Almost two months after Chelsea announced his appointment as manager on a four-year contract, Xabi Alonso made his grand entrance to Stamford Bridge on Monday.At 3pm high in the West Stand, Alonso walked into the Drake Suite, where it is customary for new Chelsea bosses to be unveiled to the media in the midst of summer. Once there, he fielded questions in front of the broadcast cameras for around 15 minutes, looking sharp but relaxed in a dark polo shirt.Then he was ushered into an adjacent directors’ suite where a smaller group of written journalists were granted another 15 minutes or so to probe the Chelsea manager in more detail on a number of topics. In both sections, Alonso was polite but guarded, understandably so when asked about Enzo Fernandez, Granit Xhaka or potential transfer plans.But there was still plenty to interest supporters in what he did say, so The Athletic has picked out the most notable quotes and broken them down below by subject.Alonso on being manager rather than head coach…“For me, it means we are working together to take the right decisions in the squad-planning. On a daily basis, on the training sessions, I am on that, but how we want to prepare the squad, which players and which positions are needed, is the work we’re doing together with the sporting directors, and we are aligned. We have set our priorities, what we want to do, and this is the work that we are doing.”…and on his dynamic with Chelsea’s sporting leadership team:“It works really well. I have been in very close contact. We are all aligned on decisions. We analyse what we want, how we want to achieve it and once we determine this is the way, then we try to execute it. It’s not that different for me, because I feel involved in making the right decisions and we try to make it together.”Alonso on the future of Enzo Fernandez“We have spoken but, as you can understand, what we have spoken (about) remains private.”Do you want to keep him?“Yes.”Will he come back to Chelsea after the World Cup? Will there be new talks?“Yes, yes… no (no new talks). The ones who have reached the semis, they will come (back to Chelsea) on the same day and we will train as normal.”Enzo Fernandez will face England in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Alonso on his early impressions of Cole Palmer…“We’ve had a few training sessions already and from the first day, you can see he’s a special talent, a special player. It’s not easy to have one of those. You can notice his quality, how he’s able to make the right decision in the right spot.“I’m happy that he is in a good mood, with a good mindset to have a great season. We are looking forward to getting the best from him. We are able to build a strong team, with the proper stability to find the key players. For sure, Cole is going to be one of those key players in the attacking part.“He wants to be fit. He wants to forget the setbacks to injuries he had to cope with last year. That’s the main thing. He’s special and if he’s enjoying it, he’s in a good mood, a good spirit, he can be a key player for us. We had spoken on the phone but you want to see in person and so far, so good.”Cole Palmer is hoping to hit the ground running under Xabi Alonso at Chelsea (George Wood/Getty Images)…and the status of Estevao’s faster-than-expected recovery“Yes we are planning for him (to play in pre-season) for sure. We need to go gradually but he’s training quite well. We want to be careful, but not super extra careful, so that we see how he progresses. So far, he’s feeling better and as well he’s a very talented player.“Last year helped him to have his first adaptation. Of course, the injury is a setback, but Estevao is one of those different players that we need to help with good structure, the whole team, for those special players who can make the difference.”Estevao and Xabi Alonso in conversation during a Chelsea training session (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)Alonso on the sale of Andrey Santos to Manchester United…“We have a plan and we have decisions to take. When we are starting in August, we feel this squad is good enough to compete for every game and this is what we have in mind. Ultimately the last purpose of the decisions is: we have a good team, we have a good squad, we feel ready. After that it’s about going out and performing. We have to analyse that to achieve it.”…and on the prospect of Granit Xhaka staying at Sunderland“Regarding players that are not in the building and rumours, I know you love them, but it’s not right for me to comment on those things.”Granit Xhaka will return to Switzerland after his exploits at the World Cup (Carl Recine/Getty Images)Alonso on what he sees in new signing Marco Palestra“He has many great qualities to adapt to modern football. He’s a player who gives you versatility in his positioning, playing a back four or a back five. Sometimes he has played on the left; physically really strong.“We need to keep working with him in his development and training to adapt to the Premier League, but I am pretty sure and I am positive that he won’t take a lot of time, and he has a very good mentality in terms of competitiveness.“In terms of his hunger to improve, I am so happy with him. He has already been training and we are really looking forward to getting the best from him.”Marco Palestra signed for Chelsea earlier this month (Enrico Locci/Getty Images)Alonso on the possible formations he could play at Chelsea…“Yes, for sure I have things in mind. This is my job. We want to be active, we want to be brave, we’re going to play good football, we’re going to compete well — but above that, we need a good mentality. That’s fundamental. To understand, to do what it takes in each moment. It will be a process for sure but we want to show that we are ready to work.“Once we are getting closer to the start of the season, we will reassure that for the players, but so far this is going to be the key.”Why Xabi Alonso to Chelsea actually works…and on the characteristics he expects to see in his Chelsea players“We need to have hunger, we need to have the passion for the game. We need to want to improve. We are in such a competitive competition and for that, we need to prepare ourselves.“We need to be really, really determined and be really strong on our basics. How we want to play, we will have time for that but those are the most important pillars in our game.”Alonso on Alejandro Garnacho’s absence from Cobham…“The situation with him is I’ve spoken with the sporting directors and there’s interest in him from other clubs, so let’s see how it develops, but hopefully it finishes in the best way for all parties.”…and on Nicolas Jackson’s impending return after a season-long loan at Bayern Munich“He is joining in the tour that we are starting in Asia and I am looking forward to start (working) with Nico at that time.”The Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)Alonso on tackling Chelsea’s perceived lack of discipline and leadership“I can’t assess the things from the past because I was not here. It would be unfair. What we want for sure is a team with the right mentality, the right hunger, the right standards and, on a daily basis, build on them. That’s important. I’m not a general but I’m a good professional and I know what it takes to be a good professional. Those are the standards we want for the whole building. It’s not just for the team but the whole building.”Alonso on trying to build a Premier League title contender…“Time will tell but what I’m sure of is that we have the ambition to win a lot of games, to be competitive. We need to take important decisions. We need to build strong principles, a strong mentality and culture in the club, and time will tell.“I’m not going to say what will happen in May, it’s absolutely too early to say that, but I’m confident, I’m optimistic that we can have a great season. For that, it’s time to work, to prepare, to be intelligent, to make things, and after that to have this belief in the team, with our fans here in Stamford Bridge. It will be very important.”…and on bringing back the positivity for Chelsea fans“That’s the aim, for sure. We need this belief, this support, this energy in the stadium. That doesn’t happen only one way. It happens both ways. We need to feed each other. It’s easy to say: ‘We need and we will give’. We need to show. For that, we need to play good football, with good quality, good energy.“I think they have seen a lot of good football in this stadium, so once you show that, it comes naturally. If you want to provoke it without good excitement, it’s difficult. That excitement, that energy, normally it comes naturally. Once they feel it, they jump. If they don’t feel it, they sit.”