Some Chelsea fans took to Twitter, after hearing new Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel named Marcos Alonso in his first matchday squad against Wolves.
The 30-year-old was selected among the substitutes ahead of the side’s goalless Premier League encounter. It was his first involvement since the Blues’ final Champions League group game in December.
Alonso has fallen down the pecking-order at the club since the arrival of Ben Chilwell in the summer. He had become a somewhat forgotten man under previous boss Frank Lampard, who utilised him just three times this campaign.
The last of which came in the Pensioners’ 3-3 draw with West Brom in September, where he was substituted at half-time.
‘Great to see’, ‘Finally’
Whenever a new manager arrives, it provides the so-called fringe players with added incentive to impress their new coach.
However, considering Alonso failed to do so under Tuchel’s predecessor, the Spaniard’s inclusion certainly came as a shock to many fans.
‘King is bound to return’
Tuchel opted to revert to a 3-4-3 formation, an ultimately winning formula during the triumphant 2016-17 league campaign. Alonso thrived in this system as a wing-back and was named in 2018’s edition of the Professional Football Association’s Team of the Year.
And the German’s decision to play with a wing-back strategy, combined with the defender’s selection, prompted many fans to ponder a potential revival for the Spaniard at the club. Some even tipped him to start going forward.
‘Buries that’
The Blues dominated the fixture against the Wanderers, but failed to make a breakthrough. Chances were few and far between. Yet Chelsea’s best opportunity in the first half fell to Chilwell, who volleyed off-target at the back-post.
Some believed that had Alonso been on the field, he would have scored the opportunity. While others insisted that the game was crying out for the Spaniard’s ingenuity.
The Chronicle View
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Marcos Alonso at Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea.
If the wing-back system is chosen going forward, the Spaniard certainly has a chance of getting into the side, giving his formidable displays in that role in seasons gone by.
However, Tuchel will want total commitment and desire from his players. Alonso’s questionable attitude and work-rate saw him fall out of favour with Lampard, which is something he will need to work on.
Yet with a new man in the dug-out, he has been given a clean slate and now has an opportunity to show what he can really do.
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