Mike Penders has said that Chelsea are improving under Xabi Alonso – something a lot of fans would disagree with on recent evidence.

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Mike Penders spoke to the TV cameras after a disappointing result for Chelsea against Sunderland yesterday afternoon.

He made a claim that his team are getting better tactically – something which many fans would deny right now.

Mike Penders on Chelsea’s structure

“If you watch some of the last games, we played pretty well. The structure is getting better and it’s a pity that we have lost this game.

“It’s a matter of staying together. I think we’ve had some good games, but after losing these games, we have to stick together. It’s the international break now, so we can calm our heads, and when we come back we need to all be motivated and go again.”

It’s an interesting claim. Ask Chelsea fans what their main concern is right now and they’d likely say that they have seen no evidence of the structure getting better through the course of Alonso’s ten games in charge.

Is Penders noticing things in training and on the pitch that we’re not, or is it just some baseless optimism?

In other news…

The midfield was also solid in the game, but they were let down by more soft defending behind them and more blunt attacking ahead of them.

Joao Pedro’s absence is absolutely killing Chelsea right now, and the plain win/loss stats are showing that more starkly than anything.

Xabi Alonso made an interesting sub against Sunderland and explained it to Chelsea TV after the game.