @, 09/04, 11:37 @ cfcww

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