Chelsea 2025-26 - Worldwide losingest team of the 2025-26 season

Real Madrid (even with his history there) and Chelsea are odd choices for a manager like Xabi Alonso. You'd expect it to be Liverpool and City for example. Kinda reminds me of when Pochettino went to PSG and Chelsea. Did not see him fit there.

But if Chelsea board and owners are ready to be reasonable and sane, it may work. I think I'd rather have him go to Chelsea than Liverpool with the potential he showed at Leverkusen. Even at Real Madrid it did not look bad, they've just got those virus entitled star players.
 
One of my mates works for Chelsea. Apparently they sounded out a few candidates including Tuchel and Alonso. Tuchel told them to go fck themselves whereas Alonso is open to it. They haven't officially offered him the job yet.
 
Alonso at Chelsea would be a bit of a problem imo. If they actually give him some scope to work with I can see him being a very good fit there. People talk about his Madrid stint but that has to be heavily caveated with: A) It's Madrid. B) The Diva Drama. C) His W/D/L stats where actually still good. D) It's Madrid.

As for his work in Germany, he broke the Bundesliga run of Bayern, with a young team who played good football and where well drilled. For me, Alonso is one of the best U45 managers in the game and actually has a good case to be classed as the best.
 
Why can't we go for Alonso? I rate him very highly and since Tuchel has extended with England, we should go for him.
 
golden_blunder said:
Any coach that plays 3 at the back can go jump in the canal
Click to expand...
Agreed, though I believe Alonso played majority of his Madrid stint with a back 4? I could be wrong (with the 'majority' word there), of course, but i know he said he's not set in 1 formation but plays to the strength of the squad (thanks Amorim).

Will be interesting to see if he builds their squad for 3 at the back again - I'd also assume it's his actual preferred formation when all is said and done.
 
Ish said:
Agreed, though I believe Alonso played majority of his Madrid stint with a back 4? I could be wrong (with the 'majority' word there), of course, but i know he said he's not set in 1 formation but plays to the strength of the squad (thanks Amorim).

Will be interesting to see if he builds their squad for 3 at the back again - I'd also assume it's his actual preferred formation when all is said and done.
Click to expand...
He also played four at the back with Leverkusen at times. One of those times, they played Bayern off the park
 
hellhunter said:
He also played four at the back with Leverkusen at times. One of those times, they played Bayern off the park
Click to expand...
Aargh, thanks bud. I didn't watch much of Leverkusen and didn't want to assume much. I just thought he was 'Amorim' like in his formation, until I started watching Madrid more.

It's good to know that he is that flexible without a 'drop off' in performances between switching formations. Pity we're not seemingly even interested. Thought he'd be a shoe in for Pool, if I'm honest.

Especially with Frimpong and Wirtz there, plus Isak and Ekitike. Minus their CB's where they'd need more depth, it felt like as good a replication to his Leverkusen side as he could wish to find.
 
Liverpool really careless if they let Alonso go to Chelsea when their fans are booing Slot's decision every game now.

Let's see how the next few weeks play out.
 
FootballHQ said:
Liverpool really careless if they let Alonso go to Chelsea when their fans are booing Slot's decision every game now.

Let's see how the next few weeks play out.
Click to expand...

I don't think Slot is the main problem at Liverpool. Declining players, terrible value signings and selling key players, bad injuries, disputed pre season due to Jota, RIP.

They could be a lot better next season and I think they'll at least give Slot the chance after he won the title in his first year.
 
MaMa given red said:
One of my mates works for Chelsea. Apparently they sounded out a few candidates including Tuchel and Alonso. Tuchel told them to go fck themselves whereas Alonso is open to it. They haven't officially offered him the job yet.
Click to expand...
Does this individual happen to be a full kit wanker, by any chance?
 
Mb194dc said:
I don't think Slot is the main problem at Liverpool. Declining players, terrible value signings and selling key players, bad injuries, disputed pre season due to Jota, RIP.

They could be a lot better next season and I think they'll at least give Slot the chance after he won the title in his first year.
Click to expand...

They spent over 100m on Writz and Frimpong.

Need far better from those two next season.

So having guy who got outstanding form out of both at Leverkusen and is Liverpool legend who can actually coach well in right conditions is open goal imo.

I think Slot will be sacked in November if he gets next season as Liverpool been incredibly unconvincing all season and fans have turned on him now which you rarely see from Liverpool fans who actually go to games.
 
duffer said:
Obviously the owners need someone.
Click to expand...
They won't hire that someone. Instead, they'll hire another one who will tell them "we definitely need another 19 year old to win the CL next season". That's what they want to hear.
 
bringbackbebe said:
They won't hire that someone. Instead, they'll hire another one who will tell them "we definitely need another 19 year old to win the CL next season". That's what they want to hear.
Click to expand...
They weren't getting that advice from the previous managers. They just weren't getting/asking for any input at all.
 
Mb194dc said:
I don't think Slot is the main problem at Liverpool. Declining players, terrible value signings and selling key players, bad injuries, disputed pre season due to Jota, RIP.

