Xabi Alonso believes Chelsea’s ability to remain flexible and unpredictable will be crucial as his side continue to develop ahead of the new Premier League season.
The Blues produced an impressive display to beat AC Milan 3-0 in Jakarta, with Joao Pedro scoring twice and Moises Caicedo adding a superb volley.
Chelsea frequently changed their shape during the match, with players rotating positions and adapting their roles in possession and out of possession. Alonso believes that versatility can give his team an advantage during the campaign.
“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.
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Alonso: Chelsea must be unpredictable as ‘picture becomes a movie’
“The system is just a picture; you need to move, rotate and create dynamics [in the team] and that is when the picture becomes a movie.”
Alonso also stressed that Chelsea will not limit themselves to one tactical approach.
“We are not just sticking to one idea and the more options that we have, the better team we will be.”
The victory over Milan was Chelsea’s penultimate fixture of their tour of Australia and Asia. They face Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim in their final pre-season game on Sunday.
Alonso has been encouraged by his side’s progress but expects further improvement once more players become available.
“I think that we will get better and by the start of the Premier League season we will be ready,” he said.
“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.”