The pressure mounted on Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri in the wake of the Blues' embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday night.
The defeat was only the second time in Premier League history that Chelsea had lost a game by a four-goal margin, more than twelve years after the London side were pumped 5-1 by Liverpool in September 1996, and it leaves Sarri's men in fifth place in the current league table as they suffered their fourth reversal in their last twelve outings.
The initial optimism that surrounded Sarri's arrival as Antonio Conte's replacement last summer and saw Chelsea start the season with a twelve-match unbeaten run has dissipated in the wake of a return of 19 points from their past twelve outings. The reaction from Chelsea fans on social media would appear to suggest that patience with 'Sarriball' - the so-called style of play used by the manager' - is wearing thin.
We, Chelsea fans, all enthused with the appointment of Maurizio Sarri. We thought now, our team can play like a Guardiola team, but it's all obvious now that Sarriball is just a fraud. [@IAmDemola_]
The current situation is clearly having an impact on Sarri's reputation as a manager and he is now the bookmakers' second-favourite - behind Leicester's Claude Puel - to be the next Premier League manager sacked.
Sarri locked his Chelsea squad in the dressing room at the Vitality Stadium for 50 minutes on Wednesday night as he attempted to get to the bottom of yet another limp, lifeless display. Some fans are suggesting that he is in danger of losing the support of his players already...
SARRI: MAYBE I CAN'T MOTIVATE PLAYERS Maurizio Sarri again suggested he is unable to get the best out of his Chelsea squad after suffering their joint-worst Premier League defeat at Bournemouth. You’re losing the dressing room if you keep going through such route. [@Debornair99]
There have been rumblings of discontent over some of Sarri's selections choices too, with Twitter users taking to social media to criticise his use of the underperforming Jorginho, as well as his failure to play rising star Callum Hudson-Odoi more regularly...
Maurizio Sarri's situation at Chelsea is getting very interesting to me. The exaggerated and over emphasized attacking style of play over results is evidently not working for Chelsea. It could be a failed experiment. [@Tinny_Emmy]
Sack Sarri, get it done tonight. Absolutely useless, clueless manager. Makes the same substitutions every game, refuses to play CHO, refuses to change formation and tactics, refuses to drop Jorginho. Possibly the worst manager we have had [@Sammarth_114]
However, not all Chelsea fans have had enough of Sarri yet as some are keen for owner Roman Abramovich to show a little patience - which hasn't always been one of his greatest virtues.
Yes, Sarri needs to improve, but this reactionary call to sack a manager has become a potent sickness within the fanbase.
Chelsea do have what looks like a relatively easy game against Huddersfield to come on Saturday afternoon, which should provide Sarri with some respite at least. Fail to win that game and the calls for the London side to install one of their former players as manager will no doubt grow louder...
Sack that useless Sarri already and give the team to Frank Lampard And John Terry, I bet they will do better than him [@_dadaboat_]
