COMMENT: Well, no-one can claim they didn't see this coming. Okay, okay, the interpreter was unexpected. But the outburst (or so they describe it) from Maurizio Sarri after Chelsea's limp defeat at Arsenal has been in the works for some time.
Today, it's a good day to be a Chelsea supporter. No, really. Sarri has left fans in no doubt what he thinks about the state of the squad. The demands he's made to them. And what he feels is needed - both internally and from outside - to get the club to where it wants to be.
It's being written up as a line in the sand. The manager hanging his players out to dry. But Chelsea fans can't rely on the cherry-picking of journalists for the most divisive quotes. Just take in the full media conference below, it really was a service to the Blues support.
Yes, Sarri called out his players. Yes, he questioned their attitude. Their mental strength. But he also accepted his role in the current situation. His failure to improve that aspect in his players over the six months they've been together. And he declared it was up to him and the squad to "talk" and find a way to overcome what is holding them back.
But this has been a long time coming. Sarri referenced the defeat at Tottenham. But the Italian hasn't been short of questioning his players in public from day one. Ross Barkley. Alvaro Morata. Even Eden Hazard. They've all copped it from the manager, though he's also been sure to praise them in equal share. Just as he has consistently demanded more from his players tactically and within his system. When Chelsea were winning. Even flying - with the plaudits raining down on Jorginho. Sarri warned us all: what we were witnessing was nowhere near the finished article.
Just as an aside, the criticism being thrown at Jorginho and the wrongful comparisons with N'Golo Kante are getting ridiculous. No matter who the ex-player is. No matter how many trophies he's won. Describing Kante as being similar to Jorginho is simply wrong. The latter is a playmaker. A quarterback. He starts the attacking motion. Sarri cannot afford to play Kante in that role because of the Frenchman's limited passing range. An opinion that was shared by predecessor Antonio Conte. As a ball-winner, Kante stands alone. But he and Jorginho are not the same player.
Now, clearly exasperated, things have come to a head for the manager. But there's no reason to second guess what the problems are - at least from where Sarri stands.
For the actual game. The 2-0 reverse. Sarri stated it clearly. In terms of attitude. Of focus. The defending was too deep. Standing off the man in possession. Little work - a lack of pressing - off the ball from his attackers. He and the man to his right laid it all out in the presser. That energy. That zip we all admired in the opening months of the season. It's been gradually evaporating in recent weeks. Sarri warned going into the game of burnout fears for Jorginho. But he still expected more from those around the Italy international.
Which was the second point he made about the senior players. A plea to the stalwarts to "drive" the younger ones forward. The work off the ball has diminished. As has the on-field leadership from the old guard. Sarri is pleading with them to embrace the responsibility.
But if they don't, as Sarri made clear with his third major point, he'll find players from outside who can.
Gonzalo Higuain will be one. Arriving from Juventus - via AC Milan - the Argentine knows the demands of Sarri and his system after two years together at Napoli. As a locker room leader, he'll take a backseat. But on the pitch, through deed and attitude, he'll set an example for others to follow. Just as importantly, the pieces available to Sarri will fall back into place. Hazard will drop deeper. Jorginho will have a centre-forward to pass through the lines to. And the likes of Willian and Pedro a goalscorer capable of converting the chances they carve out.
Sounds simple. Almost too easy. But there is an argument to be made that by playing Hazard as his No9, Sarri sacrificed a key foundation in his system with the Belgian incapable of holding onto the ball with his back to goal. That will change with Higuain's introduction.
Which is what Sarri will be seeking through his squad. A change of attitude. Of concentration. And of "mental aggression". After Saturday's presser, no Chelsea player. No Blues fan. Indeed, no-one can claim they didn't know what Sarri has been demanding.
