Passing Mastermind to Tactical Maestro – The Xabi Alonso Era Begins

Discussion in 'Real Madrid' started by Aensensen, May 25, 2025.

  1. fierro

    fierro Member+

    Jan 30, 2007
    El Chuco
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pathetic. Simone Inzaghi has been on the job less time than Xabi because he was busy coaching a team in a CL final.

    Somehow that didn't stop his team from looking like they had a competent coach and was able to instruct them on how to carry out simple tactical instructions and a game plan.

    Tibo's obviously butt hurt that when he was injured in 23/24 season the team didn't collapse without him and instead went on to win a CL/La Liga double but didn't win anything when he returned to the starting role last season.
     
  2. MaxY

    MaxY Member+

    May 24, 2016
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    How ironic that "I think therefore I am." is on your profile. Over 9 years on this forum and now you're my first ignore, that should really speak volumes.
     
  3. 4x4s

    4x4s Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 26, 2006
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Maybe Tibo is right, but good leadership is taking responsibility and saying that we are growing together as a team and working everyday to get better instead of constantly throwing the former coach under the bus.

    You can't use that excuse for too long, so pulling that "actually, it's the former coaches fault" card this early is kind of weak. Taking responsibility is appreciated and recommended. Two weeks in maybe this works, two months in it will have worn very very thin. Should have been used wisely, not right after the first game.
     
  4. saadomar

    saadomar Member+

    Real Madrid
    Mar 21, 2013
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Bro couldnt wait to throw Ancelotti under the bus. Honestly, this team will take a while to fully realize Alonso's vision. He isn't wrong about that.
     
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  5. 4x4s

    4x4s Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 26, 2006
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Yeah, i agree with him that it's absolutely insane to expect the team to change within a weeks work, i said a while ago here that Alonso will set a starting point with what works and go from there, but throwing one of the mot successful coaches in the clubs history under the bus at the first opportunity was cheap and has an expiration date on it.
     
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  6. Seoul Villan

    Seoul Villan Member+

    Feb 16, 2011
    Things must have been pretty shit the past season behind closed doors for Tibo to lash out like that.

    Commend the team for not airing much dirty laundry during the course of the season, but you could tell by their body language and play they were unhappy for whatever individual reasons were.

    They need to let that shit go and turn up now. Based on today’s performance they still think the ghost of Carlo is still haunting the Bernabeau the way they played.
     
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  7. fierro

    fierro Member+

    Jan 30, 2007
    El Chuco
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I don't think this is supposed to be a compliment but I will take it as one because despite being first on your ignore list, you still felt it necessary to not ignore me and even took the additional it step pf responding. Thank you for showing your appreciation.
     
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  8. 4x4s

    4x4s Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 26, 2006
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    He's done that with the national team on multiple occasions though. Again, can't go back to that now once that genie is out of the bottle. Was way too early for that in my opinion. Plus it's just lackluster leadership, several of his team mates still WORK with the coach he criticized. Just a bad situation to put them in.
     
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  9. J-Mezzy

    J-Mezzy Member+

    Real Madrid
    Colombia
    Oct 14, 2013
    Orlando
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia
    Man short memories

    sad
     
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  10. Hendrix22

    Hendrix22 Member+

    Feb 28, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Its not short memories, we've been talking about this for ages, the signs were all there and you lot refused to believe it "how can someone so successful not be amazing at coaching, its just impossible muh", well someone like Trump can be president right now so its not the best time for inferences. Carlo is a class act but he was past it for some time now like most of his generation (Mourinho, Van Gaal, Benitez, Mancini etc), football has moved on - he just found a place where his inadequacy could be masked for a while due to circumstances but it couldnt last forever.

    Im mostly annoyed at the stagnation of pretty much every player under him, someone said in the WC thread look at Huijsen looking more creative than Jude, more technical than Fede, better passer than Tchou, well exactly, ans all of the above and many others (Arda, Endrick, Camavinga, Rodrygo) never developed and not only stagnated but even regressed in a tactical sense (decision making, teamwork etc) so the only hope is this is not irreversible. Xabi has his hands full thats for sure.
     
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  11. Raul-7

    Raul-7 Member+

    Real Madrid
    Spain
    Aug 17, 2006
    100%. These are the same people who fall for politicians bullshit all the time thinking they were speaking the truth or that they were going to make everything better. It's scary how people can allow their bias to cloud their judgements to avoid seeing the truth.

    Anyone with a pair of eyes and a sane brain could see Carlo [despite his classiness, brilliant personality and winning ways] was grinding this team into the ground and holding players back from becoming their best.
     
  12. Digital

    Digital Member+

    Dec 10, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    lol indeed, i do read some drivel, can someone please explain Pep's lousy season, the greatest coach that has ever lived... surely he's up with the times and can produce miracles, his team has got the cash to sort any problems out and he certainly tried, i mean even before this crappy season he couldn't get Bayern to the CL trophy, and lets be realistic most think Bayern winning the Bundesliga? a slam dunk, ...meh, too many hipster fans with all the "answers" methinks , it's scary how some random fans can allow their bias to think they know better and are way smarter that everyone else.....

