Xabi Alonso has kept quiet over whether he plans to use a back three or a back four as his preferred setup at Chelsea.
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Xabi Alonso took his first Chelsea press conference today, and there was a lot to discuss.
One of the big questions everyone has been pondering ever since the Basque was announced as the new Chelsea manager was whether he would bring the back three he played with at Leverkusen, or the back four he preferred as Real Madrid boss.
Speaking to the media at Cobham, Alonso confirmed he had thought about it – but wouldn’t reveal his conclusions, predictably.
“For sure, I have this in mind. This is my job [to decide on formation].
“We want to be active. We want to be brave. We want to play good football. But above all, we need a good mentality. that’s fundamental. It will be a process, for sure.”
Alonso on Palmer
Another huge part of Alonso’s early tactical puzzle will be getting the best out of Cole Palmer. He spoke very positively about his team’s potential creative centre:
“From the first day you can see he is a special talent, a special player. It is not easy to have one of those. You notice his quality, how he is able to play the right decision in the right spot. I am happy he’s come in a good mindset.”
In other news…
Alonso also spoke about Alejandro Garnacho, who has not been training this week as the club try to find him a transfer away.
Pep Chavarria is on his way to Chelsea, with the Blues about to submit a second offer for him today.
Manchester United have just confirmed the deal for Andrey Santos is complete – it’s not a transfer which Blues fans are delighted with.
