Maurizio Sarri will steer Chelsea away from top four unless these changes are made, says Adrian Durham
Maurizio Sarri must make wholesale changes to his Chelsea starting line-ups at otherwise they risk not making the top four again, according to talkSPORT host Adrian Durham.
The manager has received criticism for his recent team selections such as where N'Golo Kante should play in the Blues midfield, including from talkSPORT regular Dean Saunders.
How Chelsea should line up to accommodate N’Golo Kante
And things got a whole lot worse for Sarri and Chelsea on Wednesday night with a 2-1 defeat at Wolves, their second loss in their last three Premier League games.
This was the cue for Drivetime host Adrian Durham to give his two cents on where Sarri has been going wrong this season.
He mentioned the perceived misuse of Kante but also spoke of many more changes Sarri needed to enforce at Stamford Bridge, including a change in habit by the manager himself.
He called for chain-smoking Sarri to stop smoking so much as it brings "a level of unprofessional-ism" into the club and there's a genuine risk the west Londoners will fail to qualify in the top four for a second season running.
Durham said: “I would love to hear from Chelsea fans because I’m pretty certain that they would agree with most of the points I’m about to make.
“There’s no pace up front for Chelsea – Callum Hudson-Odoi has to be given a chance in the first team at some point. How he hasn’t had one I do not know.
“I’ve heard stories about a loan spell, just get him in the team! There’s no pace, no zip, it’s not full of energy, it’s not bright. Get him in there and see what he can do.
“Ethan Ampadu in for David Luiz – it’s a no brainer. Luiz cannot defend, Ampadu can and Ampadu can do all the things Luiz can. If they want him to balloon a 30-yard free-kick into orbit like Luiz does then he can do that too!
“Olivier Giroud over Alvaro Morata – always, always, always has to happen! How Morata started last night [against Wolves] I do not know.
“Put Kante where he belongs. Even with Jorginho out of the team against Wolves Kante wasn’t where he belongs because Fabregas was there. Ridiculous!
“Ruben Loftus-Cheek always has to start.
“Full-backs need a kick up the backside, Sarri needs to stop smoking because that’s a level of unprofessionalism that he’s bringing into Chelsea Football Club.
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“Right now, what Chelsea are on course for is a place out of the top four and Eden Hazard wanting to leave.
“He [Sarri] is steering them, he’s hurtling them towards a place where Chelsea do not want to be and it’s not good management.”