Things have been getting rather repetitive for the wrong reasons at Chelsea and it is time the club reconsiders how it wants to be run.

Just like one of the passing moves the current team attempts, the awkward dynamic between the coach and board has become rather predictable over the years and is always in danger of finishing in disappointing fashion.

Maurizio Sarri is yet another Chelsea coach facing an early battle to save his job in the Roman Abramovich era.

The Italian has made mistakes, with the Blues having lost five of their last 12 league games going into Saturday's clash with bottom club Huddersfield.

But Sarri also has things in common with his sacked predecessors, suggesting it is not all his fault. Many have arrived with great enthusiasm and willingness to adapt to the structure, only for frustration soon to set in.

With Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia having so much sway over player recruitment, sales and contract negotiations, the balance of power looks disproportionate.

It has grown even worse since technical director Michael Emenalo quit his role in November 2017. No-one has been hired to replace him.

Just taking the last three permanent Chelsea managers alone, including Sarri, the problems have all begun over transfers. Coaches are consulted, but don’t have a powerful voice.

The seeds of Jose Mourinho’s second sacking, in 2015, were sown during what the Portuguese considered to be a disappointing summer window where prime targets didn’t arrive.

It could also be argued that Antonio Conte was full of discontent about the club’s business from the outset in 2016 and the Italian’s mood darkened into almost outright rebellion in the second and final season in 2017-18.

January transfer window: Every Premier League deal 21 show all January transfer window: Every Premier League deal 1/21 Premier League transfers, winter window 2018/19 Here is every single player coming in and out of the English top-flight during January. Reuters/Andrew Boyers 2/21 Arsenal In

Denis Suarez (Barcelona, loan)



Out

Emilie Smith Rowe (RB Leipzig, loan)

Emiliano Martinez (Reading, loan) Getty Images 3/21 Bournemouth In

Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool, loan)

Chris Mepham (Brentford)

Keelan O'Connell (Morton)

Dominic Solanke (Liverpool)



Out

Jermain Defoe (Rangers, loan)

Alex Dobre (Yeovil Town, loan)

Tyrell Hamilton (Salisbury, loan)

Jordan Holmes (St Mirren, loan)

Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa, loan)

Marc Pugh (Hull City, loan)

Aaron Ramsdale (AFC Wimbledon, loan)

Charlie Seaman (Dundee United, loan)

Matt Worthington (Yeovil Town) AFP/Getty Images 4/21 Brighton In

Tudor-Cristian Baluta (Viitorul Constanța)

Jan Mlakar (NK Maribor)

Alexis Mac Allister (Argentinos Juniors)



Out

Billy Arce (CS Emelec, loan)

Ben Barclay (Notts County, loan)

George Cox (Northampton Town, loan)

Anders Dreyer (St Mirren, loan)

Josh Kerr (Derry City, loan)

Jordan Maguire-Drew (Leyton Orient)

Mathias Normann (FC Rostov)

Oliver Norwood (Sheff Utd)

Ezequiel Schelotto (Chievo, loan)

Markus Suttner (Fortuna Dusseldorf, loan)

Ben White (Peterborough, loan)

Alexis Mac Allister (Argentinos Juniors, loan) Getty Images 5/21 Burnley In

Peter Crouch Stoke)



Out

Sam Vokes (Stoke, loan)

Jimmy Dunne (Sunderland, loan)

Ali Koiki (Swindon Town, loan)

Ntumba Massanka (RWD Molenbeek, loan)

George McMahon (Ashton United, loan)



Action Images via Reuters 6/21 Cardiff City In

Oumar Niasse (Everton, loan)

Emiliano Sala (Nantes)

Leandro Bacuna (Reading)



Out

Omar Bogle (Portsmouth, loan)

Gary Madine (Sheffield United, loan)

Paul McKay (Morecambe, loan)

Anthony Pilkington (released)

Lee Tomlin (Peterborough)

Getty Images 7/21 Chelsea In

Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)

Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus, loan)



Out

Lucas Piazon (Chievo, loan)

Lewis Baker (Reading, loan)

Cesc Fabregas (Monaco)

Josh Grant (Yeovil Town, loan)

Matt Miazga (Reading, loan)

Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid, loan)

Victor Moses (Fenerbahce, loan)

Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund, loan)

Kasey Palmer (Bristol City, loan)

Karlo Ziger (Sutton United, loan)



AFP/Getty Images 8/21 Crystal Palace In

Lucas Perri (Sao Paulo, loan)

Bakary Sako (West Brom)

Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea, loan)



Out

Joseph Hungbo (Margate, loan)

Sullay Kaikai (Breda)

Nya Kirby (Blackpool, loan)

Jordon Mutch (released)

Jason Puncheon (Huddersfield, loan)

Alexander Sorloth (KAA Gent, loan)

Oliver Webber (Greenwich Borough, loan)

Jonny Williams (Charlton)



Getty Images 9/21 Everton In

None.



