Chelsea lost 2–0 to Portsmouth in a pre-season friendly played behind closed doors at Cobham on Saturday, 3 October. However, Xabi Alonso prioritised recovery, tactical training and developing young players over the result.
The Portsmouth Training Match Provided Alonso With An Opportunity To Examine Three Key Areas In Closer Detail.
During the three-week match period, Chelsea lost to a Championship club; as many of their senior players were away on international duty, the club treated the match as a friendly and did not account for the competitive aspect.
Although this decision resulted in a defeat, it gave Alonso the chance to do some useful work away from the pressure of league matches.
Chelsea’s squad management challenges, particularly the weekly changes to the squad’s composition due to injuries and national team call-ups, make a relaxed training process all the more important.
The first goal was to speed up the recovery process for a few injured players, whilst another goal was to focus on tactical training.While this match gives young players the opportunity to play alongside first-team players, the remaining three reasons are the main reasons for organising this training session. The principle that Alonso followed that the score was not 2–0.
The young players’ performances were impressive. Whilst Alonso had previously experienced squad issues, he emphasised that young players could be called up, mentioning Madhi Nicoli-Jazuli, Geo Quenda and Estevao as examples of those training with the squad.
He says that, although such friendly matches give young players experience of top-level matches, this does not mean that a player who features in one match will automatically be selected for the next squad.
Although this situation gives the head coach the chance to work on tactics, it doesn’t mean that the line-up is already decided because of the previous match.
We don’t know for sure if Chelsea are using a special team under Alonso’s management at Cobham. But the first report says that the mid-season break is a good time to make the defence better. They haven’t decided exactly how to do this yet.
The defence performance indicates that this work needs to be expedited.When this report was being prepared, Chelsea had conceded 12 goals in five Premier League matches, the highest tally in the league. In fact, they had conceded at least two goals in every league match.Unfortunately, a friendly match cannot resolve this issue. Nevertheless, it may help Alonso review his ideas and prepare the players to put them into practice.
Management Of The Squad’s Physical Condition: How Should It Be Approached?
The squad’s physical condition was uncertain, with Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Reece James and Marco Palestra having injury concerns and potentially being included in the squad, though it was unclear whether they would be selected.
A knee problem has led to Joao Pedro stepping down from the Brazil squad, with reports suggesting he has consulted a medical professionalspecialist.
Meanwhile, Jamie Gittens had encountered a problem whilst playing for the England Under-21s, which resulted in him leaving the stadium on crutches. None of these players should be expected to play in the match against Portsmouth.
This training period should be seen as an opportunity for the players to improve their fitness and tactical awareness, and to support the development of the young Blues players.
This does not address the defensive shortcomings. A 2–0 defeat is not exactly a confidence-boosting result. However, the initial report clearly states that this should be considered a competitive match.
Alonso’s beginning in the league had resulted in victories against Fulham and Brighton. There were also defeats against Arsenal and Brentford. The results also included a draw against Hull City AFC.
The next match is against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 10 October. This time, rather than focusing on whether the friendly match has led to any specific changes, the focus will be on whether the results will be repeated in the league matches.
