Alyson Rudd, writing in today’s Times, perfectly encapsulates Maurizio Sarri’s dilemma at Chelsea. She writes: “He knows his job is on the line, he knows the club expect more, but he is not particularly interested in being just another Chelsea manager getting by on pragmatism and a big budget.’

And the reason he’s not interested in it is that the club doesn’t want him to be a pragmatist with a big budget. Which is what every single previous Chelsea manager — both the very good ones and the not-so-good ones — in the Roman Abramovich era have been, with the notable exception of André Villas-Boas.

Sarri said his team had looked “confused” at times last night as they struggle to play the way he wants ACTION IMAGES VIA REUTERS

The club made a conscious choice in going down this road. This is his brief, this is what