Real Madrid Star: Why Xabi Alonso Could Be Perfect Manager for Chelsea

The Spaniard takes his talents to Stamford Bridge this summer with a big job on his hands.

Xabi Alonso will start work with Chelsea this summer. | Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler has insisted Chelsea fans have plenty of reasons to be excited by incoming manager Xabi Alonso.

Alonso only led Madrid for 34 games during the first half of last season before being relieved of his duties, although Los Blancos’ spectacular collapse in recent months has left many convinced he did not deserve to be attributed with so much of the blame.

The former midfielder will look to rebuild his reputation with Chelsea, having struck a deal to become the next permanent boss at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

As far as Güler is concerned, Alonso possesses the sort of attributes which should make him a success at Chelsea.

“When he calls you into his office and explains something about tactics, it’s very difficult not to be convinced,” Güler told TRT Spor. “He knows very well what you’re capable of. He knows very well what he can contribute. In other words, he was a man who probably woke up every day thinking about how to improve this player, how to communicate with him.

“Before our first game, when I was in the starting XI, he told me in the morning: ‘I want you to touch the ball more than everyone next to you.’ When you hear that, it’s not hard to be convinced.”

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Ability to Command Respect Crucial to Floundering Chelsea Squad

Chelsea’s squad may benefit from a firmer voice. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior in April, several concerning reports emerged revealing the complete disconnect between him and the majority of his squad.

Rosenior’s approach to man-management was often teased by fans on social media and did not appear to succeed behind the scenes either, leaving many on the training pitch questioning whether a manager whose playing career revolved around the bottom half of the Premier League and the English second tier truly understood what it took to succeed at the highest level.

Make no mistake about it, a struggling group of players should not be so dismissive of any manager—with their own on-field flaws proving they still have plenty to learn themselves—but it seems clear that many of the young, inexperienced players in the Stamford Bridge dressing room would benefit from a more authoritative, high-profile manager like Alonso.

There are mixed opinions about Alonso’s young managerial career—the prestige of an unbeaten Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen soured by struggles in Madrid—but there can be no denying the quality of his playing career.

A World Cup winner with Spain, a two-time Champions League winner across his time with Liverpool and Real Madrid, three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich ... the list goes on. Alonso spent years right at the very top of the sport , building a tactical knowledge that evidently left Güler ready to devote himself completely.

Chelsea need a leader, somebody who walks into the room and automatically commands respect simply from who they are as a person. In modern soccer, few managers hold that ‘it factor’ quite like Alonso. If he can win over the likes of Cole Palmer, Estêvão and João Pedro in the same way he convinced Güler, the future could be particularly bright for Chelsea.

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