Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso shouts during Chelsea's draw with Hull City(Image: Chelsea FC)
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Xabi Alonso looked fed up. He sounded fed up as well. No wonder.
Can it be described as 'the same old story' four matches into a manager's reign? It feels that way for Alonso, who witnessed his Chelsea team concede another two goals on Saturday afternoon in what turned out to be a frustrating draw with newly-promoted Hull City.
The Tigers are a good side. They look really well drilled under the charismatic Sergej Jakirovic. Regardless, it's a game Chelsea should be winning. It's one they looked set to come away with three points from after Morgan Rogers opened the scoring with just over six minutes on the clock.
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Much of the talk going into the weekend had been around Chelsea's attack being so good but their defence being so bad. Alonso hoped such conversation could have been put to bed on Saturday afternoon but it is even louder now.
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When Chelsea were a goal to the good, the second goal felt significant. It proved so, when Mohamed Belloumi fired Hull level after a couple of costly mistakes from the Blues defence.
Malo Gusto was instructed just moments before, during a stoppage in play, to be more front foot and aggressive with his defensive play. The France international was being used in a more conventional right-back role after a few shifts in the centre of midfield but he was one of the culprits for Hull's equaliser on Saturday.
Malo Gusto
Malo Gusto struggled for Chelsea in their draw with Hull City(Image: Alexander Canillas/MB Media)
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However, despite being instructed to by Alonso and Chelsea coach Austin MacPhee, Gusto was too far back when Ryan Giles hooked the ball into the box. From then, it was all on Jorrel Hato.
The Dutchman, who started at left-back, was not in a position to meet the bounce of the ball and instead, he let it bounce inside the box. Hato then misjudged the flight of the ball before it looped over his head. Belloumi still had a lot to do and the Hull attacker finished exquisitely.
It came as no shock to anyone to see Hato's number highlighted in red on the fourth official's board at the start of the second-half.
Alonso, who appeared fed up in the immediate aftermath of the draw, pulled no punches in his post-match press conference. The Chelsea manager accused his players of being "soft": "We need to be aware that from any situation, any team in the Premier League can hurt you. Today it was from a long ball, two bounces, the way it happened.
"You need to be very aware, very ready that the danger can come from any situation. If you are soft or if you are not prepared, you will get punished and we have been punished that way."
The second goal wasn't much better from Chelsea's perspective. Initially, Emi Martinez, who was shaky in the draw, came out to punch from the corner but Hull defender Semi Ajayi bullied the goalkeeper and met the ball with his head.
His header hit the crossbar but Chelsea failed to clear, and it eventually led to Belloumi having a strike inside the box that was deflected past Martinez. At that point, Chelsea were rattled, and it took some time before the hosts started playing meaningful football again.
Eventually, the Blues found a leveller through - who else but - Joao Pedro, with the Brazilian firing a strike into the roof of the net after some fine work from Cole Palmer on the left-hand side.
Joao Pedro celebrates
Joao Pedro celebrates scoring the equaliser for Chelsea against Hull City(Image: Henry Nicholls/AFP)
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It always seemed likely that Chelsea would find a way back into the game because of that front three, who once again proved to be Alonso's shining light. Rogers, Palmer and Joao Pedro, however, could not get the west Londoners completely out of jail.
They're incredible but not even they could paper over the glaring cracks in this Chelsea side.
Reece James, once again, failed to impress in midfield. Romeo Lavia, too, was subpar for the Blues. While the two central midfielders have been strongly criticised for their performances, there has to be some blame put on Alonso's system as well.
It leaves Chelsea so open and vulnerable in midfield and defence. Moises Caicedo is a huge miss - he would be to any side - but surely his return cannot solve all of Alonso's problems.
Chelsea's inability to have a properly functioning midfield without Caicedo once again points to the club's failure to sign a new central midfielder in the recently-concluded summer transfer window.
The majority of Chelsea supporters seem to still be on Alonso's side. It is far too early for that to change, one would think, but the feel-good factor Blues fans were feeling after three wins on the bounce against Fulham, Luton Town and Brighton seems to be gone. Equally, it feels like one win could bring it back.
A trip to the Gtech Community Stadium, a ground Chelsea have been notoriously bad at in recent seasons, follows and Alonso will be desperate for the Caicedo-shaped hole in his midfield to be filled.