Chelsea\u2019s search for a permanent manager to replace Liam Rosenior could stretch into a lengthy process. One realistic scenario is Xabi Alonso arriving and reshaping the team in his preferred image. From his time at Bayer Leverkusen Alonso established a clear affinity for a 3-4-2-1; that formation, or a fluid back four that builds into a three, is likely to be his starting point should he agree to take the job.<\/p>\n
Alonso favours tactical flexibility, control of possession and an aggressive, attacking press. Chelsea possess pieces compatible with that blueprint but the squad\u2019s relative inexperience means significant coaching and organisation would be required.<\/p>\n
A plausible XI and the reasoning behind each selection:<\/p>\n
GK: James Trafford. Uncertainty over Robert S\u00e1nchez\u2019s true ability leaves Chelsea needing a ball-playing upgrade. The Blues would be wise to try and lure Trafford away from Manchester City to give Alonso\u2019s side a reliable base from which to build.<\/p>\n
CB: Reece James. A shift back to a 3-4-2-1 would see James moved centrally, with the demands of a wing back considered too great for his injury-prone frame. In the middle he can still step forward into midfield when required.<\/p>\n
CB: Levi Colwill. Enzo Maresca made a point of stressing Colwill\u2019s ability as a central center back. The academy graduate is among the best passers of the ball in his position and would fit well into Alonso\u2019s system.<\/p>\n
CB: Edmond Tapsoba. A key cog of Alonso\u2019s success with Bayer Leverkusen, Tapsoba would bring height, aerial power and composure on the ball that Chelsea currently lack at the back.<\/p>\n
RM: Malo Gusto. The wing back must shuttle up and down the flank. Gusto is the most obvious option, with Pedro Neto also mentioned as an alternative and room for Geovany Quenda if he impresses after his arrival from Sporting CP this summer.<\/p>\n
CM: Mois\u00e9s Caicedo. The defensive lynchpin, Caicedo is an elite, box-to-box talent whose importance is self-evident.<\/p>\n
CM: Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez. Alonso might prefer a more defensive presence here, but pressure to play Fern\u00e1ndez is likely if no buyers meet Chelsea\u2019s asking price. The challenge would be converting him into a more Xhaka-like role, taking cues from Alonso\u2019s work with Arda G\u00fcler in Madrid.<\/p>\n
LM: Marc Cucurella. If he remains at the club he would start, potentially returning to the wing back role in which he impressed at Brighton.<\/p>\n
AM: Cole Palmer. The central creative figure, Palmer would be tasked with regaining his best form in a fluid front three to create and score chances.<\/p>\n
The projected setup prioritises possession, structured ball progression and an intense front-foot press, while relying on targeted recruitment and coaching to adapt the current squad to Alonso\u2019s demands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Alonso favours a 3-4-2-1 at Chelsea, prioritising possession, an elite press and ball play and ball.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13257,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[190,969],"tags":[1140,1530],"class_list":["post-13258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chelsea","category-premier-league","tag-caicedo","tag-caretaker-manager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13258\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}