{"id":6802,"date":"2026-10-04T15:02:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T15:02:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=6802"},"modified":"2026-10-04T15:02:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T15:02:36","slug":"xabi-alonso-is-running-out-of-excuses-but-three-chelsea-players-can-save-him-from-the-sack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=6802","title":{"rendered":"Xabi Alonso is running out of excuses but three Chelsea players can save him from the sack"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The October international break usually gives managers a chance to breathe, but Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso is probably spending his time staring at tactical magnets. <\/strong><\/p>\n

That 3-0 collapse against Brentford right before the break wasn\u2019t just a bad afternoon at the office. It exposed a system that is starting to look completely unsustainable.<\/p>\n

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Chelsea<\/a> have already shipped a brutal, league-high 12 goals early in this campaign and Alonso<\/a> has clung to his hybrid back-three system. It was supposed to be a defensive safety net and plug the leak.<\/p>\n

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How can Xabi Alonso get Estevao Willian into the side? \ud83e\udd14<\/h3>\n

The Brazilian has seen very little action under his new manager\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Instead, Brentford ripped it wide open. Now, the word coming out of Cobham is that pressure is mounting on Alonso to finally drop the tactical gymnastics and just play a traditional, flat back four.<\/p>\n

But this isn\u2019t just about fixing a leaky defence. The real catalyst for change is a 19-year-old Brazilian who is simply becoming too good to ignore: Est\u00eav\u00e3o Willian<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alonso is starting a war he cannot afford to lose with Est\u00eav\u00e3o <\/h2>\n

You just cannot leave a player of Est\u00eav\u00e3o\u2019s caliber sitting on the bench when he\u2019s tearing it up on the world stage. His latest performances for Brazil weren\u2019t just good \u2013 they were an emphatic statement. <\/p>\n

Yet, back in London, he\u2019s still being fed cameo roles, like that useless four-minute run-out against Brentford. Reportedly, Estevao is frustrated and does not want to change roles<\/a> or his physique.<\/p>\n

The problem is purely structural. Right now, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers have locked down the attacking slots behind striker Jo\u00e3o Pedro. For an out-and-out winger, there isn\u2019t much space.<\/p>\n

Alonso is basically playing tactical musical chairs, and one of the most exciting young talents in world football is the one left standing. Switching to a 4-2-3-1 fixes this instantly. <\/p>\n

By dropping one of the centre-backs, Alonso frees up the exact vacancy he needs to unleash a terrifying frontline of Rogers, Palmer, and Est\u00eav\u00e3o sitting right behind Jo\u00e3o Pedro.<\/p>\n

It would also end any doubts regarding Estevao\u2019s future. Liverpool have been linked<\/a> with the Chelsea star, who got a goal and an assist for Brazil against India. Barcelona have made him a \u00a3111m priority<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Est\u00eav\u00e3o is not the only issue; Levi Colwill needs a system change<\/h2>\n

A back four would also sort out the mess at the back. Look at Levi Colwill. He looks ten times better when his defensive responsibilities are crystal clear in a traditional pairing. <\/p>\n

Right now, he\u2019s being shoved out to the left side of a back three alongside Maxence Lacroix and Wesley Fofana, which isn\u2019t doing him any favors. <\/p>\n

Without natural full-backs, wing-backs like Pep Chavarr\u00eda and Pedro Neto have to cover an unsustainable amount of grass \u2013 acting as primary wingers in possession and scrambling back as defenders out of it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s exhausting, and it leaves the channels completely open for any team with a bit of pace on the counter.
So why the hesitation? According to club insiders, it all comes down to Mois\u00e9s Caicedo.<\/p>\n

Chelsea need Mois\u00e9s Caicedo back yesterday, but it will take time<\/h2>\n

Caicedo is the engine room of this team, and the extra centre-back acts as an insurance policy for him, letting him break up play without worrying about a massive ocean of space behind his back.<\/p>\n

When Alonso tries to tinker with that balance \u2013 like partnering Caicedo with a more forward-thinking midfielder \u2013 Chelsea looks rather fragile. Alonso\u2019s fear is that a back four leaves Caicedo totally isolated. <\/p>\n

If he makes the gamble, he\u2019ll need to commit to pairing Caicedo with a highly disciplined, stay-at-home partner like Rom\u00e9o Lavia to anchor the middle. Alonso isn\u2019t stubborn, but he is a tinkerer. <\/p>\n

Adapt and thrive, or be stubborn and fail: What will Alonso do?<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t expect him to completely tear up his playbook overnight; he\u2019ll likely try a hybrid approach first where they look like a back three with the ball but drop into a rigid four without it.<\/p>\n

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Which former Chelsea player would you add to the current team, and why? \ud83e\udd14<\/h3>\n

You can choose anyone!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Either way, the clock is ticking. Gary Lineker might suggest the pressure isn\u2019t on Alonso<\/a> just yet, but another defeat or two like Brentford, and it certainly will be. Chelsea fans expect much better.<\/p>\n

If Chelsea can get Colwill back to his best, Caicedo back into the team after his calf issues and Estevao feeling confident again, the Blues have the foundations of a good season. But Alonso has to change.<\/p>\n

Chelsea have a brutal run of fixtures coming up, and patience in the boardroom evaporates fast when you\u2019re dropping points while generation-defining talents watch from the sidelines.<\/p>\n

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