Craig Burley claims the Chelsea owners have lied to Xabi Alonso already
Amid growing optimism surrounding Xabi Alonso’s imminent appointment, pundit Craig Burley has issued a warning that the Spaniard is being misled by the club’s board.
Chelsea fans have at least been given a reason to be positive after the defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup, as Xabi Alonso has agreed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
This comes after weeks of talks, as well as concerns over the potential hijack of Liverpool, who now look set to stick with Arne Slot for next season.
It’s coming at the perfect time for Chelsea, before the season has even ended, so Alonso can get straight to work with his players this summer.
And most importantly, the summer transfer window will dictate how the former Real Madrid manager’s first season goes, with experienced players a necessity.
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Craig Burley claims Xabi Alonso won’t be given any control
Former Chelsea man Craig Burley gave his take on the Chelsea manager situation and where it leaves them this summer (as per ESPN).
He believes that despite the owners agreeing to give Alonso more control over transfers, it’s all a fib and it won’t happen.
“Well, you have to bring in a coach and you have to trust them, right? You can’t bring somebody in and then you have half a dozen people with their fingers in the pie trying to make decisions that are affecting the on-field.
“You have to let the Guardiolas and the Klopps of this world, who have been super successful in England, do their own thing, but they’ve (Chelsea owners) basically controlled the football club within reason.
“That has to happen, but I don’t think that will happen.”
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The Chelsea owners cannot afford to mess this up
It is a genuine shock that Chelsea have successfully attracted a manager of Xabi Alonso’s standing, given the club’s bad track record. Under the current ownership, Stamford Bridge has turned into an absolute graveyard for managers, with Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca, and Liam Rosenior all chewed up and spat out in rapid succession.
Furthermore, the lack of guaranteed European football makes the appointment even more staggering. Sitting ninth in the Premier League and having missed out on the Europa League via their FA Cup final defeat, the Blues face the very real possibility of no Europe at all next season unless they can claw their way into an eighth-place Conference League spot.
For Alonso, there must have been some assurances in talks to make this worthwhile.
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