    Xabi needs time, let's see what he can do, as for Tbo, i doubt he was being malicious, i'm sure he was happy he got to Real Madrid, got to play under Carlo, who helped him and the team to win amongst others 2 La Liga and 2 Cl titles, a title he had never won before
     
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  13. saadomar

    saadomar Member+

    Real Madrid
    Mar 21, 2013
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    #663 saadomar, Jun 19, 2025
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2025
    Having virtually no structure, consistency nor discipline for the past year has really done a mental job on this team. A few new additions and a new coach's approach will not incorporate immediately. Ancelotti does deserve some blame, but not all of it. That defense has been porous for so long, the trauma will take a while to heal.

    I really hope this team moves on quickly from Ancelotti's final year, which was nothing short of a disaster on all fronts. The faster they can forget and pick themselves up, the better.

    And @4x4 is on the money, there is an expiration date on blaming Ancelotti for this team's struggle. But right now isn't "too early" either. The shadows of the past season will take sometime to shake off.

    Last year was the worst defense I have seen Real Madrid play in at least a decade. Just absolutely disgusting to watch, and it would have been worse without Courtois. You don't change that overnight.

    Also thank goodness Lucas Vazquez is gone from this team after this tournament. Dude is like expired milk. Steps on the pitch and it ruins the game almost immediately. Xabi should know that if you can't play LV as a RW, don't play him at all. The dude is finished at the top level.
     
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  14. benny_madridista

    Real Madrid
    Nov 30, 2020
    It may some games for us to see Xabi's ideas on the pitch, I trust the process.
     
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  15. 4x4s

    4x4s Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 26, 2006
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    There was no reason to punch the "this is still Ancelotti" clock this early. What happens now is Marca is leading with the story "those are the habits that Alonso has to fix", so he's basically on a game to game watch already.

    Just silly way to build pressure out of nowhere.
     
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  16. 4x4s

    4x4s Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 26, 2006
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Basically months. In my opinion we can judge the team around December/January, not on our best or worst performance either, but on how we look on an average week to week basis.
     
  17. J-Mezzy

    J-Mezzy Member+

    Real Madrid
    Colombia
    Oct 14, 2013
    Orlando
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia

    Yes yes because @Hendrix22 and you and are not bias. You are the true representation of the truth where results don’t matter and guys like Carlo Ancelotti and Mbappe are terrible at their jobs while guys like Balloteli and Osimhen are the crème of the crop.
     
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  18. 4x4s

    4x4s Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 26, 2006
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    What Carlo did is irrelevant to what is going on now. Mentioning him right after the first bad result is weak. Had we won 4-0 Courtois wouldn't have said we're still playing Ancelotti ball despite that being the case, he just went right for it from the top of his excuses box.

    Be accountable.
     
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  19. J-Mezzy

    J-Mezzy Member+

    Real Madrid
    Colombia
    Oct 14, 2013
    Orlando
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia

    Yes

    the players hold no accountability for their lack of performance nor did the manager deserve any pass for the lack of support provided by the front office to ensure we had depth, especially at the back.

    Carlo and only Carlo is to be held accountable for the bad season
     
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  20. J-Mezzy

    J-Mezzy Member+

    Real Madrid
    Colombia
    Oct 14, 2013
    Orlando
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia

    Because players don’t like accountability. It wasn’t their fault even though the man is gone

    Funny @Hendrix22 mentiojed Trump. This is exactly out of a cheap politicians’ card. Blame the guy who isn’t even here anymore
     
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  21. Hendrix22

    Hendrix22 Member+

    Feb 28, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    No, hes held accountable for the things we said a million times that he should be held accountable for, in one world Carloball. But if you still cant understand what a coach should do and the diffuse effects of that on players performances there is no point in explaining it again, even if all the players come out and say it you would still refuse to accept you were wrong. Stay thick and dig your head deeper in that sand. Muh Osimhen muh Balotelli.
     
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  22. Hendrix22

    Hendrix22 Member+

    Feb 28, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    When or how he mentioned it is secondary. Truth is primary. You know, the thing you keep refusing to accept.

    And its difficult to win 4-0 with Carloball principles installed deep into these players.
     
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  23. Hendrix22

    Hendrix22 Member+

    Feb 28, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    This guy's only argument is Pep every time.:ROFLMAO: Pep lost a title? Well if he did that must prove whatever youre rambling about:thumbsup:
     
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  24. saadomar

    saadomar Member+

    Real Madrid
    Mar 21, 2013
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    There. Straight from Xabi Alonso's mouth.

    https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/45540578/xabi-alonso-real-madrid-makeover-draw

    Calma.
     
  25. Ahmadi8

    Ahmadi8 Member+

    Apr 14, 2005
    Bahrain
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Bahrain
    Its who he is. He's the same with Belgium and when he was at Chelsea. I don't think he's the type to take much accountability.
     
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