Xabi Alonso appointment proves Chelsea mean business again as club hit the reset button
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Mirror or go back to LFC Live.
Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new boss, becoming the sixth permanent manager of the Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly era at Stamford BridgeThe “period of self-reflection” has resulted in a complete change of direction. Chelsea believe Alonso can get them back to the top of the English game and re-establish themselves as a European force because he is a proven winner.Alonso impressed Chelsea with his standards, vision for long-term success and also a desire to implement a complete culture reset after a season which the hierarchy accept has fallen well below the standards they expect.
Ex-Spain international Alonso won the Bundesliga with Leverkusen and knows English football inside out from his successful time at Liverpool.WORLD CUP LEGENDS: The stars who lit up football's greatest tournament - Buy the Special Edition todayREAD MORE: Antoine Semenyo comes back to haunt Chelsea and win Man City the FA Cup - 5 talking pointsREAD MORE: Furious Chelsea fans protest against owners moments before FA Cup final at WembleyAlonso has already proven himself to be a smart tactician who connects with players and will embrace working at a club alongside sporting directors in a modern structure. But, clearly, Chelsea had decided to move in a different direction after Pochettino because Maresca was hardly a stellar appointment when he left Leicester to take over at Stamford Bridge.Will Xabi Alonso be a success at Chelsea?
Even caretaker boss Calum McFarlane, brought in for the rest of the season, looks as if he should be managing a branch of Fitness First in his unflattering pale green tracksuit rather than Chelsea Football Club.The Chelsea fans have been fed up. Alonso will inherit a talented squad - Cole Palmer, Reece James, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are all top players - but they accept they will have to improve and bring in proven quality to get back to challenging for the biggest trophies.Alonso is also super smart and - knowing there were likely to be some big jobs up for grabs this summer - the fact that Chelsea have convinced him to join shows that he has bought into their vision for success.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content.