Chelsea icon backs Xabi Alonso despite difficult start: ‘His future shouldn’t even be a topic’

Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged the club to remain patient with Xabi Alonso despite a disappointing start to the Premier League season.

The Blues invested heavily in their squad during the summer but have collected only seven points from their opening five league matches.

Chelsea currently sit 10th and went into the international break following a damaging 3-0 defeat away at Brentford.

Despite the results, Hasselbaink believes discussing Alonso's future is far too premature.

Hasselbaink, who made 177 appearances for Chelsea and now works as a club representative, accepts that scrutiny comes with managing one of England's biggest clubs.

"If you're a big club and you lose games, there is always talk," Hasselbaink told Tribal Football.

"That's just normal and we all know that. That's how football works, especially at the big clubs."

However, the former Chelsea striker believes Alonso has the personality to deal with that pressure.

"As a top manager, you have to be able to handle that, and Xabi Alonso is no exception. He can."

Hasselbaink also issued a clear message to Chelsea's hierarchy.

"I think Chelsea will need to have a lot of patience with Alonso. His future shouldn't even be a topic at this moment."

Chelsea's significant summer investment has inevitably increased expectations, but Hasselbaink believes judging the team purely by how much money was spent would be a mistake.

The Dutchman instead pointed towards the relative youth of Alonso's squad and argued that consistency comes through experience and understanding.

"It's not about the money they've spent because consistency is about experience," he explained.

"It's about understanding, staying calm and managing the little things. A lot of these Chelsea players are young. I think they can become more consistent."

For Hasselbaink, Chelsea's poor opening weeks therefore require patience rather than another managerial change.

Alonso will be under pressure to produce a response when Chelsea return from the international break.

The club's summer spending means expectations will remain high, but Hasselbaink believes Chelsea must avoid making short-term decisions based on their opening five matches.

Improved results would quickly reduce the noise around Alonso. For now, one of Chelsea's former stars is firmly arguing that the Spaniard deserves time to develop his young squad.