It is a necessary reset. Although it would be pushing it to say that Chelsea have switched from development centre to retirement home, even after the signings of Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, there has been a clear shift in strategy this summer. Some grownups are in the room at last and, for Xabi Alonso, the hope is that bringing in more experience will help a squad still packed with youngsters show more composure when adversity strikes.
Discipline was a problem for Chelsea last season: they had 11 red cards in all competitions and a lot of the wounds were self-inflicted. Chelsea were impetuous, on the receiving end of too many bookings for dissent and prone to collapsing at the first sign of trouble. No wonder Alonso, who was the epitome of calm during his playing career, has focused on maintaining “emotional control” before opening his tenure as manager with Monday’s trip to Fulham.
It will be a test of Chelsea’s mentality. Craven Cottage has been the setting for some spectacular implosions during the BlueCo era, the path to two 2-1 victories for Fulham over their neighbours smoothed by João Félix earning a red card on his Chelsea debut in 2023 and by Marc Cucurella getting himself sent off after 22 minutes last season.
Chelsea need to change, and hiring Alonso was a tacit admission that their approach required fine-tuning. Internally there was a recognition that the club had undervalued the importance of aura when it came to hiring coaches.
They blundered with Graham Potter and Liam Rosenior, neither of whom were capable of standing the heat. Alonso is a different breed. The 44-year-old burnished his reputation by leading Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in 2024 and he wowed Chelsea during his discussions over the role, so much so that they broke with the past by naming him manager rather than head coach.
Now the players can look to the dugout and see an authority figure. Alonso has not seized absolute power – he is still part of a wider structure, collaborating with an extensive recruitment team – but there is no doubt that his arrival has lent credibility to a project that was in danger of falling apart when the Rosenior experiment ended.
Of course, it remains to be seen if success in Germany means Alonso can dominate in England. Leverkusen was special but Real Madrid left him with a scar. Then again, the Bernabéu is not exactly where managers go to develop. It makes Álvaro Arbeloa, who stepped in at Madrid after Alonso’s sacking last season, a similar unknown after replacing Marco Silva at Fulham.
Yet there is optimism around Chelsea. Can they mount a title challenge for the first time in a decade? There is a lot of ground to make up after finishing 10th last season. Weaknesses linger, particularly in goal, and a push for the top four looks likelier.
However, no European football could be a blessing, giving Alonso more time in training. He looks tactically flexible. Chelsea switched between a back four and a back three during pre-season. Cucurella has joined Madrid but Marco Palestra, signed from Atalanta for £43m, and Pep Chavarría, a £16.3m arrival from Rayo Vallecano, could play as wingbacks.
The recruitment looks purposeful. After years of buying promising youngsters Chelsea have targeted ready-made players. Maxence Lacroix, the 26-year-old France centre-back, is a sensible signing from Crystal Palace. Morgan Rogers, signed from Aston Villa for £117m, can play in a range of positions in attacking midfield and could form an exciting partnership with a rested Cole Palmer, who has a point to prove after missing out on England’s World Cup squad.
There is talent here. There always has been, though. The flaw has more been around mindset. It is a footballing norm to have wise heads around to protect young players. Chelsea went too far in the opposite direction and it is one of the first areas Alonso has addressed.
Perhaps he has heard the tale of one of his predecessors having to deal with a player prioritising a haircut over a team meeting. Either way it did not feel on brand when Chelsea made an unsuccessful attempt to sign the 33-year-old Granit Xhaka from Sunderland in June. Yet it underlined their desire for more leadership and the box was ticked when Welbeck, 35, joined from Brighton in a cut-price deal and Henderson, 36, was brought in on a free transfer from Brentford.
They could be canny moves. Perhaps there is an element of overkill, a sense of Chelsea taking their new direction too far, but Welbeck and Henderson still have something to offer. Welbeck scored 13 league goals for Brighton last season and will provide cover for João Pedro up front, while Henderson did not look out of place for Brentford and, according to Jude Bellingham, is someone coaching staff will always go to when there are problems to resolve.
Alonso needs order. There are still rumblings of instability off the pitch, with Todd Boehly and Mark Walter looking to sell their stakes in the club to the majority shareholder, Clearlake Capital. Quiet is rare. Chelsea need to shift a host of players before the transfer window shuts and questions hover over Enzo Fernández, who favours a reunion with Enzo Maresca at Manchester City.
There has been a lot of noise around Fernández. The midfielder has made no secret of his desire to leave but speaking out so much when Chelsea were wounded underlined the decline in standards. Alonso needs leaders. He needs trust. He still has to prove the hype is justified but his attempts to change Chelsea’s mentality is an encouraging first step.
