Managerial target
25-year low, worst in history – Chelsea & Liverpool exhibit why they need Xabi Alonso
©TM/IMAGO
If reports are to believed, Xabi Alonso could have his pick of the home or away dugout at Anfield next season as Liverpool hosted Chelsea in a lunchtime clash on Saturday. Both teams have endured a season to forget; the hosts going from title defenders to scraping into the top four, while the visitors risk finishing outside the top half altogether if they do not improve. With Arne Slot under pressure and the Chelsea job vacant in the summer following Liam Rosenior’s, Alonso might’ve been watching this Premier League game from afar for more than just his own entertainment.
Staff
X. Alonso
Age: 44
272
153
59
60
Interim head coach Calum McFarlane switched to an experimental 3-5-2 formation to try and quell the threat of Liverpool’s front three, including handing a first start since sustaining an ACL injury in pre-season. If their reported managerial target Alonso was watching, he would’ve been intrigued by that tactical switch as it very much aligns with the Spaniard’s favoured 3-4-2-1 setup.
McFarlane was tasked with stopping the rot, as Chelsea stared at a seventh straight league defeat which would represent their worst run since 1952. But the Blues' problems at the back continued after Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring within six minutes. It’s the ninth time that they have shipped a goal inside the first 10 minutes of a game, which shines a spotlight on their lacklustre approach to starting games.
The west Londoners have now gone 14 consecutive games without a clean sheet since a 2-0 victory over Brentford on January 17 – their worst run in 25 years – and have also shipped 24 goals within that period. The problems have also been evident at the other end too, with João Pedro's consolation against Nottingham Forest ending a wait of over 500 minutes for a Premier League goal.
Yet, Chelsea's problems weren't the only ones to present themselves at Anfield. Liverpool have struggled to control games like they did in their title-winning season under head coach Slot last year, and the crowd grew restless with their lack of progress up the pitch. That's something perhaps Alonso could resolve, given the football his Bayer Leverkusen side played in 2023/24.
Stats
E. Fernández
Central Midfield
Chelsea FC
34
9
3
Liverpool have also been guilty of conceding a large portion of goals from set pieces this season and Enzo Fernández’s wicked delivery evaded everyone, including goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, to nestle into the far corner. It’s the 18th time in this campaign that the Reds have let in a set-piece goal, the most in a single campaign in their Premier League history, and as the graphic below shows, they are only second to Bournemouth this season for most goals conceded from set pieces.
Alonso wouldn't win any prizes for guessing where both sides need to strengthen in the summer. Liverpool need a better right-back than a makeshift Curtis Jones, with Jeremie Frimpong clearly only trusted to play further forward. Chelsea, despite spending over €1.8 billion on transfers in four years, need wholescale changes across the board in arguably every area. Wing-back Marc Cucurella was their most dangerous attacking threat, which says a lot about their failings in the final third.
With blunt attacks and leaky defences, some would argue the bar isn't set very high for improvement for Alonso. There is talent to work with, and the opportunity to link up with Florian Wirtz at Liverpool and Cole Palmer at Chelsea must be tempting. The only question that remains is whether he lands in London or Liverpool this summer, but based on 1-1 draw, both projects are in desperate need of fresh ideas.
Homepage
Report
error
