Passing Mastermind to Tactical Maestro – The Xabi Alonso Era Begins

Acting like this is some unprecedented player mutiny is just wildly overblown drama. The difference here is that he showed emotion,realized he went too far and made it right. That’s pardonable.If we’re going to judge the incident judge the full arc.

 

Hold up. Dumping all the dirt on Vini alone is like blaming the spark for the bonfire when the wood is stacked skyhigh. How many times have we seen the coach pull a star midgame (against the momentum) with no warning and then boom, tempers flare? Often.
Unless Xabi helps channel that energy, embarrassment is a shared tattoo from this tango.

 

Xabi doesn't have tatoos. Neither does Mbappe. Notice a trend here.


Clearly Xabi doersn't like players with tatoos or maybe he just doesn't like players with tatoos who publicly condem racism and use their platform as famous athletes to take on social justice causes and thinks Vini should "shut up and play, do what he's told and dont' complain"

 

Yeah, I’m not about rewarding players for childish behaviour but I’m glad you’re not running the show.

 

Disagree. He crossed a line, he should be punished for it. Sitting out two big games should make him get the message.

 

Yeah it really should. Come to think of it, Im sure it will. Smart move.

 

It's not really debatable at this point. It was the wrong decision, period.

Vinicius reaction is one reason it was a bad decision but that's kind of a result of the decision like if he pulled off a defender and the new guy gets sent off like happened in a recent game.

The reason it was a BAD decision AND the WRONG decision is because Mbappe had already made a couple of very costly errors in the game. Missed a penalty and had a goal called back due to bein offside, he scored and still came away from the game a net negative.

It was a bad decision and the wrong decision because it sends the wrong message to the rest of the team, that if a player the President likes or prefers is playing bad they will continue to play but if you ask for more money in a contract renewal or refuse to accept a transfer to Tottenham then the club will try to make you miserable by making you eat chunks of minutes from the bench even when you are the best player on the pitch in a particular game.


I am going to however not blame Xabi because I don't think the decision being made about Vinicius playing time and benching are his decision, these are orders coming down from the President and Xabi was hired above all because he doesn't have enough credibility as a manager to make the type of demands someone like Klopp could make if they were hired.

Xabi's a yes man and he's merely doing what he's told, he knows he will be the fall guy if and when it doesn't work out.

 

Marca:

Xabi Alonso is incorporating the José Mourinho plan.

Real Madrid will not train at Anfield next week before the game, like they usually do ahead of a Champions League match.

Xabi Alonso has decided to train at Valdebebas on Monday before traveling to England.

 

🚨 Xabi Alonso: "Does this mean there will no be consequences for Vini Jr. because I am satisfied with him? Yes, absolutely NOT." pic.twitter.com/mkkctsCvQK

— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) October 31, 2025

Great!

 

Isn't it to prevent over-exposure of tactics and the squad from the media and Liverpool employed staff, etc. I've read that Alonso wants to clamp down on any information being leaked, through any source.

 

So two ways to look at this season

we have won every match and only lost two away games to two top opponents

or

we have faced three tough opponents, got outclassed on two losses and beat a depleted Barca at home


I’d like to go with the first choice. You win some, you lose some. Some improvements still need to be made but we are moving in the right direction and have been getting better as the season goes forward

 

Xabi plans for games. What was the plan? What was the game plan?

Barca aside (that game can be swing either way) we’ve lost to the two biggest games on our calendar so far this season and beaten well.

So far, not impressed.

 

The plan was to hold the fort and rely on BMV magic upfront.

Xabi ball is basically upgraded Carlo ball. The players definitely play more as they are instructed and have specific tasks. But Vinicus and Mbappe and to large degree Bellingham are exceptions from this because they need full creative freedom to be effective. It can be a double edged sword.

If we go by logic this shouldn't be peak Xabi ball because the players will get more in sync. Of course there is a possibility it doesnt get better than this but its smaller than the other one. But let me tell you something, if Carlo's team played like this last season I wouldn't want him gone. Simple as that.

 

I'm not too angry at losing to this side. Can't really think of much I would do different in terms of the lineup. What really gets to me though is the positioning of players and movement of the attackers, and I can't see if Xabi even sees this as a problem to even coach it.

On the odd chance we progressed the ball down the wing, there is no one in the box. First half especially, I think I saw Camavinga in the box more than Mbappé. Also this effort to get the ball wide but no one to even cross to? This clip is just typical of Real Madrid since Ronaldo left.

And on top of this there is no wing play from the fullbacks. Vinicius best season came from playing more central. Have him and Mbappé play more centrally and leave all the wing play to the fullbacks.

 

I'de always see this 1st season of Xabi as a settling in year.

As I've stated before, I'm ok losing to top sides here and there as long as we win the league this year.

Heck, I would be down to losing again to Barca and Athleti as long as it results in winning La Liga comfortably.

 

Xabi has a lot of work to do.

We have to all around be smarter on the pitch, improve how we press and defend as a team, at the moment we look like half the team is doing it half-heartedly

We need more self belief as well, with the personnel we have we should be able to dominate in the middle of the park.

We are Real Madrid, not Everton, its time to grow a pair, we are getting bummed eitherway at this point.

No way in my mind Macalister and Gravenberch are better than Camavinga, Tchouh and Jude, its just that Liverpool as a team work harder.


If Slot can do it for 1 year and a half, Xabi should be able to as well.

 

Good points. I agree with (and hope) the assertion that this isn't peak Xabi ball at all.
My guess is that we're still foundation building with the work defensively which has improved massively on last year in terms of structure etc and the press/counter press. The team is much more intense and physically into games than last season.
I think with time, the offensive patterns will develop and the automatisms and chemistry will become more evident: use of fullbacks offensively, attacking movements etc... That stuff is currently sorely lacking and it's still Carlo ball from last season on display which is mitigated by mostly great individual actions.

I'd say Xabi needs a few more months to get his machine right.... but he has to win in the meantime lol.