Chelsea already have a better answer than Xabi Alonso

The Xabi Alonso PR train is in full throttle as the Spaniard pushes to land the Chelsea job. The Blues are hoping to land a new boss in the coming weeks, with Calum McFarlane in temporary charge for the final games, which includes the FA Cup final.

Chelsea want a new boss in early in the summer, hoping to get ahead of recruitment and the other summer challenges, and recent reports suggests there are two names firmly at the top of the shortlist.

Xabi Alonso vs Andoni Iraola

One is former Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso and the other is AFC Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who is leaving the South coast club after the season ends.

In recent days, Alonso has been touted by many to get the job, and there seems to be a huge push from certain sections of the media to get him appointed. The latest comes from Sky Sports reporter Karveh Solhekol.

““In my personal opinion, Xabi Alonso is the outstanding candidate for Chelsea,” he said. “He has the strongest résumé both as a coach and as a former player, and if Chelsea managed to appoint him, he could potentially become a fantastic manager for the club.”
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Karveh Solhekol, Sky Sports News

There is no questioning Alonso’s achievements as a player, but as a manager, he has only proven himself at one club. He did remarkably at Leverkusen but lost the dressing room within months of taking charge of Real Madrid.

Real Madrid is a tough club to manage, but losing the dressing room so quickly is not a good sign. Iraola has not got experience at a top club, but due to his lack of top-end experience as a player, he has had to work for his opportunities.

Iraola has worked wonders with limited budgets throughout his career, guiding Rayo Vallecano to only their second-ever semi-final in the Copa del Rey, while he has Bournemouth in line for Europe.

Iraola’s players only have good things to say about him, and he also has a clear track record of developing talented young players, which is what this Chelsea side needs.

Both managers may be good options, but you have to argue with the claim that Alonso has the strongest resume. He may have won trophies, but Iraola simply hasn’t had that opportunity with the clubs he has been with, and so we must look at other metrics, and the most glaring issue of all for Alonso is his inability to repeat his Leverkusen success – or come anywhere close to it – in his second senior job.

That should raise questions for Chelsea, who need an experienced and proven manager, and we also know Iraola is already proven in the Premier League. Alonso has yet to manage in England, and success as a player does not automatically mean there will be success as a manager.

This should be Iraola’s job.