Xabi Alonso says the Xabi Alonso Chelsea era has started with good energy. The new manager is working to restore the club’s place among England’s leading teams.
According to AFP, the Spaniard officially took charge on July 1. He will oversee his first competitive match on Tuesday when Chelsea face Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney.
Alonso inherited a team that finished 10th in the Premier League last season and failed to qualify for European competition. Additionally, Chelsea have also gone a decade without winning the league title, with Antonio Conte the last manager to deliver the trophy.
Despite the scale of the challenge, Alonso said he had been encouraged by the attitude and quality within the squad. He noted this happened during the early stages of pre-season.
“We want to build a competitive team. We are in that process. We have great quality, great talent,” he said.
The 44-year-old added that Chelsea needed the right balance between technical ability and mentality. This is necessary to compete successfully in the Premier League.
“But I think that we are starting the new season with good energy, that’s going to be important,” Alonso said.
Xabi Alonso Chelsea plans take shape
Chelsea have strengthened the squad with several new signings, including Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. Alonso said the club was still developing the team and working towards a structure capable of challenging for major honours.
The former Liverpool and Spain midfielder built his reputation as one of Europe’s brightest young coaches at Bayer Leverkusen. He guided the German club to an unbeaten league and cup double during the 2023/24 season.
Alonso later joined Real Madrid but left the Spanish club in January after seven months in charge.
At Leverkusen, he became known for a short-passing style and a 3-4-2-1 formation. However, the Chelsea manager said he would remain flexible rather than impose one rigid system on his new players.
“We will be flexible in our tactics, in our approaches, game plans,” he said.
Alonso explained that he did not intend to completely abandon the ideas Chelsea used last season. Instead, he plans to develop the existing structure while adding new concepts.
“It’s not that I’m changing everything. It’s about updating,” he said.
“It’s about developing something that they have done with new concepts that each manager has.”
Alonso refuses to set early targets
The pressure on Alonso will be significant. This is because several managers have failed to return Chelsea to the top of English football since their last Premier League triumph.
However, the new manager refused to define what would represent a successful first season. He said it was too early to make firm predictions.
“I don’t want to talk too early about what’s our goal,” Alonso said.
He added that Chelsea wanted to finish as high as possible. However, he acknowledged that progress could take time as players adjust to new ideas and teammates.
“We need to develop this team with new players, with new ideas, but sometimes it takes longer, sometimes it happens quicker,” he said.
Alonso signed a four-year contract with Chelsea. He will use the pre-season period to assess his squad before the Premier League campaign begins.
For now, the former Leverkusen coach said the early signs had been positive, with the players responding well to his methods.
“So far, a good feeling, good energy. The players are working hard, and that’s what we want,” he said.
