According to a report by Football London on Tuesday October 27, 2026, despite Chelsea's demoralizing 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend, former midfielder John Obi Mikel has pled with the club's board to be patient with Xabi Alonso.

Fans were critical of Chelsea's performance as the club faltered in the London derby. After the disheartening outcome, Alonso's tactical choices were questioned, and Cole Palmer was sent off as well.

Alonso unexpectedly chose Morgan Rogers to spearhead the attack since Joao Pedro was out with an injury. There were doubts about the decision because Danny Welbeck was brought on late and Chelsea had trouble creating scoring chances.

Despite mounting criticism of Chelsea's play, Mikel thinks Alonso should have enough time to put his plans into action and create a winning squad at Stamford Bridge.

The former Nigerian international was effusive in his praise of the Spanish manager and his faith in the club's future under his leadership during an interview with The Obi One Podcast.

According to Mikel, Xabi Alonso is still a young manager who is "brilliant" in his opinion. We should probably give him some space.

In his opinion, the future of what he's attempting to create with this team is going to be nothing short of spectacular, he continued. He needs time, that's all.

Mikel has not disregarded the issues plaguing Alonso's squad just because he is rooting for them. The Blues' midfield has been a weak spot, and they've let opponents score too often because of it.

The unwillingness of Alonso to make earlier tactical changes against Tottenham was of particular disappointment to the former midfielder.

Despite Chelsea's struggles to maintain possession of the game, Romeo Lavia sat on the bench until the 64th minute, when the manager made his first substitution.

Mikel had earlier voiced his disapproval of Chelsea's midfield setup, saying that the club lacked adequate support for its back four and inviting criticism for that matter.

He blamed the club's current predicament on their recruitment decisions, saying, "Yes, we got £125m sitting in the bank, but we failed to bring in another player."

He went on to say, "You need at least two holding players to be able to shield and protect the back-four in that system," further emphasizing the significance of a defensive midfielder or two. Because you're about to be exposed, that is essential.

Under Alonso, Chelsea have shown offensive prowess, but they still have a ways to go before they can be considered safe. A better equilibrium between aggressive attacking and stable defense is something the manager needs to figure out.

The message from Mikel is crystal clear: Chelsea should not rush into deciding Alonso's future until he has had a chance to fix the tactical issues and demonstrate that he can bring long-term success to Stamford Bridge.