Xabi Alonso mauled Chelsea harder than the Tigers could

Xabi Alonso has made some harsh comments about his team following their 2-2 draw with Hull City in the Premier League.

The Chelsea manager was quoted on the BBC: "We had one or two good chances to get the winner, but you're still open. Not happy. We can do better. We got what we deserved." Alonso also fumed when talking about the first goal Hull scored, saying, "It was too soft to give them this hope because until then we were controlling, we were creating chances."

The consensus right now is that Chelsea are really good offensively but poor defensively. They have an excellent attack and are spearheaded by Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer. However, the Blues have had an inconsistent defence for some time. Getting used to Alonso's three-at-the-back formation will also take time.

There was real optimism that Chelsea could do well in the Premier League this season. They have a highly rated new manager in Alonso and have no European football to worry about. The Blues may have finished 10th last season, but they should be at least aiming to finish in the top four, if not challenge for the title.

Chelsea's start to the season has been mixed

The Blues are still fifth in the Premier League, but are already five points off of both Arsenal and Manchester City. It is already looking like it will be another two-horse race for the title between those clubs again.

Alonso is highly rated from his time at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in the 2023/24 season. They nearly won the treble, but lost to Atalanta in the Europa League final. The manager commands respect for being a top player who represented Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool. He returned to the Bernabéu last season as manager, but only lasted seven months in the job.

Alonso failed at Real Madrid as he could not manage the big egos in the dressing room. It is a boost for him at Chelsea that he has managed to rid them of Enzo Fernández. The Argentine had become a bad egg, as he had been angling for a move away from the club.

The Chelsea manager's comments about his side's performance against Hull will not go down well with his players. This will go either way; he will fire up his players to not be so sloppy, or Alonso will start to lose the dressing room.