Man United were beaten 2-0 by Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday and Xabi Alonso's half-time instructions helped to change the game.
Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
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Xabi Alonso instructed his Chelsea players to "be better with the ball and to not give away that much" during his half-time team talk against Manchester United.
Chelsea beat United 2-0 on Saturday thanks to second-half goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer. Sandwiched in between the two strikes was a red card for Lisandro Martinez which effectively ended the game as a contest for United, given he conceded a penalty which Palmer converted in the process.
United were much better against Chelsea than they have been in recent weeks and Michael Carrick insisted he would still be in charge of the club for their Champions League match with Roma on Tuesday despite the defeat.
United spurned some glorious opportunities in an open first half, and Alonso revealed after the game how he demanded his side have more control in the second period.
"When we spoke at half-time, we said we were going to win this game with the ball, so the improvement has been with the ball. The message was to be better with the ball and to not give away that much," he said.
"We changed some tactical things, but we were more comfortable on the pitch with better control. When you feel better with the ball, normally the better you are defending as well.
"So I think that reaction, that change, has been important for the feeling and the goal as well."
Asked to give his thoughts on the game in general, Alonso added: "I think that there were different moments in the game. The first half was intense, with momentum for both sides. United had their chances and we were close as well. At half-time, we spoke and the reaction in the second half was better.
"We started quite well, got the lead, and we looked in better control. After it went 2-0 and the red card the context of the game changed, but it was not easy."
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