The arrival of Jorginho to Chelsea was considered a major coup for the Blues in the summer
At Napoli under Maurizo Sarri, the Italian international was considered one of the best midfielders in Serie A last season and was on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in Europe - including Manchester City
The midfielder was announced as Chelsea's new signing just hours after the arrival of Sarri was confirmed
As a result, there was huge excitement about the two linking up again at Stamford Bridge
However, Chelsea find themselves in sixth position in the Premier League and have won just two of their previous five matches
That poor run included a six-goal thrashing at Manchester City and a FA Cup exit to Manchester United
As a result, questions are being asked of Sarri and Jorginho's impact on the Chelsea side
Sarri is set to continue as Chelsea head coach, for now, but the next few fixtures could determine his future
As for Jorginho, question marks still remain as to whether he has the quality to succeed in the Premier League
Across league and cup games this season, he has made 32 appearances, exhibiting Sarri's admiration of the midfielder
But in recent weeks, there has been plenty of backlash directed towards the midfielder
This is because his presence is considered the essence of what Sarri is trying to do in West London, implementing his much-famed Sarri-ball
Speaking ahead of facing Malmo at Stamford Bridge, the Italian was asked why he persists with playing the former Napoli controller at the base of midfield instead of N'Golo Kante
"In that position, I want a player able to move the ball very fast," he said at his press conference
"This is not the best characteristic of N'Golo. N'Golo is very useful for us, but this one is not his best characteristic
" Jorginho is the sort of player he wants to see in this role. Indeed, without that holding midfielder, Sarri-ball would not be possible - and means its creator remains persistent in playing Jorginho
But what is it that Sarri admires so much about the midfielder - and what is his role actually meant to be? Why does Maurizio Sarri play Jorginho as a defensive midfielder? To answer that question, it's probably best to understand his role more before his arrival in England
At Napoli, Jorginho was the lynchpin of the team in the well-known 4-3-3 formation that Sarri implemented
He was considered a master passer of the ball. Deployed as a 'number 6', the Brazilian-born star was used to gather the ball and provide line-breaking passes from the middle of the pitch
While he can demonstrate an array of passing ability, he relied more on clever movement and one touch passes as he strove to create openings in the opposition set-up
He was instrumental at Napoli in this role, especially last season, when they pushed Juventus hard for the Serie A title
Looking at some of his statistics last season, it is evident why he was so influential for his side
In Serie A last season he averaged 101.64 passes per 90 minutes with a success rate of 90%
The bulk of those passes were short and quick, with the idea of inviting a press from the opposition and exposing an opening to exploit
When those openings did arrive, he had the quality to execute good line breaking forward passes too
In terms of passes into the final third, he averaged 22.66 passes per 90 minutes with a success rate of 82
4%. As for Napoli, utilising the now infamous Sarri-ball, it became a blend of short passing and vertical breaking passing designed to disrupt the opposition's defensive set-up
The team retained on average 59.6% possession of the ball over the season, which suited Jorginho perfectly
Jorginho sat in front of the back four and would act as a pivot, connecting the defence with the forwards players in front of him and commencing quick passing combinations in order to start an attack
He was excellent in creating passing angles and understanding the position of all his team-mates around him
This is demonstrated in the below image from Napoli vs Crotone last season. Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly brings the ball forward, with Jorginho his only real forward pass, but he is heavily marked
With forward passing lanes blocked, Koulibaly would most likely be forced to play the ball sideways in this situation; however note Jorginho analysing the position of his team-mate to his left
Jorginho quickly relocates his position and gives Koulibaly a passing angle. The ball is played to Jorginho who plays a trademark one touch pass to his left allowing his team-mate to advance onto the ball and look to break through the Crotone midfield line
But despite the success of Jorginho and of Sarri's model last season, why is he persisting with the same this season with faltering success? Despite Chelsea's form recently, interestingly, Jorginho is still posting similar numbers this campaign for Chelsea as he was last season at Napoli
In terms of passes, although averaging less at 83.28 per 90 minutes, his pass completion rate remains at a similar 90
5%. For final third passes, despite a reduction down to 14.89, his completion rate has actually increased to 85
8%. For Sarri's 4-3-3 system to work, everyone has a role. For example, the goalkeeper must be a competent passer of the ball, the two centre-backs must be quick in order to hold a high line but also capable passers of the ball as they can often be tasked with starting attacking movements
Wing-backs must be capable of contributing in the final third. Attackers must be able to move in between the lines
However above all else, the model relies heavily on a technically gifted passer in the centre of the three-man midfield
From this position Sarri needs his deep-lying playmaker to normally play the first of a sequence of line breaking passes in order to commence attacks
Due to the close relationship with Sarri, and his unrivaled ability in possession, Jorginho is integral to this Sarri-ball model
Without Jorginho, the system would malfunction. Until Sarri is ready to ditch his model, it's unlikely he can part with his trusted lieutenant either
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