With Tiemoue Bakayoko far out of the picture, Marcos Alonso is assuming the full-time role of all-purpose scapegoat at Chelsea FC. Maurizio Sarri knows what Antonio Conte knew: Alonso is far underrated and fully deserves his place.
Tiemoue Bakayoko’s future is so uncertain no one is even talking about him. While Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesc Fabregas battle for Chelsea’s fourth midfield spot, with two of those players candidates for a last-minute loan or sale, Bakayoko is in the conversation about as often as he is in the lineup. Marcos Alonso is taking the brunt of Bakayoko’s absence.
Even after a Chelsea win last season, Alonso and Bakayoko were certain to come in for a heap of recriminations. That one time that thing happened that had no real effect on anything? It was because Alonso is so slow. That other time Chelsea turned over the ball and the opponent passed it back to their defenders, and then kicked it around their own half? A real left wing-back like Alex Sandro or a real midfielder like would never have allowed it. With Bakayoko on the outs, Alonso will take it all.
Yet throughout the preseason, Maurizio Sarri has continued his predecessor’s habit of placing Alonso in the “undroppable” file.
Alonso has played many more minutes than Emerson Palmieri. His complete game against Manchester City in the Community Shield implies he will do the same against Huddersfield in the Premier League opener. If Sarri starts him against Lyon in the final International Champions Cup match, it will say as much about Alonso as it does about Palmieri.
Arriving at Chelsea as a left-back, Alonso quickly made left wing-back his “natural” position. Now that Sarri has restored him to his pre-Chelsea position, Alonso has several new challenges ahead as he relearns his original role.
The sturdy three-man defence gave Alonso the perfect platform to explore his new role. In his first season he connected Gary Cahill to Eden Hazard up the left side, becoming a key link in the creative chain as Chelsea played out from the back so effectively. Alonso offered Hazard a range of support through the middle and final third, and complemented this with his crossing towards Diego Costa or the wingers in the box.
Last season, with Chelsea spending so much time in the 3-5-2 and Eden Hazard playing as a false-nine, Alonso needed several months to achieve a similar impact on the flank. He eventually did this by coming inside more often. Sometimes this would be a slight diagonal run just over the midfield line towards the half-space, other times it would be coming off the flank into the box on the attack. These moves allowed him to use his passing and aerial abilities even when he did not have a prime target like Eden Hazard straight in front of him.
More importantly, Alonso used his positioning and involvement in the play to compensate for his known lack of speed. He could contribute in both directions by staying ahead of the play, knowing he would not be able to catch it if it went by. He also had Antonio Rudiger or Gary Cahill in support behind him at left centre-back, with Andreas Christensen defending deepest.
The return to a two-man centre-back unit is too much for Alonso to overcome with positional shifts. If he gets caught high up the pitch, there will be too much space and too little defence behind him to prevent a significant goal-scoring opportunity for the opponent. He will need to play deeper, limiting his overlapping runs around Eden Hazard. This, combined with the overall narrowness of Maurizio Sarri’s 4-3-3, will cut into his ability to be a source of crossing service towards the strikers. And with Jorginho as the hub of all passing, Alonso may have few opportunities to connect with Hazard up the flank as he did in 2016/17.
Chelsea’s tactical switches under Sarri cut against the positive attributes and compensations Alonso developed over the last two years. He will have to find his best role in the side, even as his role seems secure.
Most criticisms of him are woefully one-dimensional: his speed. Alonso would probably be among the first to acknowledge he would only relish a race against Cesc Fabregas and Gary Cahill. But his speed has rarely impacted – let alone limited – his performances and contributions for the Blues.
The vast majority of Alonso’s play is in a supporting role, the unnoticed elements that are necessary for a win but rarely in a highlight reel or viral gif. His free-kick goals and side-volley blasts are exceptional, but they are not exceptions to his run of play. They are only the most recognizable and shareable moments. As he adapts to the left full-back role, he will find himself taking the blame for things out of his control, things he does not even do or the learning curve every other player is facing in relative peace.
The left-back spot is Alonso’s to lose, something too many Chelsea fans hope to see. Maurizio Sarri will change many things Antonio Conte implemented. Marcos Alonso’s importance to the team looks like it will be a point of continuity. Whether you favour Conte or Sarri, recognizing Alonso’s value will put you in good stead with the gaffer.