3 days ago you were sprinting in here posting boo clips like it was your ONLY job at CNN. Now it’s “players deserved to get belted” and “let’s celebrate for now” and “I’ve seen this movie.” You've been "cautiously" declaring him finished for months, here you're cautiously backtracking now LOL! “Segunda finishers” line is the cherry on top. If my aunt had wheels she’d be a bicycle. If Monaco had better finishers, if Albacete had worse luck, if ref was blind, if grass was purple… you can what if any match into a different story. keep the cautious downplay though, it's adorable watching you squirm when the "concern" narrative crumbles.
I recently said that VJ is picking up his form, but I also said that he will be gone. Either way I consider myself "right". And I said here first. Mbappe will be very close to breaking Ronaldo's record of most goals in a UEFA Champions League season. The record is 17 goals. Ronaldo broke it against Bayern Munich in the semi-final during the 2013-2014 season.
Enjoyed the energy, urgency, and movement today. Looked like they wanted to move the ball around and create danger, together. Still look easy as hell to play through and they got several decent shots off but can’t be mad at the result.
Amazing result. Vini was great today, credit where it is due. He just needs to reproduce this consistently, not only when he has to rebuke the whistles.
Watching CR7, Benzema and Bale dismantle Bayern in their home stadium was magnificent. One of my top 3 games of all time for Real Madrid.
Not saying that, but it could be "the new manager bounce". Removing my Madrid colored eyeglasses, Monaco didn't consistently press high and didn't implement a low block, nor were they compact. Both setups which continually baffle our players. I would like to see a couple more games before I can give a more accurate evaluation. But a great win for morale and for the UCL standings nonetheless.
🚨 REMINDER: Clubs finishing in the TOP 8 of the league phase will be drawn against the winners of the knockout play-offs in the Ro16.• Teams who finish in TOP 4 will play the Ro16 2nd leg AND quarter-finals 2nd leg at HOME.• The TOP 2 teams will be given 2nd leg HOME… pic.twitter.com/sBV0EqJGT3— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) January 20, 2026
Well, with P.S.G losing yesterday to Sporting CP we are favorites to finish 3rd and we only depend on ourselves to do it. but more important, we got payback against Monaco for the elimination at 03/04 season.
Bale said something along the lines that Real Madrid doesn't even need a coach to win most games and I find it funny because most players think this way.
I think he's generally correct... If the team gave 100% effort. Which is more like a coin flip these days.
If he can get the dressing room in order and get the players playing to their potential, it would be a season saving move. He said it, he has had more press conferences than training sessions so far, so it's not like he has had much influence on changing the system or tactics yet. The team played with a style that Xabi has been preaching since the season began, quick one touch passing, movement off the ball, position fluidity, and quick recovery of the ball, so a lot of credit has to go to the previous coaching staff.
Maybe the team deep inside agreed with Xabi's tactics. Perhaps they just didn't like how he handled the personalities within the team.
Or maybe sacking the manager followed by arguably unprecedented levels of booing was a huge wake-up call. Or maybe it was the quality of the opposition. No one knows, we just have to wait and see.
It would be amazingly entertaining to watch this team win a major trophy this season playing Xabi ball without Xabi Alsonso . Hope it happens.
Big part of that one touch and pressing football is due to the presence of Mastantuono in the line up. He presses and tries to link with his team mates A LOT. Something that no other forward does.
Is this the new spin? That they're playing "Xabi ball"? The coach literally is cosplaying Carlo's last season of handling of media, players and even who we played with Cama at LB running a 433 where we sat back at different times to absorb pressure and counter.. We still don't have the distributor in midfield so we are limited and Arbeloa is smart enough even though many of you insulted him as otherwise. I will see if Alvaro has it all if he moves Trent to midfield and leaves Fede at RB.
He said this: "He is an incredible coach," Bale said. "He has won what he has won at Bayer Leverkusen, he has won trophies, he has coached the team incredibly well. But when you get to Real Madrid, you don't need to be a coach, you need to be a manager." https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/ga...l-madrid-incredible-coach/bltfcbcc61fbdc0f1c9 Pretty much what some of us have been saying for months now. No one wants to be mean to Xabi 'cause he seems like a good guy but honestly it's the most spectacular man-management fail since Rafa Benitez was here.
This is hilarious. Xabi-ball? What a desperate pathetic last-ditch effort to save Xabi. Impressive dude. The Xabi widows will never die. It's ok to admit you were wrong you know? Xabi lied to all of us, even I was excited at the start of the season. It all comes down to man-management. Also watch some Castilla matches, this is how Arbeloa likes his teams to play.
I think people underrate his pressence. Boy's running and pressing like mad, and actually creates spaces as well. Sure, he loses the ball now and he still does a lot of work