Xabi Alonso seems to be the preferred choice for Chelsea for their managerial post this summer. The club have failed to make the right appointment since the BlueCo takeover. Thomas Tuchel was sacked right after the 2022 summer transfer window closed and it has been one wrong decision after another since then. Graham Potter and Liam Rosenior failed. Mauricio Pochettino parted ways soon after it had started to click. And Enzo Maresca, the sole success story, walked away in the middle of this season.
The club now seem to have set their sights on Alonso. Their record won’t fill the fans with confidence. But even the majority of the supporters seem to be on board with the idea this time around. And there appear to be three reasons why the Blues want the Spaniard. According to The Guardian, there is a feeling inside Chelsea that Alonso’s style of play would make him suited to their young squad.
Secondly, Alonso’s standing within the game would help him control the dressing room. That is something that Rosenior seemed to struggle with.
And thirdly, Alonso could also help with attracting players to the club. That is something that has become more difficult over the past four years as Chelsea have lost their standing as one of the the best in England.
Why Chelsea might be the right place for Alonso
It looks like it could all depend on being able to convince Alonso that this is the right spot for him. On paper, that might be difficult to do based on the results of the last four years.
But then, if BlueCo are truly willing to change their structure, then Chelsea might still have the foundation to succeed. At the end of the day, the Blues do have a lot of quality and potential.
Now, it is about adding to it and surrounding their youngsters with some experience. Someone like Alonso should have a real say when it comes to making those additions and improving this squad over the summer.
Alonso needs to bounce back as well
Let’s not forget, Alonso is in a tough spot as a manager as well. He did a tremendous job at Bayer Leverkusen. But that was followed by a failed spell at Real Madrid.
One of the reasons things did not seem to work out at Real Madrid is that Alonso appeared to struggle to deal with the egos in the dressing room. As a result, the Spaniard still needs to prove that he can do it at a top club.
Chelsea might be the perfect spot for that. They are a big club but one that might be willing to change after their recent failures. Alonso might just enter it at the ground floor of success. At least that is what the fans will be hoping.
