No Retreat, No Surrender - El Espartano Alvaro Arbeloa Manager Thread

Certain players got "slapped in the face" on the weekend, this new attitude will stay with them for a little bit. But not if the whole club continues to treat them as eternal victims and "can't do wrong" favoured kids.

 

I'm curious about how Raúl felt about the situation. He resigned from the Castilla job in May. I believe he had been waiting for that head manager for six seasons, but the hiring of Xabi Alonso was probably one of the key factors that led him to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

 

Raul apparently wasn't a very popular option with Flo. No telling if he'd even get the job.

 

🗣️ Journalist: “Out of curiosity, I have seen you call Dean Huijsen ‘Anto’, why is that?”

🗣️ Álvaro Arbeloa: “You just made that up like you do with many other things.” pic.twitter.com/TAItEEHzQe

— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) January 21, 2026

Journalist: “Out of curiosity, I have seen you call Dean Huijsen ‘Anto’, why is that?”

Álvaro Arbeloa: “You just made that up like you do with many other things.”

 

I don't think Raúl would have ever gotten the job based purely on merit. But Garcia Remon, Solari and Arbeloa were probably not cultivated in Castila for that job too. The job just fell into their arms because there were no other option in mid-season and Perez decided to promote from within. But if Raul'd stayed, the position might have given to him because he would be the coach of Castila. The "job" might have destroyed at least Solari's career, but being the manager of the first team at Madrid for a few months would be better than never being one.

 

I thought it was a wholesome moment.

 

It's working.

 

Go back and read the absolute morons who were insulting him for doing what the actual smart coaches who won at this club did.

Too many times on here people throw tantrums and have the most worst takes and just walk away from it like they never said it.

They mocked and insulted the guy, then now are trying to pivot as they are dumbfounded players play for somebody they feel supports them.

Who know?

Not those idiots. That's who

 

I am re-reading some of it now, I don't want to create drama by quoting some of them again and bringing it all up but honestly it was embarrassing. Anyone with basic critical thinking skills could see what he was trying to do. Crazy how biases can cause mental distortions like that.

 

🗣️ Toni Kroos: “A player who hasn't been booed at the Bernabéu isn't a great player.

After the 4-1 defeat vs Ajax, I also felt some boos directed at me.” pic.twitter.com/uQwRlGlmF4

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) January 21, 2026

 

Why not quote them?

I bet some of them also were insulting Carlo. They are always emotionally unstable with the worst takes.

 

This is a player who threw a fit at Carlo and no one blamed him for the team "falling apart" because Carlo didn't publicly disgrace him.

This is a player who actually speaks sense it's too bad his fans and others in the media can't even comprehend him

 

Tbh Kroos was ********ing shit during a spell in that era

 

It happens, we all know it happens and when it happens we all pretend its totally unacceptable and should never happen.

Hence the recent treatment of Vini; but it's going to be a whole other level of dissonance if and when (because IT WILL HAPPEN) Kiki has his fall from grace and eventually suffers a loss of form or worse, permament decline due to age.

 

Big test ahead for Arbeloa and the lads at Villarreal. It's never easy going into that place, but I think this team prevails. They have something to prove.

 

We have to win. Barca have an easy three pointer against Oviedo.

 

It's incredible that we're only one point behind Barca with all the injuries and switching managers. It's definitely not as doom and gloom as I thought it was. We can win La Liga no doubt. We have the quality.

 

Ajax beat them yesterday. We can do it!

 

Alvaro Arbeloa unlocked something no other manager could 😹 he might be the guypic.twitter.com/WR3ruuCvnF

— 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙭𝙨 (@annxsprods) January 21, 2026

 

I doubt the players would have put the amount of effort they did if the pressure to perform wasn't there.

The test for Arbeloa is to see if he can manage to keep the team motivated now. Hopefully he has it in him to get these players to do it. There is no doubting their talent, that's for sure.

 

Same club journos will throw Arbeloa under the bus if there's a mini crisis with few draws 'cos the main agenda is to shield Flo and JAS.