Passing Mastermind to Tactical Maestro – The Xabi Alonso Era Begins

I think that's pretty evident.

 

I just can't wait to see what happens next at this point.

What does the club think they're going to get out of this realistically? Do they think they're going to get another Benitez/Zidane or Lope/Zidane to Carlo situation? They can't honestly think that, can they?

 

The fallback on Zidane and Carlo has gone.

They wouldn’t have it in them to do what is needed. Clear the desk and stop playing players based on name.

 

1. Everybody does that. You have to build up some excitement as a new coach. Its part of installing confidence in your abilities among the players and fans. You dont want to look weak at that point.

2. Thats just rotation. Again perfectly normal.

3. Again the change he was brought to implement, in place of the buddy/cool uncle relationshup from before.

4. This is the only problem, but until recently there was a clear upward trajectory, so the consensus is that this is on some kind of players mutiny.

If there is anything that could be a problem is that Xabi's tactical acumen is simply not as great as initially perceived. Maybe the players dont understand him, his ideas are too vague or he's not designing training in a way that this can be learned. It has happened before, look at Ten Hag. This is the only thing I worry about but there werent any reports indicating this in Leverkusen.

 

🚨 NEW: Real Madrid expected XI vs Man City:

Courtois
Asencio, Rudiger, Carreras, Fran
Valverde, Tchouaméni, Bellingham
Guler
Rodrygo, Vini Jr@marca pic.twitter.com/wxt9EYt8U0

— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) December 9, 2025

This cannot be serious.

 

It's scary how little logic they use when it comes to these big decisions; there will always be players the coach doesn't see eye-to-eye with and vice versa. It happens all the time; it's about building a cohesive, unified team.

That's why we did sooo well with Benzema and Ronaldo; they were able to unify the team so the likes of Vini Jr., James, Isco, etc. would shut up and put in the effort.

Now we have a group who think that because they won the UCL 2 times either know better than the coach or simply don't care anymore [want to party all the time].

 

We're officially in the fake superstar era of Real Madrid. Spoiled brats who think they're above it all, and better then they actually are. Divas FC.

 

Xabi said he wanted to make us proud, and that when we watched the games we would say "That's my Madrid."

This has not happened. I can't wait to turn the game off every time I tune in.

 

No they weren't; they hated Capello. But they did thank him for breaking the 3 season slump; there's a reason he only lasted 1 season despite winning.

We may not want to play tiki-taka, but the fans do expect an attacking/exciting game everytime the team steps onto the pitch. None of that catenaccio stuff that Capello, Hector Cuper, Mourinho, etc. preached and lived by.

 

We love winning more than we love playing well.

 

Catenaccio stuff that Mourinho preached and lived by? I don't know what you are referring to, but Mourinho's first two seasons consistently gave us the most exciting of games and I looked forward to seeing the team play every damn week. In fact, the 2012 team is probably one of my favourites and I still can't believe we didn't win the CL that season (granted, that was partly due to Mourinho's instructions in that Bayern game). So don't let the Clasico's against arguably the most dominant and suffocating team of all time fool you. Those were exceptions, far from the rule.

Now whether I like Mourinho and the culture he brought is a different question. But Catenaccio? Far from it!

 

Capelos that "come back season" with Reyes scoring in last game against Mallorca was exciting at least, we showed fighting spirit, which is for me more important than to play beatiful. As long as you show passion fro the club and play your heart out on the field, i am happy.

 

Lol things are so bad there isn't even a thread up on matchday against man city. I guess nobody is looking forward to the team getting steamrolled today. It sucks that today might be Xabi's last match at the helm. I sincerely hope it isn't.

 

With Xabi you get both, a coach that goes undefeated for whole seasons and some say was the actual genius behind the rise of tiki-taka in Spain.


If he doesn't do both those things, he will walk away because he's got self respect and principals.

 

Which is now sadly, neither.

 

I think everyone's expecting a beatdown of epic proportions.

I actually think there's a good chance the guys are up for the game since its Pep and City..but if we get plastered, i wouldn't be surprised either.

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/Hg6Pnlt5d8U?si=KrOrZF5AlRa3__A-

 

if this is another 4:0 lost I don't expect Alonso to coach in the next game.