Alonso's overarching principles

New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso wants his sides to dominate the ball, setting up attacks in opponents' halves for long periods. Through these small-space interactions between his players, the centre of the pitch can become crowded - but this is a deliberate quirk of Alonso's system. From a squad-building perspective, Alonso will be looking for technical players who thrive in small spaces, allowing his team to unlock defences' stubborn low blocks.