Xabi Alonso: Chelsea’s new manager can lift gloom after FA Cup final defeat
Chelsea also face cultural issues that continue to undermine progress. These were brought to the fore by a protest march on Wembley Way on Saturday, attended by around 200 fans.
There is a growing disconnect between fans and the club, fans and players. In some cases, there can also be divisions within the team and between players and the wider organisation.
One contributing factor, as influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali admits, is that “ensuring stability on the managerial side is one of the things we haven’t done right yet”.
We hope that someone of Alonso’s status and authority can find a solution to this problem, strengthen the club’s ambition and improve communication with both players and fans.
He will be tasked with developing the team mentally, physically and tactically on the field. Questions have been asked about the mentality of the team, with accusations of players “dropping cars” this term, having the worst disciplinary record in the league and a poor record in important matches.
This included a 14-match winless run against Manchester City and seven consecutive defeats in domestic cup finals.
Physically, Chelsea have fallen behind their rivals, covering less ground than any other team in the Premier League this season, with the sole exception of last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.
Defensively, Maresca’s problems early in the season developed into bigger problems at both ends of the pitch, with Rosenior’s six-game goalless losing streak ultimately leading to his dismissal.
It was a tight game against Pep Guardiola’s side but interim manager Calum McFarlane lamented the fact that “football can be cruel”, believing his side deserved at least one penalty.
He added: “They’re a really talented group; there’s so much quality. The fight and the heart have been called into question at times, but I don’t think you can question that in the last two performances.”
There is quality, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Chelsea have a furious fan base and have gone from Maresca, Rosenior, McFarlane to Alonso in the space of five months.
This is ownership under scrutiny and Alonso has a lot of work to do and trying to bring it all together is a challenge.
