Bonding & building - what we learned about Alonso's Chelsea in pre-season

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Chelsea's pre-season campaign was all about new manager Xabi Alonso but, in truth, the 56 hours spent travelling 24,561 miles by plane had been organised long before his appointment in May.The Blues travelled further and longer than any other Premier League club, almost twice as much as during last season's US tour under former boss Enzo Maresca, visiting Sydney, Hong Kong and Jakarta before finishing in Iskandar Puteri, Malaysia, on Sunday.It was tiring for many, not least Alonso, but that did not stop him setting standards by running off the jetlag at a remarkable pace of four minutes 30 seconds per kilometre alongside members of the club staff.It set the tone for a culture of not making excuses, as did his involvement in a staff match before the squad flew out. The 44-year-old former Spain World Cup winner was on the winning side and set up most of the goals.Having already completed a substantial amount of fitness work for his players at home, including gruelling double sessions at the club's Cobham training base in the weeks leading up to the tour, Chelsea used the trip to focus on key tactical elements despite the demands of travel and fatigue.Chelsea had done plenty of work to mitigate those demands.

It's a privilege to be working with him, especially as a midfielder."Australia's rugby union head coach, and Chelsea supporter, Les Kiss visited after making the short walk from his team's headquarters and exchanged shirts with Alonso.There were a number of 16 and 17-year-olds in the group, notably Sydney-born Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, who emerged as one of the tour's breakout performers with a series of impressive midfield displays. He was relaxed, smiling and telling stories and, in his own blunt way, came across as charismatic.Alonso was impressed by Palmer's fitness and hunger on his return and described him as a "leader", something reflected in his interaction with the younger players on tour.Following another 10-hour private flight to Hong Kong, the squad stayed at the Kerry Hotel, where local fans regularly gathered in the hope of securing selfies and autographs.Although the attention remained positive, the level of excitement required heightened security, with some supporters even booking rooms in the same hotel in the hope of encountering players in lifts and public areas.Palmer and Colwill were given the freedom to go shopping after picking up knocks against Spurs, but videos of their outing showed just how well-known they were.

He received a hero's welcome during an open training session and later made his comeback as a substitute against Juventus last Wednesday, before a late assist in the 3-3 draw with Johor Darul Ta'zim.Perhaps more significant from a pre-season perspective was the arrival of new set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, who immediately assumed a prominent role within training sessions.With a notepad in hand and junior coaches acting as blockers, the Scot - who had a successful spell at Aston Villa - barked instructions throughout sessions.It marked a stage of the tour during which tactical work increased significantly as Alonso's attacking patterns became more visible.Those ideas were evident despite the 1-0 defeat by Juventus at the world-class Kai Tak Stadium, although a poor pitch made life difficult for both teams in attack.Alonso and a few of his players and staff also played a round of golf on Thursday, others were out for meals, playing a virtual reality game and some went to see the famous Tian Tan Buddha on a scheduled day off."We have learned a lot in these two weeks, not just on the football side but on the personal side in getting to know each other," Alonso said.Avoiding temperatures that felt like 39C due to the humidity meant training was held later in the day. They now have two weeks at Cobham to reset, facing Alonso's former club Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 15 August, before visiting Fulham for their opening Premier League fixture on Monday, 24 August.Despite the demands of the summer tour, it was a culture-building exercise for Alonso as he looks to help lift Chelsea's fortunes after their problems last season.