Out

Kieran Dowell (Sheffield Utd, loan)

Mason Holgate (West Brom, loan)

Shayne Lavery (Falkirk, loan)

Oumar Niasse (Cardiff City, loan)

Yannick Bolasie (Anderlecht, loan)

Beni Baningime (Wigan, loan)



Action Images via Reuters 10/21 Fulham In

Ryan Babel (Besiktas)

Håvard Nordtveit (Hoffenheim, loan)

Lazar Markovic(Liverpool)



Out

Aboubakar Kamara (Yeni Malatyaspor, loan)

Elijah Adebayo (Stevenage, loan)

Stefan Johansen (West Brom, loan)



Getty Images 11/21 Huddersfield Town In

Jaden Brown (Tottenham)

Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace, loan)

Karlan Grant (Charlton Athletic)



Out

Jaden Brown (Exeter City, loan)

Collin Quaner (Ipswich Town, loan)

Ryan Schofield (Notts County, loan)

Ramadan Sobhi (Al Ahly, loan)

Rajiv van La Parra (Middlesbrough)



Getty Images 12/21 Leicester City In

Youri Tielemans (Monaco, loan)



Out

Adrien Silva (AS Monaco)

Yohan Benalouane (Nottingham Forest)

Fousseni Diabate (Sivasspor, loan)

Vicente Iborra (Villarreal)



Getty Images 13/21 Liverpool In

None.



Out

Nathaniel Clyne (Bournemouth, loan)

Ovie Ejaria (Reading, loan)

Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth)

Liam Millar (Kilmarnock, loan)

Matty Virtue (Blackpool)

Pedro Chirivella (Extremadura UD)

Getty Images 14/21 Man City In

Ante Palaversa (Hadjuk Split)



Out

Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid)

Ed Francis (Wolves)

Ante Palaversa (Hadjuk Split, loan)



REUTERS 15/21 Man Utd In

None.



Out

Joel Pereira (KV Kortrijk, loan)

Zak Dearnley (Oldham, loan)

Ethan Hamilton (Rochdale, loan)

Regan Poole (Newport, loan)



Getty Images 16/21 Newcastle In

Antonio Barreca (Monaco, loan)

Miguel Almiron (Atalanta United)



Out

Liam Gibson (Accrington, loan)

Elias Sorensen (Blackpool, loan)

Jamie Sterry (Crewe, loan)

Callum Roberts (Colchester, loan)



AFP/Getty Images 17/21 Southampton In

None.



Out

Steven Davis (Rangers, loan)

Manolo Gabbiadini (Sampdoria)

Wesley Hoedt (Celta Vigo, loan)

Ryan Seager (Released)

Cedric Soares (Inter Milan, loan)



PA 18/21 Tottenham In

None.



Out

Jaden Brown (Huddersfield Town)

Mousa Dembele (Guangzhou R&F)

Georges-Kévin N'Koudou (AS Monaco, loan)

Kaziah Sterling (Sunderland, loan)

Getty Images 19/21 Watford In

Adam Parkes (Southampton)



Out

Stefano Okaka (Udinese, loan)

Randell Williams (Exeter City)

Marvin Zeegelaar (Udinese, loan)



Getty Images 20/21 West Ham In

Mesaque Dju (Benfica)

Samir Nasri (Unattached)



Out

Reece Oxford (Augsburg)

Sead Haksabanovic (Norrkoping)

Moses Makasi (Stevenage)

Toni Martinez (Lugo)

Joe Powell (Northampton)



Getty Images 21/21 Wolves In

David Wang (Jumilla B)

Ed Francis (Man City)

Jonny (Atletico)



Out

Benik Afobe (Stoke)

Danny Batth (Stoke)

Harry Burgoyne (Falkirk, loan)

Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Rochdale, loan)

Bright Enobakhare (Coventry, loan)

Kortney Hause (Aston Villa, loan)

Ben Stevenson (Colchester United, loan)

David Wang (Sporting Lisbon, loan)

Joe Mason (Released)



Marc Atkins/Getty Images 1/21 Premier League transfers, winter window 2018/19 Here is every single player coming in and out of the English top-flight during January. Reuters/Andrew Boyers 2/21 Arsenal In

Denis Suarez (Barcelona, loan)



Out

Emilie Smith Rowe (RB Leipzig, loan)

