Club sources talked of Xabi Alonso and his staff being the ones to set the standards from the get-go during the trip. The idea being that everyone could see how hard the coaches were working, so would follow suit. For example, training or a match would finish, and Alonso would be seen on the team bus immediately afterwards, already studying clips from it on his laptop and/or preparing the next session. His attention to detail and focus were clear. When speaking to individuals, eye-contact was kept throughout, sending the message that he was not just talking to them for the sake of it and would rather be elsewhere. Players were wowed by the 44-year-old former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Spain midfielder’s ability on the ball when he joined in sessions. Sources around the squad spoke about how he led training like he “was directing traffic”. @SJohnsonSport goes inside Chelsea’s summer tour ⤵️