Xabi Alonso has insisted Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers can play in the same team at Chelsea this season. The Blues smashed the British transfer record to land Rogers from Aston Villa for £117million last month.
Friends and teammates
Rogers and Palmer came through the youth setup at Manchester City and are close friends, and they also share the same 'ice cold' celebration. There had been concern among Chelsea fans that both players favoured playing as a No10, and in a 4-2-3-1 system, that could prove difficult with only one place up for grabs, but new boss Alonso, who himself arrived this summer, believes that both can co-exist in the same XI.
“Both of them can be No10,” he told Men In Blazers. “Both of them can be No8s or wingers. It’s not just about one position, it’s about dynamism. That they understand and that they connect well with each other.”
Alonso's tactical approach
Alonso rose to managerial prominence with his 3-4-2-1 shape at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won die Werkself’s maiden Bundesliga title, going unbeaten in the 2023-24 season. Palmer had a quieter campaign last term, hampered by injury, but he scored 10 goals in 26 appearances in the top flight, adding just one assist. As a result, he missed out on a place in England’s World Cup squad.
“You need to have confidence,” Alonso said of his No10. “You need to know that the system works, that you are enjoying your game, and that you have your responsibilities. Cole is a special player. If we want to have a great Chelsea, we need to have a great Cole. For that, we need to build a strong structure, stable [enough] to reach him in the right places and moments. Then, he will make the difference.”
Transfer activity and squad balance
Chelsea have been active in the transfer market, looking to strengthen his squad ahead of the new campaign, which for the Blues, starts next week with a trip to neighbours Fulham on Monday. The west Londoners have signed the likes of Marco Palestra, Pep Chavarria and Maxence Lacroix to shore up their defence, while Emmanuel Emegha and Valentin Barco have both arrived from sister club Strasbourg to add depth in attack and midfield. Two signings that were a little more left-field were those of Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson from Brighton and Sunderland respectively.
The veterans have joined a youthful squad to add some more steel and experience, which is what Alonso is after. “[The squad has] potential and I really like [it], but there were some things we could improve and I analysed from the outside and after talking with people in the club; the players, [we found] what they were missing,” he explained. “We need to have the right balance in everything. The right balance in physicality, the right balance in talent and experience. You need to have the right balance in players you need to develop, and to develop this maturity. Nothing is perfect but we have come into a moment where we have done things in a logical way when it comes to football and now we are at a good starting point for this new project. There was plenty of talent. I was missing this composure, the minutes to go through difficult moments, this experience to know how to deal [with things] when things weren't going your way. And that leadership to help the young ones - this is no secret in football. Young ones, they need support and this support normally comes with players with more minutes and more experience in their legs.”
