And so it begins, again. A new boss is through the door at Chelsea. Ambition and alignment are the buzzwords of the day. But for Xabi Alonso, the challenge of prolonging these positive sentiments beyond next May is blatant – it is the curse of the job he’s signed up for.
Alonso is well-versed in the ruthless reality of management; seven months at Real Madrid will do that to you. He now finds himself at Chelsea, another club infamous for its turnover in the dugout. No Chelsea manager has lasted longer than two years since Antonio Conte, the man who also won the club their last Premier League title. Patience is scarce at Stamford Bridge, where four managers have left mid-season in the past five years.
