Maurizio Sarri warned that it may take “a couple of months” to implement his style of football at Chelsea, adding that he is expecting his team to encounter problems in the first half of the season.
Two of Chelsea’s summer signings — club-record purchase Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid loanee Mateo Kovacic — only arrived at Cobham on Wednesday, and Sarri admitted that he will need more time to get his new players up to speed with his ideas.
“For sure in this moment, we are not at the top of our potential,” he said. “We did a preseason… what can I say… unusual, maybe. So now we are not at the top. I hope to be at the top of the potential of the squad in one or two months, but I don’t know.
“I hope that the second part of the season, for us, will be very good with a lot of points. I expect in the first part of the season some problems.”
Asked what problems he expects to face, Sarri replied: “On the results. Maybe the performances in the first part of the season will not be in line with the potential of the squad. Maybe, in the first part.
“I think you have to wait [to see ‘Sarri-ball’] for a couple of months. You have to wait.”
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