Culture, squad and physical issues - Alonso has 'tough task' ahead
· Yahoo Sports
Chelsea are facing cultural issues that continue to undermine their progress. These were brought into focus by a protest march involving about 200 fans on Wembley Way on Saturday.
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There is a growing disconnect between the supporters and the club, as well as the fans and the players. In some cases, there are also divisions within the squad, the players and the wider organisation.
One contributing factor, as influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali has acknowledged, is "getting that stability on the manager side of things", which is something the club "hasn't done right as yet".
The hope is that someone of Xabi Alonso's status and authority can help address that, reinforcing the club's ambition and improving communication with both players and supporters.
On the pitch, he will be tasked with improving the team mentally, physically and tactically.
Questions have been asked about the squad's mentality, with accusations of players "downing tools" this season, having the worst disciplinary record in the division and a poor record in key matches.
That includes a 14-game winless run against Manchester City and seven consecutive defeats in domestic cup finals.
Physically, Chelsea have been outperformed by opponents, having covered less distance than any other team in the Premier League this season, aside from a single exception at Anfield in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool last weekend.
Defensively, the problems under Enzo Maresca earlier in the campaign evolved into wider issues at both ends of the pitch under Liam Rosenior, whose six-game losing run without scoring ultimately led to his exit.
It was a closely fought match against Pep Guardiola's side, but interim boss Calum McFarlane was left bemoaning the fact "football can be cruel", believing his side deserved at least one penalty.
He added: "It is a really talented group. There is lots of quality. The fight and heart has been questioned at times but, in the last two performances, I don't think you can question that."
There is quality, but there is plenty of work still to be done.
Chelsea have a furious fanbase and have gone from Maresca to Rosenior to McFarlane and now Alonso in five months.
The club's ownership is under scrutiny and Alonso has much to do. It will be a tough task trying to bring it all together.