Opinion: Why Xabi Alonso's Recent Tactical Decision Could Spell Trouble For Several Chelsea Attackers | OneFootball

It's going to be busy remainder of the summer window Chelsea as Xabi Alonso refines his team. Video Credit: Absolute Chelsea

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has opted for a different formation in their last two pre-season games, but it may put some players in unfavourable situations.

For the AC Milan game on Saturday, Alonso made the decision to switch from a 4-2-3-1 shape he had used in the previous three games to a 3-4-2-1 system.

The Spaniard had a lot of success with a similar formation at Bayer Leverkusen, so it was hardly a surprise that he gave it a try after consecutive pre-season defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.

The dominant 3-0 win over Milan certainly reinforced the idea that it was the correct decision. Alonso, however, insisted that he wants to remain flexible with his tactical options.

“Doesn’t matter the system,” the manager told Chelsea’s in-house media after the win over AC Milan in Indonesia.

“The most important are the flow of the team, the energy, and the principle that we want; and we want to be versatile in our approach. We’ll keep developing ideas, and for sure, it will be good.”

Despite his comments, Alonso opted to stick with the formation when Chelsea faced Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia the following day, while having to completely change his starting line-up to manage players' workloads.

Alonso has decisions to make about his Chelsea system, but it is likely to be unpredictable on a weekly basis. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

This time, it was not as successful, as Chelsea only managed a 3-3 draw with the Malaysia Super League champions.

Of course, Alonso did not have the majority of his stars for this friendly. Even so, if Chelsea are to use this formation as their primary system, several players could be at a disadvantage.

Where do the wingers fit in the system?

The wingers, such as Jamie Gittens, Geovany Quenda, Estevao, and perhaps even Mykhailo Mudryk, if he stays, could have a hard time finding their feet in the system.

Compared to the 4-2-3-1, the back-three formation essentially adds a centre-back at the expense of an attacker.

Instead, the wing-backs become responsible for providing width for the team, having more freedom to join the attack thanks to the additional security at the back.

As a result, the two attackers behind the striker usually operate more centrally as two number 10s.

On paper, this is the perfect structure to get the best out of Cole Palmer and summer club-record signing Morgan Rogers, who thrive playing in the pockets.

The wingers, however, may become obsolete unless they adapt.

Pedro Neto, for example, featured as a right wing-back against Milan. He already had experience playing in this position, however, so he unsurprisingly did quite well.

Neto has also been attracting interest from several Premier League clubs. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Quenda and Gittens, however, clearly struggled when they played as right and left wing-backs, respectively, in Malaysia.

While they have the pace to play in these positions, the additional defensive responsibility and the expectation to hug the touchlines will take some getting used to.

Additionally, even if these wingers could adapt to playing as wing-backs, they would still have to compete with the likes of Marco Palestra, Malo Gusto, and, soon, Pep Chavarria, who is close to joining Chelsea from Rayo Vallecano, for minutes.

These fullbacks are obviously more attuned to defensive responsibilities, which makes them safer bets for Alonso for these wing-back roles.

Estevao, who is capable of playing as a number 10, may not necessarily have to fill the wing-back role.

However, the reduced attacking spots could still negatively affect his minutes since he would be in direct competition with Palmer.