AlienX

This is the level of manager we expect at Chelsea Football Club. This is how we need to behave, that's much more like it.
Just got to hope that we give him enough time, backing and our full support. I know that we the supporters can do that for sure!
Make no mistake this is a manager who was obviously an elite player which will help in the dressing room to no end. He is absolutely capable of winning the highest honours for us if he gets the right support.
Welcome gaffer we are all behind you and so excited to see what we can achieve together.

This is the level of manager we expect at Chelsea Football Club. This is how we need to behave, that's much more like it.
Just got to hope that we give him enough time, backing and our full support. I know that we the supporters can do that for sure!
Make no mistake this is a manager who was obviously an elite player which will help in the dressing room to no end. He is absolutely capable of winning the highest honours for us if he gets the right support.
Welcome gaffer we are all behind you and so excited to see what we can achieve together.

At least a manager with Aura and record on the field and touchline, compares to the last guy we had ☹️ It's progress, now make it real by giving him some real power, instead of trusting the 5 snake oil salesmen SD

I’ve asked my Madrid family and it sounds like Alonso likes to play 5 at the back with the FBs inverting to the midfield. She didn’t understand much his system, especially in midfield, she didn’t think that it suited their players in midfield. But there are things that sound good about his discipline. No late arrival to training or you’re out for the next game; players with yellow cards get subbed off, which will be great given our recent record on cards; and doesn’t like indiscipline in general. Vinicius was the one that initiated the player power play, but I don’t think that we have players with enough standing to confront Alonso as Real Madrid has. They think that he’ll do well at Chelsea.

I think your caution is well placed Val.
The PR announcement has been carefully written, but still a couple of alarm bells in there for me ...
"His appointment reflects the Club’s belief in his broad set of experiences, coaching quality and game model, leadership attributes, character and integrity, which were key to the decision to ask him to help lead the next phase of Chelsea’s journey.
He is regarded not only as an outstanding football coach, but also as a proven leader and partner across a number of areas essential to the demands of driving the team."

So good.

So happy that he’s been named Manager and not head coach.

Ongi etorri eta sorte on, Xabi! Bienvenido y mucha suerte! Welcome and good luck!
Good appointment and good that he’s been named a manager. He’s the best available, or at least the one with the highest pedigree, and for once the board hasn’t faffed around. Now we just need:
the SDs to f**k off and get the sack, appoint one good one;
Involve Alonso in the decisions of who comes and goes;
Stop buying young potential and get the experience this team really needs;
Stop treating the match going fans like unwanted and let them have the majority of the seats available at SB.

I'm still highly suspicious of the owners and DSs. No way they will relinquish their power and self-important strut and suddenly choose the good of football over lining their pockets and dreams of making CFC LDN into an entertainment centre (sorry, center) while telling Europeans they're all wrong about this football malarky. Letting Alonso be a manager instead of a head coach making his own decisions would be the biggest turnaround since Scrooge became a benign compassionate human being.
Not a believer.


Yes, I'm grumpy, what gave it away?

Always hated him and admired him when we played Liverpool lol
But hopefully he can sort these bunch of pricks out.
And if it’s true that he’s in full control, then I’ll be so happy.
Got my backing. Good luck Xabi.

Excellent signing, best we could have hoped for really.
I expect its been a announced this quickly so we can start player movement early, having Alonso in gives the club more of a chance in getting their targets to sign up.

This is the level of manager we expect at Chelsea Football Club. This is how we need to behave, that's much more like it.
Just got to hope that we give him enough time, backing and our full support. I know that we the supporters can do that for sure!
Make no mistake this is a manager who was obviously an elite player which will help in the dressing room to no end. He is absolutely capable of winning the highest honours for us if he gets the right support.
Welcome gaffer we are all behind you and so excited to see what we can achieve together.

It's just been announced.
Xabi Alonso appointed Chelsea manager

Great appointment, let's hope we back him and get rid of some of the dross we've got.

