Chelsea: The Rise and Fall of Full Back Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso under Antonio Conte was becoming like a perfectly fermented Pinot Noir, getting better with age and experience.
Signed for £24 million from the vivacious Violets – The Florentines of Italy, Marcos Alonso was quick to smell, swirl and sip the cut-throat nature of the Premier League. Under new coach Maurizio Sarri, Marcos Alonso has become curdled milk. Sarri’s style hasn’t pleased Alonso.
When Sarri took over at Chelsea, the Chelsea fans finally thought their club will ditch the obsolete and boring defensive style in favour of the “Sarriball – The high intensity short passing gameplay that every Chelsea fan would have been proud of.”
Sarriball demands high functioning full backs. Full backs with good ball control and an instinctive presence to drive forward are key to Sarriball. Marcos Alonso was destined to be a perfect fit. Alonso had the quality of driving the ball around and moving forward during the attack. Sarri was quick to draft Alonso in his plans. Alonso was superior to Brazilian Emerson.
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Alonso was now a left back in a back four, compared to a wing back in a 3-4-3 formation under Antonio Conte. Initially, Alonso and Sarriball seemed to be a match made in heaven. Contributing goals and assists he won more Blue hearts as he has been doing for the last two years. However, Chelsea started fumbling mid-season and questions were now raised at Sarri’s methods.
Alonso once comfortable with Sarri’s possession-based style now found it difficult to make a mark on the team. Poor performances against Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City further reaffirmed that Alonso struggled in the new system. The earlier purple patch was a stroke of luck, nothing else.
Alonso was soon dropped in favour of Emerson, who at the start of the season presented no such challenges to Alonso. Emerson was not even close to Alonso on Sarri’s preference list. Alonso not only struggled against the big-six sides but also struggled against mid-table teams. Alonso being dropped from the starting eleven was a huge upset for a player who was once in the Premier League Team of the Year.
dark. Next. Liverpool must hold their nerve in the final weeks
In Sunday’s game against Liverpool, another crunch tie, Emerson was given the nod ahead of Alonso. Sarri’s priority at left back has changed, this could certainly hurt Alonso. Alonso is 28 and still at the top of his game. He has two roads in his sights, either to impress Sarri and re-establish faith in him, or to look beyond Chelsea and seek pastures new. The decision is for Alonso to make.