Emiliano Martinez (Reading, loan) Getty Images 3/21 Bournemouth In

Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool, loan)

Chris Mepham (Brentford)

Keelan O'Connell (Morton)

Dominic Solanke (Liverpool)



Out

Jermain Defoe (Rangers, loan)

Alex Dobre (Yeovil Town, loan)

Tyrell Hamilton (Salisbury, loan)

Jordan Holmes (St Mirren, loan)

Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa, loan)

Marc Pugh (Hull City, loan)

Aaron Ramsdale (AFC Wimbledon, loan)

Charlie Seaman (Dundee United, loan)

Matt Worthington (Yeovil Town) AFP/Getty Images 4/21 Brighton In

Tudor-Cristian Baluta (Viitorul Constanța)

Jan Mlakar (NK Maribor)

Alexis Mac Allister (Argentinos Juniors)



Out

Billy Arce (CS Emelec, loan)

Ben Barclay (Notts County, loan)

George Cox (Northampton Town, loan)

Anders Dreyer (St Mirren, loan)

Josh Kerr (Derry City, loan)

Jordan Maguire-Drew (Leyton Orient)

Mathias Normann (FC Rostov)

Oliver Norwood (Sheff Utd)

Ezequiel Schelotto (Chievo, loan)

Markus Suttner (Fortuna Dusseldorf, loan)

Ben White (Peterborough, loan)

Alexis Mac Allister (Argentinos Juniors, loan) Getty Images 5/21 Burnley In

Peter Crouch Stoke)



Out

Sam Vokes (Stoke, loan)

Jimmy Dunne (Sunderland, loan)

Ali Koiki (Swindon Town, loan)

Ntumba Massanka (RWD Molenbeek, loan)

George McMahon (Ashton United, loan)



Action Images via Reuters 6/21 Cardiff City In

Oumar Niasse (Everton, loan)

Emiliano Sala (Nantes)

Leandro Bacuna (Reading)



Out

Omar Bogle (Portsmouth, loan)

Gary Madine (Sheffield United, loan)

Paul McKay (Morecambe, loan)

Anthony Pilkington (released)

Lee Tomlin (Peterborough)

Getty Images 7/21 Chelsea In

Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)

Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus, loan)



Out

Lucas Piazon (Chievo, loan)

Lewis Baker (Reading, loan)

Cesc Fabregas (Monaco)

Josh Grant (Yeovil Town, loan)

Matt Miazga (Reading, loan)

Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid, loan)

Victor Moses (Fenerbahce, loan)

Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund, loan)

Kasey Palmer (Bristol City, loan)

Karlo Ziger (Sutton United, loan)



AFP/Getty Images 8/21 Crystal Palace In

Lucas Perri (Sao Paulo, loan)

Bakary Sako (West Brom)

Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea, loan)



Out

Joseph Hungbo (Margate, loan)

Sullay Kaikai (Breda)

Nya Kirby (Blackpool, loan)

Jordon Mutch (released)

Jason Puncheon (Huddersfield, loan)

Alexander Sorloth (KAA Gent, loan)

Oliver Webber (Greenwich Borough, loan)

Jonny Williams (Charlton)



Getty Images 9/21 Everton In

None.



Out

Kieran Dowell (Sheffield Utd, loan)

Mason Holgate (West Brom, loan)

Shayne Lavery (Falkirk, loan)

Oumar Niasse (Cardiff City, loan)

Yannick Bolasie (Anderlecht, loan)

Beni Baningime (Wigan, loan)



Action Images via Reuters 10/21 Fulham In

Ryan Babel (Besiktas)

Håvard Nordtveit (Hoffenheim, loan)

Lazar Markovic(Liverpool)



Out

Aboubakar Kamara (Yeni Malatyaspor, loan)

Elijah Adebayo (Stevenage, loan)

Stefan Johansen (West Brom, loan)



Getty Images 11/21 Huddersfield Town In

Jaden Brown (Tottenham)

Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace, loan)

Karlan Grant (Charlton Athletic)



Out

Jaden Brown (Exeter City, loan)

Collin Quaner (Ipswich Town, loan)

Ryan Schofield (Notts County, loan)

Ramadan Sobhi (Al Ahly, loan)

Rajiv van La Parra (Middlesbrough)



Getty Images 12/21 Leicester City In

Youri Tielemans (Monaco, loan)



Out

Adrien Silva (AS Monaco)

Yohan Benalouane (Nottingham Forest)

Fousseni Diabate (Sivasspor, loan)

Vicente Iborra (Villarreal)



Getty Images 13/21 Liverpool In

None.