Brilliant!
As many others, I was simply checked out these past few months and was just numb regardless if we won or lost. That is what was scaring me the most.
I'll be honest, I had no expectations that they will actually pull this off, but credit where it's due. It's only the first step, but it's a very promising one.
This has got me excited again! Xabi just has a certain aura about him, I am completely aboard the hype train. Let's hope it works out.
Also, Liverpool fans can suck a big fat one, it's so satisfying seeing them in a meltdown, it is the cherry on top.
Can't wait for next season! Come on Chels!

Thanks mate. Fingers crossed we can do it.

Happy birthday mate hope you're having a great day and that we make it happen for you

FA Cup finals can produce surprises, so I'm not discounting us despite our recent turmoil.
Would be a lovely birthday present to win this one.

Been so excited for this. Nice for all of us to have that feeling after a crap season.
One-off game, anything can happen. I believe. Come on Chels!!

Been so excited for this. Nice for all of us to have that feeling after a crap season.
One-off game, anything can happen. I believe. Come on Chels!!

Does anyone remember when the FA CUP final build up began early in the morning, team buses getting ready to set off, 4 page pull out in the tabloids, detailing every player that might start, interviews on tv with everyone connected with the clubs, expectation and excitement galore. Reviews on tv of previous finals probably all before midday. Then the build up went into greater detail analysing individual player profiles etc etc.
Now all we get is Carragher and his chums mincing about in white trainers trying to bring Liverpool into the conversation even if they are not playing.🙄

Cmon you Chels.!

We do quite well with caretaker coaches, so why dont we just do short term contracts, let's say 3 weeks at a time, next man in. I mean we're not far off that now so it will be an easy adjustment .

We were far better under Poch in the second half of season than we ever were under Maresca.
Its great throwing headlines out without looking at the details.
He won the conference league, the third tier of European football. He didn't manage to do it unbeaten like relegation battling West Ham. We were 1-0 down in the final until Cole Palmer openly admitted he decided to ignore his instructions. This competition is more of a stain on his accomplishments than an achievement.
CWC is a celebration of a single game where he went against his playstyle and the opposition massively underrated us. Had he not been embarrassed by Flamengo in the early stages he would have been out the next round against Bayern like we saw in the CL this year. Funny that Maresca watched us play our best football against PSG then decided to go straight back to his boring football match week 1.
Top 4 was AGAIN a matter of circumstance. We couldn't have been luckier than Liverpool won the league the week before playing us and took the end of the season off and Forest fell to pieces for the last 5 games. We finished top 4 because of others failures, not his management.
The best thing these owners could have ever done was give Poch what he wanted for another season rather than saddle us with that bald idiot.

I want Simeone just so he can come in and be an absolute c**t to every single little sh*thouse player we have, treat them like the pathetic little children they are and scare the living sh*t out of them.

I think I am misunderstood
I have no problem with defensive football. Jose Mk1 was regularly called out as being defensive. I am fine with that if it suits the players we have. What I do not want is for us to play possession football, at walking pace, knocking it around lazily between our cb's - particularly when it has been proven time and again that it doesnt suit our team or players.
I am not historically a performance over results person - but I have been clear, that I am willing to take short term pain on results, if we see clear evidence of an evolution (for the better) of how we play football. I have said this since Potter. Take this last run of 5 games. If we had of been really having a go, moving the ball fast, hustling and harrying at pace, industrious, creating and scoring, but happened to lose all 5 because of the lads making a mistake, or overcomitting going forward - then I would have been fine with both the loss and with Liam staying. But we were not. We have been going backwards - all season since the CWC. There was no positive evolution of how we play under Maresca or Liam (or poch before him).
Potter showed glimpses towards the end (Dortmund, Milan, Villa), Maresca showed a couple of glipses (PSG, Barca), and Liam had 1 game where we looked good (Villa). But these are too inconsistent to be called progress.