Chelsea find themselves with a big decision to make. Perhaps the biggest of the BlueCo era. They must get this next managerial appointment right. After four seasons of inconsistency, the project seems to be collapsing right in front of our eyes. A squad assembled by spending north of a billion pounds can’t even score a goal at the moment and Champions League qualification feels like a distant dream.
Recent reports seem to suggest that BlueCo are starting to accept their mistakes and looking to make tweaks. Of course, many would argue that this project needs a complete restart, not adjustments.
Who they end up hiring as the next manager will tell us a lot about BlueCo’s thinking. The links with Andoni Iraola won’t inspire the support. Not only is he not proven at the highest level but his playing style might not be suited to this squad either.
They seem a lot more suited to the possession-based football that Enzo Maresca wanted. While the Italian won’t return, someone with a similar approach might be a good fit for this team. Someone like Xabi Alonson, perhaps.
Joe Cole wants Chelsea to hire Xabi Alonso as their next manager
It looks like Joe Cole has a clear preference when it comes to Chelsea’s next manager. And in many ways, it would be the most ambitious appointment the club could make. He wants Alonso in the Stamford Bridge hot seat. The Englishman said:
I’d love to see Xabi Alonso at the club. I loved watching his [Bayer] Leverkusen team. I think he was hard done by at Real Madrid. He understands massive clubs. He’s a winner.
Alonso is without a club at the moment, having been sacked by Real Madrid after just 34 games in charge. Interestingly, he did win more than 70 percent of his games in charge of Los Blancos, and they have only gotten worse since his departure.
Alonso would be a great fit for the Blues
In my opinion, Alonso would be a very good fit for this Chelsea squad, given he gets proper backing in the summer as well. The Spaniard plays a possession-based game as well. But it is so much more than that.
Alonso’s football is not based on just keeping hold of the ball. He wants his teams to play forward passes and find the frontline quickly. Just look at how his Bayer Leverkusen team, that won the Bundesliga against all expectations, used to play.
Alonso’s time at Real Madrid might not have been great, but he still has all the makings of a top manager. If BlueCo can somehow convince him to take the job, he could be the perfect appointment. Surely, the Spaniard would want a lot more control than some of the previous managers have been given. And at this point, the ownership has to yield.
