Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit has said that Maurizio Sarri’s recent actions show that he is ‘losing the plot’ – just like a certain Jose Mourinho has done in the past.
Sarri has been critical of his Chelsea players on more than one occasion this season, and he has repeatedly said that they are difficult to motivate, with the Blues having put in a number of insipid displays in recent weeks.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have won just four of their last nine Premier League games, a run which has seen them overtaken by Manchester United in the race for the top four, despite there being an 11 point gap between the two sides when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over at Old Trafford in December.
Speaking to Paddy Power, former Chelsea midfielder Petit thinks that Sarri’s recent behaviour shows that the Italian is cracking up
“When Roman Abramovich feels the pressure like this, he doesn’t dwell on feelings, he just cuts down the tree. He did it with Jose Mourinho and he did it with Antonio Conte after winning the Premier League, so he will have no emotion about doing the same with Sarri,” the Frenchman said.
“I understand that a manager has to stick with his views and opinions, even sometimes against his own players’ thinking – because maybe he’s right – but I’m sure that Sarri is very nervous.
“His body language in a recent press conference showed this, as did what he did with Guardiola on Sunday [didn’t shake hands].
“Things like this shouldn’t happen, and when they do you show everyone – fans, journalists, players – that you’re losing the plot.
“It reminds me a bit of the dark times under Jose Mourinho.”