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Xabi Alonso says tactical flexibility and unpredictability will define Chelsea's approach in the season ahead, using the phrase "the picture becomes a movie" to describe how fluid movement and rotation unlock the team's potential.
Alonso made the comments after Chelsea beat AC Milan 3-0 in Jakarta on Friday, lifting the Indonesia Super Cup 2026. Joao Pedro scored twice to bring his pre-season tour tally to five goals, while Moises Caicedo added a volley.
"We want to be versatile in our approach and system," Alonso said. "I think we have the players to adapt to different ones because they understand how to support each other."
"The principles are the same but the movements can change; we need to be unpredictable, we want to be flexible, and we want to have a threat. The system is just a picture; you need to move, rotate and create dynamics and that is when the picture becomes a movie."
Alonso stressed the squad's depth as a key enabler. "The more options that we have, the better team we will be," he added.
The Jakarta fixture was the penultimate stop on Chelsea's tour of Australia and Asia. The squad faces Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia on Saturday in the final game of the trip.
Alonso acknowledged improvement still lies ahead as the Premier League season approaches. "I think that we will get better and by the start of the Premier League season we will be ready. But even that will be another starting point in the evolution of the team. So it will be a process that takes months and in every game," he said.