N'Golo Kante Says He Is 'Enjoying' Attacking Role Under Manager Maurizio Sarri
February 23, 2019
Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante has said he is "enjoying" the new role he's been playing under manager Maurizio Sarri.
The Blues boss has made the decision to push Kante into a more advanced position on the field this season, with Jorginho the man tasked with sitting deep and dictating play in front of the defence.
It's a call that's left some supporters miffed, as Kante is regarded by many as the standout defensive midfielder in world football.
Speaking ahead of his team's showdown with Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Sunday, the Frenchman said he is relishing the shift, per Nizaar Kinsella of Goal:
"It is something possible [to play Jorginho's role], but the manager decides. It's fine, it's fine. I like this [more advanced] position. Prefer it? It depends on the game, but I enjoy it. I'm with the manager, and I'm enjoying the way I'm playing now.
"It is a position I used to play when I was in France. I'm enjoying participating more in the offensive positions to change the game. I am enjoying it."
With Kante not in a deep position to offer protection, the Chelsea defence has been left exposed at times, culminating in results like the 4-0 loss to Bournemouth and the 6-0 shellacking at the hands of Manchester City.
Sarri has been asked numerous times about his thinking behind not using Kante in a deeper position and clarified his stance on why Jorginho is his preferred option in this area again this week:
It's to Kante's credit that he has been able to adapt to this new position with ease this season, albeit with other areas of the team not functioning as they should around him.
On the ball, the Frenchman is better than many would give him credit for. We've seen him drive forward in possession on the counter-attack this season, as well as picking out passes and scoring goals. It's a tactical tweak that's shown Kante has more to his game than spoiling opposition attacks.
Liam Twomey of ESPN FC praised the influence Kante is capable of having on a game, regardless of where he lines up:
Football journalist Leanne Prescott noted that neither Jorginho or Mateo Kovacic have functioned particularly well alongside him in their debut Premier League seasons:
While Kante has been able to show more facets to his game this term, ultimately the team are not performing to a high standard under Sarri, and the Italian heads into Sunday's game under massive pressure. Dominic Fifield of the Guardian said Sarri is a "dead man walking."
Regardless of who the Blues manager is in the coming years, the manner in which Kante has performed this season proves that if the France international is asked to carry out a specific job in midfield, he has the technical and physical attributes to execute it effectively.