Out

Nathaniel Clyne (Bournemouth, loan)

Ovie Ejaria (Reading, loan)

Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth)

Liam Millar (Kilmarnock, loan)

Matty Virtue (Blackpool)

Pedro Chirivella (Extremadura UD)

Getty Images 14/21 Man City In

Ante Palaversa (Hadjuk Split)



Out

Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid)

Ed Francis (Wolves)

Ante Palaversa (Hadjuk Split, loan)



REUTERS 15/21 Man Utd In

None.



Out

Joel Pereira (KV Kortrijk, loan)

Zak Dearnley (Oldham, loan)

Ethan Hamilton (Rochdale, loan)

Regan Poole (Newport, loan)



Getty Images 16/21 Newcastle In

Antonio Barreca (Monaco, loan)

Miguel Almiron (Atalanta United)



Out

Liam Gibson (Accrington, loan)

Elias Sorensen (Blackpool, loan)

Jamie Sterry (Crewe, loan)

Callum Roberts (Colchester, loan)



AFP/Getty Images 17/21 Southampton In

None.



Out

Steven Davis (Rangers, loan)

Manolo Gabbiadini (Sampdoria)

Wesley Hoedt (Celta Vigo, loan)

Ryan Seager (Released)

Cedric Soares (Inter Milan, loan)



PA 18/21 Tottenham In

None.



Out

Jaden Brown (Huddersfield Town)

Mousa Dembele (Guangzhou R&F)

Georges-Kévin N'Koudou (AS Monaco, loan)

Kaziah Sterling (Sunderland, loan)

Getty Images 19/21 Watford In

Adam Parkes (Southampton)



Out

Stefano Okaka (Udinese, loan)

Randell Williams (Exeter City)

Marvin Zeegelaar (Udinese, loan)



Getty Images 20/21 West Ham In

Mesaque Dju (Benfica)

Samir Nasri (Unattached)



Out

Reece Oxford (Augsburg)

Sead Haksabanovic (Norrkoping)

Moses Makasi (Stevenage)

Toni Martinez (Lugo)

Joe Powell (Northampton)



Getty Images 21/21 Wolves In

David Wang (Jumilla B)

Ed Francis (Man City)

Jonny (Atletico)



Out

Benik Afobe (Stoke)

Danny Batth (Stoke)

Harry Burgoyne (Falkirk, loan)

Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Rochdale, loan)

Bright Enobakhare (Coventry, loan)

Kortney Hause (Aston Villa, loan)

Ben Stevenson (Colchester United, loan)

David Wang (Sporting Lisbon, loan)

Joe Mason (Released)



Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Sarri hasn’t been as vocal as the two men that came before him, but has increasingly pointed the finger in his press conferences. He may have been given Gonzalo Higuain last week, yet the former Napoli coach wanted the striker six months ago and the request fell on deaf ears.

Sarri was hired to recreate the style of play his Napoli outfit seduced Serie A and the rest of Europe with, but with too few players he trusts. Keylieutenant Jorginho followed him fron Napoli but the majority of the squad remained the same and were more accustomed to counter-attacking football.

Having maintained a respectful front in the summer, Sarri’s countenance changed this month.

The 60-year-old made it clear he didn’t know about the £57.6million deal for Christian Pulisic, which saw the attacking midfielder loaned back to Borussia Dortmund for the rest of the season.

As negotiations with Juventus dragged on for Higuain, who was on a season-long loan at AC Milan, into the second half of January, Sarri began playing the blame game. When asked about the delay, he replied: “I want to be clear, because I cannot help you. I spoke with Marina two weeks ago, so Marina knows my opinion on how to improve the team.”

Similarly, with Cesc Fabregas opting to leave for Monaco, Sarri has continually repeated that he wanted a replacement and it was up to the powers that be to provide it.

The former Napoli coach was keen on Nicolo Barella and Leandro Paredes, but received neither and the window shut on Thursday with no back-up for Jorginho in the squad.

Sarri has sometimes made problems for himself, too. As both Thibaut Courtois and Fabregas looked to secure moves elsewhere, he gave them his blessing to stay away from training – which put pressure on Granovskaia to do the deals.

Chelsea are currently trying to persuade teenager Callum Hudson-Odoi to agree a new contract, but Sarri rarely picks him.

Granovskaia operates largely with the club’s future in mind, while the coach understandably has his own vision.

Given those two competing agendas, is it any wonder that the a disconnect is then reflected on the pitch?

Chelsea are the most successful club in English football following Abramovich’s arrival in 2003 and remain involved in four competitions.

However, they are in serious danger of failing to qualify for the Champions League next term for the third time in the space of four years.