Why mixed feelings over Marcos Alonso show how peculiar modern football fandom is

Marcos Alonso has just signed a new deal with Chelsea, which will keep him at the club until 2023 if he stays till its completion.

It’s great news for Marcos, who presumably gets a massive pay rise on the deal he signed two summers ago when he arrived as a bit-part player.

It’s also good for the club, who have secured a first XI player for years to come. Given the increasing interest from the Spanish giants in the left back, that’s a good thing too.

But despite all this, and despite the success that Alonso has had at Stamford Bridge, there are still some who aren’t convinced by his abilities.

This is a fascinating product of modern football. A hard-running, goal-scoring, flying full-back with a superb attitude and crucial goals against our biggest rivals, hasn’t managed to convince parts of the Chelsea fanbase he’s good enough, because they have the luxury of being able to watch Marcelo and David Alaba every week.”

 

If these fans only watched football at Stamford Bridge, and maybe one cup final on TV every year, they would have no doubt that Alonso is their man. There’s certainly no doubt of that among match-going fans, who love him despite whatever imperfections he has.

But those kind of fans are now a tiny minority, and the generation who have grown up with the best players in the world playing on their laptop screen every night find it hard to appreciate a player without comparing them to the very best in their position.

In days gone by, that free kick against Tottenham last season would have been enough to get you into Chelsea folklore for life.

Now, with some fans, it’s forgotten the moment Jordi Alba does something better for Barcelona the day after.

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