Maurizio Sarri won’t change Chelsea’s tactical style despite recent dip in form

The Italian’s side have hit just 13 goals in the last 11 league games, which has prompted the pursuit of striker Gonzalo Higuain

Maurizio Sarri has insisted he will not change Chelsea’s tactical style – despite a slower spell that has seen them struggle for goals – as he maintained the team is still on a learning curve.

The Italian’s side have hit just 13 goals in the last 11 league games, which has prompted the pursuit of striker Gonzalo Higuain.

With midfielder Jorginho looking somewhat tired, but still being used as there is no alternative now Cesc Fabregas has gone to Monaco, Sarri was asked why he does not change the formation. The Chelsea boss argued it was because the team needs to fully learn his current one first.

“Because we are not ready to change at the moment,” Sarri said. “We are not ready. I can change when we are at 100 per cent in what I want to see. If in 4-3-3 we are at the top, we can try to change. Like in Napoli last season, when we played in the last period also in 4-2-3-1. But not at the moment. We are not ready.

“It’s very difficult to say a percentage but, in England, it’s very difficult to arrive at the top because this one was the first week without three matches since August. So, for the first time in the last four months, we had time to try to improve. So it’s not easy in this situation to improve a lot in such little time.”

Sarri said he expects Chelsea to improve in the second part of the season, as has been the case with former side Napoli.

“I think it’s possible. I know very well that now, here in England, it’s not easy. But it’s possible. In my first season in Naples, we gained 41 points in the first half and 41 points in the second half, but in Naples the second part of the first part of the season was really very, very good. Here it was better in the first part. I think that we will be able to improve. Not a lot, but we can improve.

“At the moment, the numbers are really very similar [to Chelsea 2017-18]. In the last part of last season, Chelsea didn’t do very well. So we have the possibility to improve on that. But I think it’s very important to improve from the starting condition of this year. Not in the last year. I wasn’t involved last season, but I am now. I know very well where we started. And I know very well where I want to go. And I know very well that we need to improve a lot. A lot from the tactical point of view, mentally.

“We had problems with reactions to difficulties in the beginning. Now, for the third time, we reacted very well to a difficulty – after Watford, Tottenham and Newcastle – after their goal. Now we have to show we can react from a positive situation. In the last matches, when we scored, we lowered the application and attention. So now we have to work just to avoid this.

“[Callum] Hudson-Odoi is improving. [Ethan] Ampadu is improving. I think that David [Luiz] returned to his top level. [Ross] Barkley improved. So we are improving. Then there is the market, but the market is useful only if you need one player, two players at maximum.”