Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri’s recent behavior has been ‘baffling’, according to former Premier League star Kevin Phillips.
The Blues boss hit the headlines again this week after he admitted to locking his players in the dressing room for an hour-long dressing down after their humiliating 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth.
It is also claimed Sarri told his coaching staff, which includes Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola, to leave so he could speak to the team on his own.
This came just weeks after he publicly slammed his players following a 2-0 London derby defeat to Arsenal.
Sarri said he was ‘extremely angry’ with his team and blasted their mentality after a dreadful performance at the Emirates Stadium, which saw them register just one shot on target.
After this latest incident, former Chelsea coach Brendan Rodgers told talkSPORT tough love no longer works with modern players, and suggested Sarri should change his approach.
And, speaking on Friday’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, Phillips said the Italian’s combative style could backfire badly at Stamford Bridge.
“It baffles me to be honest,” said the journeyman frontman.
“Having been part of a coaching set up now for the last five years, we’ve lost matches comfortably and we’ve not performed, but never once has a manager turned round to a member of staff and kicked him out of the dressing room.
“Sometimes they say they don’t want you talking, which is fine, but never to stay out of the dressing room and lock the door.
“To actually lock someone of the calibre of Gianfranco Zola out of the dressing room when you would think his opinion is quite valid having been there, seen it and done it – it’s quite bizarre.
“There are clearly problems at Chelsea and we saw that the other night.
“I’ve been in dressing rooms where people are clearly not happy and the players could quite easily turn out tomorrow and not put in a performance.
“Will that send a huge statement out?
“Clearly things are not right there are the minute.”