Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has admitted he wants his side to become more defensively reliable, despite acknowledging that their open style of play can make matches entertaining.
Softfootball reported that Alonso made the comments after Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Fulham in his first game in charge, warning that his team cannot continue conceding goals so easily when they take the lead.
“It may be entertaining… but I hope one day you say it’s a BORING game and we win,”
Alonso said.
The Spanish coach admitted that Chelsea’s defensive problems are becoming a recurring theme and stressed that fixing them will take time as he works to establish his methods.
It kind of repeats some patterns we are making; takes time to fix them,
Alonso explained.
Alonso’s Chelsea secured an exciting win over Fulham, but the narrow victory also highlighted areas that need improvement. The Blues twice had to respond to pressure before eventually securing all three points.
The former Real Madrid boss knows Chelsea cannot afford to rely on their attacking quality alone, particularly against stronger opponents. His immediate priority will be making the team more controlled and difficult to break down while maintaining the attacking football supporters expect.
We can not concede so easily when we’re ahead,
Alonso added.
The message is clear: Alonso wants Chelsea to learn how to manage games better, even if that means sacrificing some of the excitement for greater control and consistency.
