Bringing Jorginho into the team, Maurizio Sarri‘s arrival will definitely change the Chelsea midfield and how they play together.
Here, we won’t talk too much about Sarri’s style of play; you can find more in-depth analysis of the Italian manager in David Selini’s piece.
We’ll focus on how N’Golo Kanté could fit into the new plan.
Jorginho And The Sarri 4-3-3
Used to playing with Jorginho in Napoli, there is no doubt that Sarri will use the Italian (born in Brazil) as much as he can – it’s already the case in pre-season games.
The relatively young midfielder is an important player in the Italian coach’s game plan: playing as a real “number 6”, Jorginho can gather the ball and provide vertical passes that break down defenses.
The latter skill is one of the most important parts of the “Sarri ball” style, a mix of short passes to move the opposition’s block and vertical breaking passes to bring pace and speed in attack, reducing the opposition’s ability to adjust defensively.
The pass network below shows how Jorginho can be important in pass transmissions and also how he has “the volume” to play as a deep-lying playmaker (often going very deep alongside his center backs).
What About Kante?
Being one of the best midfielders in recent seasons, N’Golo Kanté will probably go up a notch.
While some argue, with reason, that the French midfielder (3.3 tackles, 2.5 interceptions per game) will assume the role of stalwart Allan (2.8 tackles, 0.7 interceptions per game) in Napoli, there are some clues that might let us think that Kante can bring more than that.
Firstly, Kante is not only a ball-gathering player.
Though he is one of the best there, he also has an incredible first touch and vivacity, allowing him to be freed from opponent pressure and to be the first passer on an incoming attack.
In fact, he almost never played as a “6” with Leicester or for the France national team.
He plays most of the time with a teammate playing a bit lower on the field: Danny Drinkwater in Leicester, Nemanja Matić in Chelsea.
Therefore, Jorginho is not going to “take his place”.
When playing alongside Cesc Fàbregas at Chelsea or Paul Pogba in France, he is not at his best.
Being the last midfielder before the defense doesn’t suit his ball-gathering qualities, while this position is much more about slowing down and blocking the opponent’s attack.
Kante is better when a teammate takes charge of the latter role, letting him come from the sides or even from behind the opponent to gather the ball, as he knows how to do it.
Though he is limited in his ability to “make” the game and in his dribbling skills, he can also go forward, something Allan didn’t have in Napoli.
In fact, N’Golo Kanté is very strong when it comes to receiving balls and playing in one-touch sequences, even in the last yards.
During his time under Sarri at Napoli, Jorginho didn’t play only as a static defensive midfielder but also as a hole-filler with a lot of movement, either horizontally or vertically.
These movements are part of the overall tactic Sarri has dictated.
The Italian manager uses various kinds of “gegenpressing,” consisting of pressing the opponent on a small area – using the touchlines as a twelfth man – with the whole team involved.
Note that he’s not the only one to be adept at this tactic; Jurgen Klopp and Unai Emery also used it last season, with very good results.
Ngolo Kante fits perfectly into this schema thanks to his strong stamina and quick positioning.
Tactically speaking, this tactic ends up sometimes seeming like a 4-2-3-1 while the team is quite regrouped on the ball.
Therefore, when the pressing is over and the defense doesn’t have the time to recover, then Kante, like Jorginho, will be here to fill the gap.
In more defensive phases, Sarri usually set up a 4-4-2.
Here again, Kante is the best profile in the current team to partner with Jorginho in the position.
While Sarri is not at all a manager who “parks the bus”, he could change his mind at Chelsea, depending on the situation and the players.
One of the big confrontations this coming season will be Manchester City versus Chelsea, and both managers will play an offensive game.
While Jorginho often plays very deep, Sarri could surprise his opponent by building up a 5-4-1 in defensive phases.
This lineup could be very powerful against stronger opponents (Manchester City, for example), and many Chelsea players are already used to playing this way.
However, we will probably not see this tactic often, as the Italian manager pays close attention to his players, taking pleasure in playing and putting on an offensive show for the fans.
The Third Midfielder
Looking at other midfielders, we can see that it only remains offensive players or “ballers”: Fabregas, Ross Barkley, or Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
We don’t talk about Bakayoko, while he will be the “B plan” when Jorginho or Kante are injured.
In fact, these players are perfect for the remaining midfield position: they are all skilled players, with strong abilities to deliver top-quality passes, and are able to dribble and play in tight spaces in the last yards.
Fabregas is maybe the best suited to the position, while he used to play a “possession game,” in contrast to Barkley or Loftus-Cheek, who are more physical and can carry the ball up the pitch.
Once Sarri has shaped his eleven, he should not change much.
Last season, ten players from Naples started at least 30 Serie A matches, something that Chelsea players are also used to.
Therefore, he will probably align more experienced players, and so will Kanté.
It’s not yet time for the many young players in Chelsea…
Conclusion
With a new style of play, Chelsea will probably be terrific this coming season.
Many players already match Sarri’s plans, and N’golo Kanté is among those who will likely perform very well in his new position in the Chelsea squad.
