I'm Not Worried: Under-Fire Chelsea Boss Sarri Does Not Fear Sacking
19th February 2019
His fragile relationship with his players, combined with the mutinous atmosphere among supporters, increased the feeling that the former Napoli boss might not survive until the end of his first season
- Maurizio Sarri insists he isn't worried about being sacked as Chelsea manager despite his troubled side's lacklustre FA Cup surrender against Manchester United
- Sarri faces a fight to save his job after FA Cup holders Chelsea crashed to a 2-0 fifth round defeat at Stamford Bridge on Monday
- Sarri endured chants of "you don't know what you're doing" and "you're getting sacked in the morning" as furious Chelsea fans showed their frustration at the club's fifth defeat in their last 10 games
LONDON, United Kingdom- Maurizio Sarri insists he isn't worried about being sacked as Chelsea
manager despite his troubled side's lacklustre FA Cup surrender against
Manchester United.
Sarri faces a fight
to save his job after FA Cup holders Chelsea crashed to a 2-0 fifth round
defeat at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
Ander Herrera headed
United into the lead from Paul Pogba's cross in the 31st minute.
France star Pogba
doubled United's advantage on the stroke of half-time when he met Marcus
Rashford's cross with a diving header.
Sarri endured chants
of "you don't know what you're doing" and "you're getting sacked
in the morning" as furious Chelsea fans showed their frustration at the
club's fifth defeat in their last 10 games.
Chelsea's stars,
publicly criticised by their manager on several occasions this term, hardly
looked to be battling to keep the Italian as they failed to muster a shot on
target after the 11th minute.
Sarri's fragile
relationship with his players, combined with the mutinous atmosphere among
supporters, increased the feeling that the former Napoli boss might not survive
until the end of his first season with Chelsea.
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Quarters
Demanding Chelsea
owner Roman Abramovich has acted quickly in the past when managers have been
perceived to have lost the support of the squad.
But Sarri is adamant
he isn't concerned about his perilous position and he claimed he is solely
focused on salvaging his club's turbulent season.
Asked if he was
worried Abramovich might be ready to wield the axe, Sarri said: "It's not
my problem.
"I was only
worried about my position when I was in League 2 in Italy, not now.
"I am worried
about the results, not about the fans. Of course I can understand the
situation.
"I can
understand our fans, because the result wasn't really good. We are out of the
FA Cup."
Following widespread
reports that Sarri's players are underwhelmed by his stubborn refusal to change
his tactics, the 60-year-old did make the alarming admission that he wasn't
certain he still had their backing.
"Of course I'm
not sure, but I think so. I think the situation with the players is very good
in terms of our relationship but that's not so important," he said.
"What's
important is to play and get good results."
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Chelsea supporters
called for their club's former legend Frank Lampard, now in charge at Derby, to
be hired and directed foul-mouthed abuse at Sarri, who suffered chants of
"F*** Sarri-ball" in a scathing reference to his failing tactics.
"Not really
very well, but sometimes yes. For everything there is the first time," he
said when quizzed on if he heard the taunts from his own fans.
Sarri believes his
situation will be improved significantly if Chelsea can string together a
winning run, starting with Thursday's Europa League last 32 second leg against
Malmo and the League Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday.
"It's really
very easy. If we are able to win three or four matches in a row, it will be
easy. Of course it's difficult to win five matches in a row," he said with
a curious smirk that suggested he didn't really believe his own outward
optimism.
"We need of
course more aggression, more determination in the situation inside our box and
inside the opposing box.
"My job is to
work with my players to try and improve in a few days because we conceded the
second goal without determination or aggression.
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"The difference
was there. We played 78 balls in the opposing box and United only 16 balls our
box. We are supposed to win."
Having previously
questioned whether his players understood his football philosophy, Sarri
repeated that complaint.
"Not completely
at the moment because, especially in a situation like the second half, we have
to move the ball faster mentally and materially," he said.
"We need more
movements without the ball and less individual actions."