Chelsea have a good manager and players – so why are they in a mess? | Jonathan Wilson

There appears to be no long-term strategy at Chelsea, which has led to Maurizio Sarri trying to impose his rigid style on players who are not suited to it

In September 2016, after Chelsea had lost limply away to Arsenal, Antonio Conte laid into the “bad attitude” of his players. They went on to win their next 13 league games and by the end of the season were Premier League champions. Perhaps Maurizio Sarri, whose attack on the “mentality” of his players after Saturday’s limp defeat away to Arsenal was, if anything, even more ferocious, hopes for something similar. Perhaps there will be a reaction. But Conte, at half-time in that defeat, also made a major tactical shift, adopting the back three Chelsea would play for the rest of his tenure. Sarri seems unlikely to change anything.

Related: Maurizio Sarri says Chelsea’s players are ‘extremely difficult to motivate’

Just because José Mourinho shouts a lot doesn’t mean there isn’t sometimes a wolf

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