Mbappe is a worse diva than anyone outside of Jude and Vini and you think that means we move away from the mold of using man-managers? Hard disagree If anything what we needed most was continuity and a team roster builder so we could have balance. We still have the same issues because the actual problems haven't been dealt with.
Its not about diva, its about Mbappe representing a tactical conundrum when added to the current roster. And Xabi Alonso was not known as anti man manager type. The fact that he had that in his locker was one of the reasons we hired him and not someone else tactically equally good or better. We also needed a manager that would be more proactive in terms of squad building, present demands how to change the roster and push through those demands to the top. Ancelotti wasnt interested in that, maybe because he knew its a waste of time to begin with.
Most of the fanbase sees it this way now, so it is going to become uncomfortable for the executives. I am skeptical they will fix the problems because the executive group seems to be out of touch. It resembles the 2006 meltdown.
Well we agree there; we have a tactical conundrum but it's less about Mbappe and more about how Jude and Mbappe play in the same team. When you add the roster imbalance in midfield and injuries every manager will have the same experience and struggles. All of this is the President and JAS doing.
The whole conversation is ridiculous when our board is doubling down on the hubris that caused our issues last season. Our defense was set up for failure which forced managers over the current and last season to pull important midfielders into defense. Nevermind the persistent injuries over the past 20 years is all on Perez.
Because I think we're a mess institutionally but there's still demand. Back when the club was floating a sale, a lot of people here were in support, wow, we'd have money like the backdoor funded clubs now! That's all that matters, right? I don't like the decisions made, but even if we'd be winning every game for the next 5 years 5-0, certain things I simply dislike. I separate club politics from results. You're smart enough to understand that often winning justifies dysfunction, while people think that it's dysfunction that prevents winning.
The same decisions led to winning. When we signed Trent, nobody here assumed he'd be a cripple, but he's the closest thing to one that Real Madrid has ever had. If I would have told you he'd be the most insignificant player on the roster after Mendy you would've laughed but the guy has been a historic bust so far.
Only in theory because boy that man's knees got shaky and he bent the knee at the first sign of resistance. That is arguably the biggest disappointment, how easy and fast he abandoned everything he had preached and quickly became a pawn. In hindsight that was the best thing that could happen to him. A quick release rather than a long sustained suffering.
Arbeloa taking a page out of Carlo's book by always protecting the players and taking all the blame. Hopefully it works and we can start winning games again.
I'm not so sure that will work this time. It worked for Carlo because aside from being Carlo, the team had a winning year previously. Once could write off a downturn after that winning year. Arbeloa has come in and if it stays the same or gets worse (likely the case) no one will be safe. Ironically, Arbeloa will have the least damage done to his reputation because he has none.
Early days and I hope I'm wrong but it seems to me like Arbeloa is taking the "caretaker" term to the extreme, his prime objective is keeping the brats "happy" in hopes of getting the "best" out of them..he's going the wagyu cow route.. If he gets fired before the season's end, it could put in a real dent in his managerial career before it even begins so he's treading very, very safely with the toxic locker room until it becomes somebody else's problem..
Carlo is a grandmaster in that arena but even he couldn't navigate the dysfunctionality in his last season after he was down to just one (super cool) senior player. He ultimately chose to walk beside the wall knowing he had a job offer with the world's most successful NT.. After the Milan loss in the UCL last year he held a rare club-sponosored video review of where the team f up. These same players didn't like it and complained. Modric had to step in..this is Carlo we're talking about.. But, in the end, he did have stark warnings for Xabi on the state of the locker room..
If he didn't, he would have been even more dragged through the mud for being inflexible, strict, out of touch tyrant. He said from the beginning that if his ideas dont work, he is going to change his approach. That he will not just try to copy Leverkusen here. He knew at Madrid you have to win every game, so once he saw the resistance from the players for the long term project, he abandoned it in order to use all resources to win now. He did everything that was needed and expected of him and he still got blamed and booted. Its honestly a disgrace.
Given the sacking of Xabi followed by Arbeloa's post-game press conference just a few days later, it certainly seems like Perez told Arbeloa that getting Vini to sign an extension was of utmost priority for the club.
🚨 OFFICIAL: Álvaro Arbeloa has called up Álvaro Leiva (21) from Real Madrid Castilla. pic.twitter.com/P72Xxg83bI— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) January 16, 2026
https://www.the-independent.com/spo...otti-arjen-robben-franck-ribery-a7980666.html I remembered this today; now it makes sense why these spoiled players don't want more training, video analysis, prepared meals, etc. Carlo, despite his legendary status, enabled this behavior that we are paying the price for today.
Alvaro Arbeloa: "It's my job to tell the players what to do, and if they don't do it, it's because I didn't explain it well, so it's my fault."