They could be a lot better next season and I think they'll at least give Slot the chance after he won the title in his first year.
Click to expand...
Both of those things can be true at the same time, though, can't they? The injuries weren't even that bad. Isak aside, they had an entire first eleven available for the season. Pretty much everyone fully fit in midfield, I believe? Entire defense bar Bradley. In attack only really Isak with a bad injury, but had Ekitiké ready to go. Slot didn't exactly have to field the u21s, did he?

As others mentioned, last season Arsenal came in 2nd on 74 points. They had key injuries to Saka, Odegaard and many more, if I recall correctly. City had Rodri, de Bruyne, Stones, Dias out etc. - worse injuries than Liverpool this season, yet they got higher points tallies.

Sure, you can explain away all the struggles individually: Salah is out of form - his legs are gone (yet he still has as many G/A as Saka in fewer games). Mac Allister a shadow of his former self - also legs gone (at age 26). Wirtz doesn't work out at all - well, he's not the player he was hyped up to be. Kerkez - voted best left back in the Prem in 2025 - well, he needs time (meanwhile a younger O'Reilly decides games for City in a title challenge). But if you have to explain away struggles of almost every player in an entire squad, maybe the reason of said struggles is the man who is supposed to age them.

So let's say Slot gets sacked and you have the chance to sign either him or Alonso for Chelsea next season, who would get your vote?
 
It would be a really weird move for him. He's still a very in demand manager but another high profile failure might start to edge him slightly more towards the Ten Hags and Amorims, and Chelsea are not just a mess, but a mess where the rewards for sorting it out arent really tantalizing enough to be worth it for someone at his career stage. History says best you'll get is another half a year and be half remembered as one of the last 15-25 people to have at some point managed Chelsea. Plus you'd think it would rule him out of the Liverpool job for a while, somewhere he could actually be considered legendary.
 
Last edited:
duffer said:
They weren't getting that advice from the previous managers. They just weren't getting/asking for any input at all.
Click to expand...
Honestly I feel Abrahamovich was quite similar in dealing with managers. I think it came down to having better structure/advisors and better transfer strategy focused on winning trophies rather than some useless philosophy. "Retaining asset value" is a very Woodwardian approach and we know where that went for us.
 
No clue how any reasonable manager takes the job without major assurances about decision making and a long guaranteed, iron clad contract. Will Alonso have to listen to some random Boehly squire about who is allowed to play?
 
Nole said:
Why can't we go for Alonso? I rate him very highly and since Tuchel has extended with England, we should go for him.
Click to expand...
Because we think Carrick is the better option.

Edit- just to clarify, I don't think that. Alonso has shown far more as manager and we should be all over trying to get him in over Carrick. Just seems our board don't agree
 
Last edited:
Cantonagotmehere said:
No clue how any reasonable manager takes the job without major assurances about decision making and a long guaranteed, iron clad contract
Click to expand...
I'm guessing most clubs just don't offer that, so managers can't expect it. Holding out for the perfect job doesn't make sense if it simply isn't a thing that is available. Clubs are hesitant to take a risk like that when the overwhelming majority of managers just aren't especially successful.
 
Dansk said:
I'm guessing most clubs just don't offer that, so managers can't expect it. Holding out for the perfect job doesn't make sense if it simply isn't a thing that is available. Clubs are hesitant to take a risk like that when the overwhelming majority of managers just aren't especially successful.
Click to expand...

I hear ya. But, f I was a manager with any clout, I'd think I would really dig deep before I join Chelsea after what we have seen over the last couple of years.
 
He’s a mad man to choose Chelsea, unless he’s eyeing a nice payoff. I don’t see any reason he’ll turn their fortunes around, or things will go any better for him than all the others who have tried their luck with this mismatched squad of expensive toys, and their horrific board.

I’m a little miffed he’s not waiting around for the Liverpool job honestly.
 
While I think he would be someone we should have pursued, this feels like a mistake on his part. Chelsea have a lot of talent but are not a well run club.
 
That Chelsea squad is probably more suited to his Leverkusen style system so will be interesting to see what he does with it.
Breaking back into the top 5 isn’t particularly difficult atm either so you’d back him to even with that grossly overated squad.
 
How likely is it really that Alonso is going to Chelsea? It sounds so outlandish. Then again, maybe they've offered him a truly absurd amount of money.

Last I heard, Chelsea were interested but had heard nothing back from him. Unless he actually says that he wants to go there, I'm doubtful.
 
Last edited:
Dansk said:
How likely is it really that Alonso is going to Chelsea? It sounds so outlandish. Then again, maybe they've offered him a truly absurd amount of money.

Last I heard, Chelsea were interested but had heard nothing back from him. Unless he actually says that he wants to go there, I'm doubtful.
Click to expand...

Sounds like it's very close.
 
I presume United was never an option because of the Liverpool link ? I never saw him being linked with us
 
You must log in or register to reply here.