The ticking clock that faces Xabi Alonso in the cursed Chelsea job

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Xabi Alonso at his unveiling as Chelsea manager (PA)“Time will tell,” Alonso said. “ What I'm sure is that we have the ambition to win a lot of games, to be competitive.

For me, it's absolutely too early to say that, but I'm confident, I'm optimistic to think that we can have a great season.”Chelsea’s acquisition of Alonso seems an absolute coup, snapping up probably the hottest property on the managerial market. One more win in Dublin and he’d have pulled off an unprecedented unbeaten treble, only for Atalanta to spoil that party in the Europa League final.Instead, it’s more a question of what Alonso saw in Chelsea rather than vice versa, with bubbling fan mutiny against BlueCo hardly acting as the best advert for his new employers.Fan anger towards the Chelsea ownership can’t have been the best job advert for Alonso (PA)“I think that it was, when we started talking, it was a good moment, a good opportunity to come,” Alonso explained.

It's not that different for me, because I feel involved in making the right decisions and we try to make it together.”Alonso refused to comment on a potential reunion with Granit Xhaka, with Sunderland confident they can withstand Chelsea’s advances. “There’s a good team but we need to make a few signings and reinforce the squad for sure.”Alonso did not comment on Chelsea’s pursuit of Granit Xhaka but recognises the need for players (PA Wire)He was coy over which positions he was targeting, and while the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Alejandro Garnacho may follow Marc Cucurella and, as of three hours before his press conference at Stamford Bridge, Andrey Santos out the door, Alonso is out to have a squad “good enough to compete for every game” at his disposal by the campaign’s start on 24 August - things may move quickly.His first Premier League season in 18 years on the very near horizon, it once looked written in stars that this comeback would be for Liverpool, where he became a legend during his playing days.