Chelsea legend John Terry has thrown his full weight behind incoming manager Xabi Alonso, after meeting the Spaniard before.
John Terry and Xabi Alonso share a fiercely competitive history, having faced off 15 times during the peak of the iconic Chelsea and Liverpool rivalry in the mid-2000s.
Fast forward to the present day, and that mutual respect remains completely intact. Following the mid-season dismissal of Liam Rosenior, Terry actually offered to step in and take temporary charge of the Chelsea first team to steady the ship before Alonso’s official arrival.
Of course, Alonso’s arrival is more suited for the future of Chelsea, but perhaps there’s a role for Terry at some point in the future at Stamford Bridge.
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John Terry backs Xabi Alonso for success at Chelsea
Recalling his previous experience with Xabi Alonso, John Terry only has positive things to say about the new Chelsea manager when talking on his TikTok.
“He’s coming in as the next Chelsea manager, and that’s the key to it. He’s been named the manager of our football club. So that tells me from the outside that he’s going to be the man fully in charge, he’s going to be in charge of all signings, and I think the responsibility of managers when they do that and the connections he’ll have, as an ex-player and someone who’s played at the very top, he’s had a very short managerial career, but been very experienced and been very successful early on in that as well.
“So, comes into the building with a fresh idea of how he wants to play with Chelsea for sure, and even though it’s been a really poor season for us, I think our younger players that we’ve had and the exposure they’ve had to the Premier League this year will be better for it. So games under their belt, they’ll be better for it. And yes, there’s some in the group that have shown that they’re probably not good enough.
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“So I think there’s going to be a few exits as well this summer, as well as experience. I said it at the start of last season, I think we’ve been crying out for experienced players to come in the building. And also, if you’re a player, you can only be impressed by Alonso when you meet him. Love the way he talks, love the way he plays as well
“Tends to be a 3-4-3 formation, but also very exciting as well. Let’s hope we have a big summer and he gets off to a great start.”
Chelsea are already searching for experience
Chelsea have already adjusted their transfer blueprint to target mature, ready-made leaders who can immediately stabilise the squad.
Following a disjointed campaign, the club acknowledges that its incredibly young roster is crying out for established leadership to manage high-pressure situations.
Joe Cole has publicly urged incoming boss Xabi Alonso to heavily target proven, serial winners like John Stones to permanently fix the team’s spine
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