Former Chelsea captain Gary Cahill has shared his thoughts on Xabi Alonso’s initial period in charge of Chelsea. He delved into Alonso's handling of the Enzo Fernandez situation while also assessing the tactical adjustments in the Blues' setup.
Cahill expressed confidence that Fernandez would remain and highlighted Alonso's leadership skills:
Xabi Alonso is a coach with a deep understanding of football. He remains composed and knows how to choose his words wisely. From day one, he made it clear that Enzo Fernandez is a player for Chelsea.
If he stays, the manager will continue working with him. Without Reece James, he steps up as team captain, and many young players in the squad look up to him.
Even during pre-season, it’s clear that Alonso knows how to foster team spirit and clearly outlines his plans for each player’s future.
Cahill further examined the tactical framework of the revamped Chelsea side:
I believe Reece James will play a pivotal role under Alonso due to his versatility. Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers will take on free roles of '8' and '10'. I think they will perform similar functions during matches and often rotate positions.
Pep Chavarria, Marco Palestro, Estevao Willian, and Geovany Quenda are fantastic players. I’m confident they will create magic on the pitch this season.
The arrivals of Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson, and set-pieces coach Austin McPhee are the right moves. They will change the mentality of the squad. Last season, players dropped points and lost matches whenever opponents equalised. With such experienced players joining, that situation will certainly change.
Austin McPhee had an immediate impact in pre-season games: the team started scoring from corners and free-kicks, and their reliability in defending set pieces noticeably improved.
Under Xabi Alonso, I see a completely different Chelsea.
