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

Credit where it's due. Perfect set up vs Pep team.

 

Also, credit yet again for trusting our youth players. Thiago is worth the investment.

 

🚨 Journalist: "Alvaro, did things go better than you expected?"

🚨 Alvaro Arbeloa: "Actually, it went better than YOU expected." pic.twitter.com/mYWDrVoyuu

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) March 11, 2026

 

You give the shit, you give the props.

He set them up well and made me eat my words. Fantastic stuff.

 

His confidence in the youth may just save him his job. He stopped starting Franco when he became a turnover machine, stopped starting Garcia when he couldn't justify his starts and had the balls to start Pitarch when the fate of our season was on the line.

 

Starting Pitarca 18 years old kid, in a CL KO tie, huge balls. That turnover he had was good, he will learn from it and we didn’t concede so good for him.

Reminds me of Pedri.

 

He even subs Arda and isn't scared to do so for a Castilla player.

Honestly the workrate this team had was impressive. I believe the young guys just give us energy.

I can't wait for Jude to come back and plays with Thiago... and actually midfielder with workrate that can connect Jude and his offensive B2B play with Tchou and Fede.

 

Something like this?

Fede - Tchou - Thiago - Belli
Mbappé - Vini

 

Is the 4–5-1 the formation now for the remainder of the season?

Balance and attack which helps the defence?

We swap Diaz with Vini on the left and Mbappe as the CF?

 

🚨 Álvaro Arbeloa: "Yes, we knew very well how City plays, and how Pep (Guardiola) plays, and what they always try to look for."

"We tried to close off a lot of the passing angles and spaces, and not to jump into pressing randomly, because that's what they're looking for."

"For… pic.twitter.com/fJbQO39Rsw

— Madrid Universal (@MadridUniversal) March 11, 2026

Now do this against Barca too who follow the same script

 

Pitarch gotta start when Jude returns with Arda going to the bench. Think that's what Arbeloa gonna do looking at his substitution patterns vs Celta and City.

 

Club leaked through mouthpieces like JFD that they were annoyed with Carlo not trusting cantera products like Jimenez, Fortea and playing LV despite struggling at RB so much.

They don't like to spend beyond a point every summer so Arbeloa developing the likes of Pitarch could help his case in keeping the job beyond this season if we knock out City etc.

 

🚨 Arbeloa: “We must value Real Madrid’s youth academy players.

They didn’t cost us 40 or 50 million euros like other players, but they pour their souls out for Real Madrid.

It’s a source of pride to see them compete like this.” pic.twitter.com/7TTTdxnLvw

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) March 11, 2026

 

Profiles matter so much...
With Pitarch in the buildup, suddenly Tchouameni has less responsibility in playing the ball out of the back and automatically looks better because he can focus on what he's actually good at.

I think you're right. On current form, the call is easy: Tchou, Pitarch, Jude, Fede. That's the midfield.

Also gives us a good bench...,nice to be able to throw on Cama and Arda as needed.

 

His committment to playing the Castilla kids speaks volumes about him as a manager. There is no denying that he has a strategic approach. Add his confidence and overall personality to his coaching philosophy, and anyone can see why hes a high potential coach. Proud to see him navigate the storm; whatever is the trophy count at the end of the season I want him to stay beyond the summer. At this point we know with certainty that its much more about the players than the coach.

 

Defo more of a Vitinah type player for me, the way he drops deeper to get the ball. For such a young age to want the ball time and time again in a CL KO against one of the heavyweights, it's just spectacular.

 

At the very least, it gives the next coach something to work with in terms of the youth and they can look to.

I think it's more likely Arbeloa gets a coaching job elsewhere for experience.

 

Yeah, I don't want to hype the kid so much, but I see a lot of Vitinha / Pedri in him.

 

I really love the fact that Arbeloa isn't afraid to give young players minutes. Letting Thiago start in a UCL knockout game against City instead of Camavinga is crazy, and then subbing in Manuel Ángel for Thiago.
Big, big respect for this.
I thought Xabi would do the same and give more credit to the Castilla players as well, but it didn't happen.

 

Fair play to Arbeloa for giving youngsters a try. That could have backfired immensely for him, but not this time vs City and Elche.

I don't think there's any proof any of these youngsters are Real Madrid material, but so far they've done an incredible job. However last year, Asencio looked like a world beater too for a while, remember? So I'll withold celebrations just for now and remain positively optimistic.

 

A bit of a meaningless stat, but Arbeloa is the first coach to knock out both Mourinho and Guardiola in the Champions League winning both games in both ties.

 

They just need to do the job as they are needed. So far they have.

They either become regular 1st team members, or their mRket value rises. Its a win win.

 

Valverde has become valverde again

I never quite understood the issues with Xabi, but credit to both player and manager for keeping the main thing the main thing and moving forward