In the pre-match polling ahead of our game against Liverpool in the fourth round of the League Cup this week, the one player that nearly everyone agreed should start was Estêvão. Almost exactly 96 per cent of voters wanted to see the 19-year-old out there for the Blues.
The other four might have been all the votes from Xabi Alonso.
The Chelsea manager appears to be the only person who does not seem to rate the 19-year-old, who has been given just 47 minutes of competitive action in the Premier League across six cameos, only one of which was longer than ten minutes. He’s started just two games, our previous two games in the League Cup, though was hauled off at half-time in the second of those, of our third round match against Leeds United.
Yesterday, Carlo Ancelotti once again called him up to the Brazil squad. Uncle Carlo has made his fair share of questionable choices of late (like not taking João Pedro to the World Cup), but he’s been consistent in his belief in Estêvão.
So what’s Alonso’s deal? The bossman tried to explain his thinking when asked about it in the post-match press conference, but he didn’t really say anything that would suddenly justify the kid’s complete lack of involvement.
“We started with Pedro, Morgan and Danny Welbeck, and the game had very intense moments. We knew it was going to be physical, and Malo had cramps, so we were a bit forced with substitutions. The season is going to be very long, and there will be moments for everyone.”
“He could be happier. He wants to play. I’m sure Estêvão will have his moment, it is my responsibility. We know the game in England is really intense, and you need to be up for it. Estêvão is in his second season. The season is going to be long.”
-Xabi Alonso; source: BBC
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It would appear that Alonso doesn’t think Estêvão’s up for the “intensity” of the English game. It’s unclear if he means that in terms of strength (going up against bigger, stronger players and such), or in terms of stamina and effort. Either way, it’s a weird thing to hold against a player who’s already had a full season in England: 36 appearances, 20 starts, 1600+ minutes — and would’ve been more were it not for a couple injuries in the second half of the season. Perhaps the youngster is still showing some ill effects from those hamstring concerns, though he seems to be doing just fine for Brazil.
Either way, this is proving a unnecessarily divisive issue that’s certainly not helping the vibes at the moment. Sure, the season’s long. But it’s actually not nearly as “long” as usual, at least in terms of the fixture list. Opportunities will be more limited with just Premier League matches on tap for now, and maybe a few rounds of FA Cup action in the new year.
Estêvão was already linked with moves away in the summer and that chatter’s only going to increase. He’s not going to sit around waiting for “moment”, and nor should he. Alonso may or may not be here for the long haul, but chances are, the powers that be will want Estêvão to be here for a long time. Messing up that situation without making us a winning team in the process will not help Alonso’s longevity.
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