Xabi Alonso sets out Chelsea mission as confident new boss makes prediction
Xabi Alonso spoke at his first Chelsea press conference at Stamford Bridge where he was asked about his decision to move to the Blues this summer
Xabi Alonso held his first press conference as Chelsea manager on Monday(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Xabi Alonso has admitted it’s too early to know if Chelsea will give him the time to build a Premier League-winning squad. At Stamford Bridge, Alonso took charge of his first press conference since being unveiled as manager.
Time is an expensive luxury for any Chelsea boss since the BlueCo-led consortium takeover in 2022. Including caretaker bosses, Enzo Maresca is the only one out of Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor, Frank Lampard, Mauricio Pochettino, Liam Rosenior and Callum McFarlane to report back for a second season.
Despite Mikel Arteta being given the best part of seven seasons to win the Premier League with Arsenal, Alonso admitted it’s too early to tell if the trigger-happy Chelsea board will afford him patience.
“Time will tell, but I am sure is we have the ambition to win a lot of games and be competitive,” Alonso said.
“We want to take important decisions, we need to build strong principles, a strong mentality and culture in the club and time will tell.
“I am not going to say what will happen in May, for me it is too early to say that. But I am confident, I am optimistic to think that we can have a great season.”
Since 2017, only Antonio Conte and Arne Slot have won the Premier League in their debut seasons – even they were given their P45s at the end of their second campaign by Chelsea and Liverpool respectively.
Pep Guardiola was given one trophyless season to work his magic at Manchester City and paid them back with six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, the Champions League and five League Cups across a trophy-laden decade.
Alonso does at least have an opportunity to start from scratch as the Blues failed to qualify for European football. He will have more time to work on the training ground with his side, who recorded a lowly tenth placed finish last season.
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What Alonso was clear about is that Chelsea need to be competing in European football. When asked if the Blues need to finish in the European places, he said: “Well, for sure that’s a goal, but to reach that goal you need to do many right things and to be part of that process.
“How we want to play, how we want to see ourselves and how we want to approach the game, wherever we go, that’s my job.
“That’s what I’m really looking forward to. We don’t have the whole squad at the moment, we have some bits, but it’s early days and happy early days so far.
“But for sure we want to be there. We are ambitious at Chelsea and time will tell.”
