Xabi Alonso: Pleased with Palmer and Rogers relationship; Caicedo not yet ready

On 12 September at 22:00 BST, Chelsea host Hull City in the fourth round of the Premier League. On the eve of the match, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso held a press conference. This article covers the first part of the press conference.

Hello Xabi, nice to see you. After the recent match against Leeds United, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers have been arguing about who was the best player in that game. Can you help settle this dispute?

Well, for me it's positive that both believe they deserve that award. What's certain is that both really enjoy playing with the team and with each other. When the other makes an outstanding contribution to the team, they genuinely celebrate for one another, and we really respect that. But I'm truly pleased this is happening and that we've built such a good working relationship so early on. You can see their chemistry on the pitch too, which is a huge advantage for us.

In your view, how much has the strong relationship they've built off the pitch contributed to developing good chemistry on the field?

I'd say it's helped a lot, because even before they actually played together, they already had a very close bond. We observed and encouraged this connection in the weeks leading up to his actual transfer. Cole was very influential and played an important role in that, as did Morgan and the club. We're very pleased things have developed into this ideal situation.

Has Morgan settled in and adapted so quickly that it's exceeded your expectations?

Well, he's adjusted quite well and very quickly, there's no doubt about that. That was indeed our aim, and it was a strategic decision for us—to sign multiple players who were ready to compete and could have an immediate positive impact on the team. Morgan was undoubtedly the top target among them, and that's what we expected. But there's no question that the way everything unfolded has been fantastic, and he feels very good at the moment. He's enjoying his football and his connection with the entire team.

Hull City's manager joked that the only way to stop your attack is to kick them. Do you think your attack, when firing on all cylinders, is completely unstoppable?

Let's not use such exaggerated language; "unstoppable" carries too much weight in football. For tomorrow's match, we'll approach it with the same respect we showed last week against Arsenal. They currently have 7 points and haven't conceded a goal. They'll be a very difficult opponent; they also have their own strengths, such as transitions and set pieces. They're full of confidence, and the manager is doing an excellent job. So tomorrow will be a tough match, and we need to perform at our best to beat Hull City.

You mentioned earlier that you want the team to be more solid and balanced. Can the team strengthen its defence while maintaining the same attacking power?

That's our goal, that's the purpose. That's where our focus is, that's our daily work and our development process. We want to be more competitive, perform just as well or even better offensively—because I think there's still room for improvement in attack—and at the same time have enough balance to feel solid and strong defensively. We want to concede fewer goals, and that's a collective effort from the striker to the goalkeeper.

Regarding team injuries, is there a chance Moises Caicedo could play tomorrow?

No, not yet, not yet. We'll see for Brentford, but unfortunately now is not the time to take risks with him. Not yet, we're not there yet.

One last question: It seems the club's ownership structure could change soon. How much do you know about this? Do you expect changes that could affect your working environment and approach?

I'm not the person who can give you that information. There's nothing relevant in the information I have, so my work continues as usual. Since we started working together, I've been very satisfied with how all parties have coordinated, and that's all I can say at the moment.

Hello Xabi, I believe there are three other injured players. I'm wondering if any of them could become available—for example, Jordan Henderson?

No, those players, no, no, no.

One more thing I wanted to ask is this: as you know, your possession percentage in some of the recent matches against Premier League opponents hasn't been very high. How much of that is due to what happens when you try to make adjustments, and how much is due to how you want to play?

Well, I want to have a mindset that can adapt and compete, to be clear that every match will be difficult and that the context of each game is different. We've scored early in all our matches, and of course we don't need to change our playing strategy, but since we're in a development process with many things, I think it's too early to determine what this team will ultimately become. I think we'll show and develop many things, and with the addition of key players and their availability, we'll continue to improve. So our feeling at the moment is that the team competes well, but it's certain there are aspects where we can do better.

Is possession percentage an important part of what you just said? Like trying to have overall possession?

Well, it's an important part, but for me the most decisive aspect is creating chances, being able to win the match, and not giving the opponent too many opportunities. Sometimes possession allows you to control the game better; but sometimes you need to be able to feel you're controlling the game even without possession. Because the opponents are strong, and the competitive environment and level are really intense.

Übersetzt von KI.

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