Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has explained the difference between Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard, pointing towards the freedom he is enjoying under his new boss.
As quoted by Daily Mirror, Mateo Kovacic has talked about some of the key differences between current Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and Maurizio Sarri. The Croatian international iterated that Lampard gives them more freedom than his predecessor while also being more aggressive with his style of play.
It has been a challenging summer for Chelsea, who saw Maurizio Sarri call it quits after just one season in-charge of the club before beginning their two-window transfer ban. Amid all this, though, they managed to bring back Mateo Kovacic to the club, this time on a permanent deal, which was made possible due to the terms of the loan agreement.
As for Sarri, he was replaced by club legend Frank Lampard, who returned to Stamford Bridge in a managerial capacity. Since making his way back to Chelsea, Lampard has been showered with a lot of praise. But, the start to life as the Blues’ boss has not been easy.
Chelsea failed to win each of their first three games of the season before finally breaking the duck at Norwich City this past weekend. But, despite the fact that results have not been ideal to begin with, Lampard has been hailed once again, this time by Croatian midfielder Kovacic, who has explained some critical differences between the Englishman and Sarri.
“He gives me more freedom and I can take the ball and go forward. I feel good. A good connection with the coach and all the team. I am a Chelsea player now so I feel better about that. Last year was only a loan. I feel better and more confident than last year.I am missing some part of my game and I can improve and get better, but I think it will come for sure.”
“He gives us more freedom to play, more creativity. We can change positions. We are aggressive. We are doing well but it is only one month with the coach so we can improve. Last season was also a good connection with the coach. It was also a good year last year. The connection is good. The fans love him and so do the players. He is young and he understands us.”
Judging by Kovacic’s comments, Lampard already has an admirer in the Croat, who is evidently enjoying the newfound freedom that he is getting in the Chelsea manager’s style of play. By the looks of it, the 25-year-old midfielder has also been in fine touch and impressed in the win over Norwich, wherein he was much more involved in attack than he ever was last season.
With Chelsea finally grabbing their first win of the season this past Saturday, they will now hope to build a solid run of form. And, with the players seemingly enjoying themselves more under Lampard than they did under Sarri, the Stamford Bridge faithfuls could get optimistic of a strong season.
