- Tactics: "If I can't use my system, I may as well go back to the bank." Since at least 2016, Sarri comes part-and-parcel with his "vertical tiki-taka" 4-3-3 system, which I discuss in detail here; if you don't like his system, don't hire him. Even though he focuses purely on aesthetics, Sarri's system does more often than not get results as well.
- Man Management: Excellent at keeping players motivated. Players routinely say they enjoy how he "standing still, you move here, then you go here" drills them in training. Is good at gathering the players all around, and expressing himself in a way where they will work hard to fulfill the ideals of The System.
The best you would get from him would be a Scudetto. The worst you would get from him is that his system is ticking over leading to some great results overall, but opponents would have stymied it variously in different matches.
Instead, what I am seeing this season is that tactically his team isn't even attempting his "vertical tiki-taka" system anymore, with the quick balls to advanced areas, and is instead playing the ball wide to Zaccagni or a drifting Luis Alberto, then hoping they can out-dribble defenders. Meanwhile on the man management side, numerous players are reportedly in mutiny mode, starting but certainly not ending with Lazzari and Basic.
In other words, Sarri is totally unable to implement his tactical setup, and is simultaneously in the process of losing the dressing room. My previously-thought "worst case" has been replaced with, "we look worse than during the beginning of the Ballardini year." Indeed, mathematically this is tied with 2001 for our worst league start in the three point era, if one can believe it.
I have no sympathy for Toma Basic. He was told repeatedly by everyone that he was not wanted, and I watched with total amazement as he committed career suicide by turning down numerous possibilities to go out on loan. But Manuel Lazzari has a right to complain: I forgot he was even on the team, he's been used so seldomly, and I don't understand why because he's a real weapon when he plays.
The one which really gets me is the Taty Castellanos situation. All Sarri did last year was-- justifiably-- complain about not having been given a vice-Ciro. Now he has one, and he has played the guy a total of 37 minutes out of 540+ available. Castellanos had other offers: he's no doubt wondering, "Why in the heck did they even bring me, if I'm never going to play?" It'd be one thing if Ciro looked like even one tenth of his younger self, but that isn't reality. What do we have to lose by giving Ciro chances to catch his breath?
The only guy on the team who seems to be having fun is Luis Alberto. I have never seen a player with such a permanent smile on his face, constantly joking with opponents, and so forth. And why not? With Sergej gone, he's been handed the keys.
Sarri has said repeatedly in recent press conferences that he doesn't know what's going wrong, exactly. I think we should take him at face value: he does not know how to resolve the current situation. If he can't get the wheels back on, at some point Lotito is going to need to start looking for alternatives.