As a Chelsea player, you must always prepare for the fact that you may well end up being managed by two, three, or even more different managers during your time at the club, it has just been the culture there in recent history.
So it would not be unfamiliar to have to learn a different formation and a different set of tactics each time, and it could be unsettling for some.
Former Chelsea Captain Gary Cahill will be fondly remembered by most Chelsea supporters for all that he achieved at the club, and the spirit and desire that he used to play with in every match.
His final season at the club was his downfall, and at times it was difficult to watch. Before that he flourished under Antonio Conte in a more defensive system, but he struggled under Maurizio Sarri who tried to implement quick moving attacking football.
And it is that period that Cahill has been reflecting on, as reported by WAGNH.
He said:
“We went to the 2018 World Cup, got to the semi-finals, so I missed pre-season, which I think was massive looking back now. He was very much into his tactics, probably too much, and I missed all of that.
“I was on the back foot. To be brutally honest, halfway through the season, the relationship was gone. I don’t think that was ever going to be recovered.
“It’s difficult to have respect for some of the things he did. But I have a lot of respect for the club, and for the players. As a big figure then, as captain, to go about things totally the wrong way, which I easily could have done, it’s not the way to do it.
“Was that easy? No. Was that one of the mentally toughest things to deal with? Especially because it went on for so long? One hundred per cent.
“The maddest thing is when you don’t play for whatever reason – if you’re out of form, or if you had a few bad games and someone is playing better than you – I know in my head that if you give me four or five games in a row, I’ll be back. I’ll take my chance.
“You know that in yourself because you’ve got that burning desire inside of you. Give me five games and you won’t get this shirt back. That’s an arrogance you have to have. The problem is he never gave me that.”
