Passing Mastermind to Tactical Maestro – The Xabi Alonso Era Begins

That "we do not think about transfers" does not sound reassuring, it sounds like if we bring someone else in it will drag on until the end of summer.

 

Honestly I don't get why anyone could be shocked by this. It was obviously not Carlo or Zidane in the past.

It's obviously the leadership (Florentino, JAS) and as a manager you have to manage the media questions and expectations because you can't promise what you don't control.

 

Yeah I didn't see an issue with his answer ether. I thought he gave the proper response.

 

This is quite important difference in tactics.

Xabi wants shorter distance between the lines. That means a lot more short passes. How ever this is a large shift from what they were doing for past decade. Can we pull this off with out additions?

 

🚨 Xabi Alonso: "We need to know how to suffer and when to suffer." pic.twitter.com/RROXGxS4Tg

— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) June 22, 2025

Xabi Alonso: "We need to know how to suffer and when to suffer."

🚨 Fede Valverde: "Difference between Ancelotti and Xabi? Xabi asks us midfielders to have more control. He doesn't want us to drop deep to receive the ball, he wants us between the lines, so that we can turn and drive forward."

— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) June 22, 2025

Fede Valverde: "Difference between Ancelotti and Xabi? Xabi asks us midfielders to have more control. He doesn't want us to drop deep to receive the ball, he wants us between the lines, so that we can turn and drive forward."

 

That’s where Huijsen is important, always seeking the player between the lines, trying to break opponents defensive line/structure, still only 20 years old. We have a good one for the coming 10 years.

 

Huijsen will be important in that but he's still going to need help in that distribution. It'll be only a matter of time before he's pressed out of his socks if he's a best distributor.

 

Huijsen + Trent are going to make Mbappe feast.

 

Lol yeah this guy sounds very similar to Pep.

 

Seems like Xabi learned a valuable lesson today. A 7th minute red card should have sent the team into a panic but instead takes it's cues from Carlo 'Cooler than a Fan' Ancelloti and finds it's best version of that 2024 team and tactics. No Mbappe, the entire team looking for Vini who is popping up left, right and center, with Jude and Fed making those late goal scoring runs into the box. Was like a trip down memory lane.

And of course the cherry on top. Xabi now telling us the team has to suffer. Hopefully Xabi and the Club can now see the team didn't need wholesale changes or Mbappe or anything like that, just some healthy reinforcements on defense and a few tweaks are already paying off.

 

Yep I'm pretty we can agree with your agenda until we actually read the second part of the quote.

 

Lol dude is still hanging on to his failed theory of Xabi is Ancelotti like coach.

Look at the way we played today , the emphasis on possession, deliberate placement of midfielders in holes for central progression and much more control and short passes. This is with 10 men.

Centrain other coach would have bunkered up in a low block and countered with Viniciusfor the whole match.

 

Ancelotti is nothing like Xabi. The way they approach games is totally different. Only thing they have in common is they are both classy.

Dictating play, creating quick short passes, let alone Ancelotti’s favoritism for certain players. Yesterday Rodrygo would have been an automatic starter, Arda? Too creative, push him to the flank.

Or Gonzalo? Either Rodrygo or Brahim would have played in his position, hell he’d try Lucas as a 9 just not to play him.

 

Me too, if we win, we are in a great spot, if we loose, we lost against arguably one of the best and ir would be the game that would give us the clearest picture of how we will play vs strong attacking opposition.

 

It is still too early. Anyone who expects us to compete for possession against City, while being dangerous in attack is too optimistic. This will need a few months to be part of the way we play, doing it successfully without even needing to think about it. And even then, playing against possession specialists will be very tough.
If we do face City and get dominated, that wouldn’t be the end of the world. Being methodical and consistent (when you have the talent) is what wins you league titles more consistently. CL is a different story.

 

I am not talking about the score line or winning or losing. Expecting us to successfully control the tempo and possession or even competing for possession and control against teams that have been doing for years after a few short weeks of training is not realistic.

 

No the man is nothing like Pep and the entire discussion that guy tried but failed to hijack was if Xabi was more like Carlo than Pep; hint it isn't just about how they lineup.

Also that response is so disingenuous. There is a huge difference in quality when you have Dean Huijsen and Trent.

Take out Dean/Trent and replace them with injured Rudi and Lucas and that performance with 10 men literally can't happen

 

Don't forget the 3 man backline despite being down to 10 men. Lol.

 

Which would never happen if Dean Huijsen wasn't at the club. Had that been injured Rudi we get destroyed playing a backline of 3 with him while having Fran and Lucas on the same pitch.

Ignoring the obvious doesn't make you intelligent.

 

The 3 man backline wouldn't even happen if Xabi wasn't coaching. Nice try tho.