Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso believes tactical flexibility will be key to his side’s success after watching the Blues cruise to a 3-0 victory over AC Milan to lift the Indonesia Super Cup.
Joao Pedro scored twice in Jakarta to continue his impressive pre-season form, while Moises Caicedo also found the net as Chelsea delivered another encouraging display ahead of the new campaign.
Alonso’s side regularly shifted shape throughout the contest, with players interchanging positions in and out of possession, and the Spaniard says that versatility is central to the way he wants his team to play.
“We want to be versatile in our approach and system,” Alonso said.
“I think we have the players to adapt to different ones because they understand how to support each other.
“The principles are the same but the movements can change; we need to be unpredictable, we want to be flexible, and we want to have a threat.
“The system is just a picture; you need to move, rotate and create dynamics and that is when the picture becomes a movie.
“We are not just sticking to one idea and the more options that we have, the better team we will be.”
Chelsea now head into the final game of their pre-season tour against Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia before turning their attention to the start of the Premier League season.
Alonso is pleased with the progress his squad has made so far but insists there is still plenty of room for improvement.
“In pre-season, we have a few games already and for sure, the more players we have available, the more options we have,” he added.
“I think that we will get better and by the start of the Premier League season we will be ready.
“But even that will be another starting point in the evolution of the team. So it will be a process that takes months and in every game.”
You Should Also Read
