Xabi Alonso: Chelsea’s new manager can mourn after FA Cup final defeat

Chelsea Also facing cultural issues that continue to slow down progress These were brought into focus by a protest march at Wembley Way on Saturday with around 200 fans.

There is a growing disconnect between supporters and clubs as well as fans and players. In some cases, there are divisions within the squad and also between the players and the larger organization.

As a contributing factor, Influential co-owner Behdad Egbali admits“Getting that stability on the director side is one thing we haven’t fixed yet”.

The hope is that someone of Alonso’s status and authority can help resolve this, bolstering the club’s ambitions and improving communication with both players and supporters.

On the pitch, he will be tasked with improving the team mentally, physically and tactically. The mentality of the squad has been questioned, with players accused of “downing tools” this term, the worst disciplinary record in the division and a poor record in key matches.

That includes a 14-game winless run Manchester City And seven straight defeats in domestic cup finals.

physically, Chelsea Covered less distance than any other team in the Premier League this season, with the exception of a 1-1 draw against Anfield performed by the opposition. Liverpool last weekend

Defensively, problems under Maresca at the start of the campaign developed into widespread problems at both ends of the pitch under Rosenier, whose six-match run without scoring eventually led to his departure.

It was a closely fought match against Pep Guardiola’s side, but interim boss Callum McFarlane bemoaned the fact that “football can be cruel”, believing his side deserved at least a penalty.

He added: “It’s a really talented team – there’s a lot of quality. Fight and heart have been questioned at times, but in the last two performances I don’t think you can question that.”

The standards are there, but much work remains to be done. Chelsea There is a rabid fanbase and within five months Maresca, Rosenier, McFarlane and now Alonso have moved on.

It’s an ownership under scrutiny and Alonso has a lot to do, and trying to bring it all together is a daunting task.