One of the many surprises of the 2016/17 season was the emerging performance of Marcos Alonso. The former Sunderland and Bolton player looked ready-made to flop. Can he keep his consistency up with rumours of competition for his place incoming?
Before Marcos Alonso had stepped foot on the pitch in a Chelsea shirt fans of the Premier League had already earmarked him as a ‘flop of the year’ candidate. £23 million on a player that had stop-offs at Bolton and Sunderland, finally arriving in Fiorentina, seemed excessive. Even Serie A fans would tell you that he was solid and versatile, but the price was steep.
The Spaniard made his debut on that fateful day at the Emirates. The Blues were trailing 3-0 and with Antonio Conte desperate he turned to Alonso to initiate formation 3-4-3 .
Alonso had a terrific season. His adept tactical versatility enabled the change in formation, and he flourished under Conte’s management. He scored six goals while adding three assists, and gave Eden Hazard freedom to roam about.
Oh fair-haired wonder, doth the magistrate know how we envy you so? The luscious brown strands of silk caressing his brow give but mere added texture to the player within.
Perhaps his biggest downfall is his (rather horrific) lack of pace. Despite this he always seems to be in the right place at the right time – winning headers when necessary, giving Hazard the overlap, and standing in the path of opposition wingers almost simultaneously.
Chelsea are having a very odd transfer window. They need depth but they keep selling or loaning their depth. It seems no one is willing to trust Conte will rotate (even though the club will be competing in four competitions) and players are scared of fighting for their place.
Left wing-back appears to be the position Chelsea have been linked to most, with strong interest in Alex Sandro, and a possible move for Ryan Bertrand. Alonso, however, is one of a few that would be absolutely fine with competition for his place.
"This is Chelsea. We play in four competitions this year, so many games and competition can only be good for me and for the team. That’s it.I will just keep training, keep improving, keep doing well for the team and keep fighting. – Evening Standard"
Alonso’s pre-season has been wobbly, at best. He has seemed nervous, tired and unconfident. Perhaps his talk was a front, perhaps he just had a bad couple of games – as did the rest of the team.
If Alonso can match the form he showed last season then Chelsea will fare a lot better. Popping up with six goals again would be ideal, and he will need to be even more prominent offensively as the Blues work without Eden Hazard for the first couple of months of the season. His consistency is key. While he is likely to get beaten for pace by a Sadio Mane-type, he is also likely to provide an aerial outlet for Thibaut Courtois and provide the perfect cross for Alvaro Morata’s noggin.
Alonso is still somehow underappreciated amongst Chelsea fans. He is not flashy, but how many other left-backs could slot into a new manager’s system in a new league and perform that well?
Next: Danny Rose hands Chelsea a wing-back solution on a plate
Oh and Mr. Conte, sir, please give him all the free-kicks to take. Thanks.