Seriously. In general, players are coming over to Europe way too early and it maybe be one reason the Brazilian Team sucks so much.
Him and Victor Roque are the poster children for that view. These kids come over here, get the "Brasil" coached out of them, and stagnate for awhile. For every Vini or Raphinha, it seems like there are more Roques that come over to Europe.
It’s hard for those players who are in a bubble and put on a pedestal in Brazil and told they are the next coming, when they arrive in Europe it’s a much different environment and level of competition. Kaka and Neymar were truly ready to come and play immediately. They were 20 and 21 when they arrived. Big difference than what these 18 year olds are doing now.
Is there really a Brazil way anymore? To me, whenever i watch Brazilian football, it seems very streamlined into the global model. Even a guy like Vinicius reminds more of european players than Brazilians. Arguably the last "true" Brazilian star was probably Neymar, and even he was a bit more moderate with the football. We don't even get the odd maverick star like a Marcelinho who plays the old style football at a lower tier of club.
Good point. That said, its harder to forge a "Brazil way" any more, what with their best and brightest youngsters hitting the airport at 17 or 18. I wouldn't mind if FIFA and/or Brasil kept youngsters in their home countries until 20 or 21, TBH. It's bad for football, IMO, for Brasil to be anything other than a top side.
Neymar and Marcelo very much fit the Brazilian stereotype. Vinicius is more of the R9 type, no real need to get bogged down with the fancy stuff because he flies right past you with ease but Vinicius has that finesse side to his game, he can definitely play in tight spaces. I don't think it's necessarily a problem of age, I think that European clubs are targeting the "athletes" and that's the direction or trend for most players to get a contract. It's easier to have players do a 40 yard dash and vertical leap to decide who's "better" and you really can't "teach" the "Brazil way."
Staying another year wouldn't really have changed his current position in Madrid if he came at 19 instead of 18. Me personally, I think he probably should have gone to a smaller team in Europe first but I'm assuming there were agents/money people behind the scenes who pushed for the Madrid move. There are only 2 paths to the main team at Madrid. The superstar route like Jude and Mbappe or the youngster prospect route like Vini/Rodrygo/Cama/Fede, etc. The club has done well enough with the latter to show that they know how to integrate Endrick into the team.
Way way too early to have a verdict on Endrick. Guler has received more chances than I thought he might, given the level of competition where he plays.
We have spent so much money on him, he is guaranteed to get the Vini/Rodrygo route. Be doesn't seem super out of his depth when he plays, he looks like he needs to learn a lot though to start challenging for a regular position. I wouldn't risk a 60M signing out on loan, we have had more of these fail than work lately.
Carlo gave Endrick the short leash after his long range effort at Atletico when there were more productive options. Old school teaching. Arda only got enough minutes after we took big lead in La Liga and this season he's getting a lot of minutes. Endrick will get opportunities later on if he makes Carlo feel his decision making has improved during the cameos right now. Another factor is our slow start to the season will make a coach like Carlo even more reluctant to give important minutes to an 18 year old. He's still getting some minutes in the toughest games and gets to train with the best.
The truth is in addition to the culture shock of living in a Completely new continent he's in a stacked offense and still has tons to learn. I'm not out on him, but the schedule isn't very kind to a player like him anymore considering how we don't even get to play easy going Copa del Rey rounds anymore.
This, in fact i think that even if we were running away with the league he'd still have to bide his time like many others have had to do before him, no matter the position. Realistically he's never ever going to start before Kylian if both are fit, that's a fan thing not a real world thing Unless bought in as a superstar, when you are that young you will defer to the seniors, i can't remember it being any other way in my time following this team, or any other big team to be honest, no matter who was manager
One of the problems is that the Brazilian and European footballing calendars don't line up neatly. Endrick stays at Palmeiras another year...he's still gonna end up leaving mid-season, going somewhere else to start a new season entirely, gonna end up going nearly 16 months before finally (maybe) getting an off-season (insomuch as offseasons still exist in this sport anymore). If he stayed at Palmeiras through the end of the season then joined Madrid in January, he'd be getting the same amount of playing time as he does now - 0 - because he wouldn't be integrated into the squad at all. It's a bit of a mess. One thing I would say is that Endrick feels like he's been singularly punished for one admittedly big lapse in judgment from the Atleti game, but that's not the reason that game went from a win to a draw, blaming him as the chief culprit is a miscarriage of justice and just scape-goating the easiest target. At the same time though...I dunno, he doesn't feel the most evolved as a player anyway. Has the goal scoring capability but struggles to be involved otherwise. He's not a #9 so he doesn't fill a position we're shallow in. I'd love for him to break out at some point, don't take this as me giving up on him, but I was never as impressed with him coming out of Brazil as I was with Vini and Rodrygo, I never really saw that same kind of ceiling with him.
Have there been any headlines from his camp? I haven't seen/heard anything about this. I think people really underestimate the club and their success in bringing in young players who eventually become starters. Recency bias makes people think that 18 yr olds should come in and start asap at top clubs but that has never been the case with Real Madrid. And to be honest, that strategy has worked very well for us. I'm pretty sure Endrick probably has more minutes for the 1st team now than Vini this time of the year during his first season.
Lopetegui had already been sacked and Vini was getting regular playing time. Endrick has played 158 minutes this season (officially; added time minutes don't count in these statistics). We've played 23 games in all comps this season, so I'll use that as my cut-off for Vini from the 2018-'19 season. By my best estimate, our 23rd game that season was Dec. 9 (away win against Huesca...it's been a while), by that time, Vini had played...well, 245 minutes. Guess that was closer than I expected. What Endrick is unlikely to repeat is that Vini played 1,490 minutes from Dec. 12 (24th game) through the rest of the season.
Yeah Vini was thrown into the deep end from his first season, and thrived really considering his age. Amazing attitude to never shy away combined with work rate from the start.
Endrick has the advantage of pace and athleticism which is great asset to have in modern era. So as long as he figures out how to use it once he has the experience, his ceiling should be good. Rodrygo has all the skills, but not having the explosiveness of Vini, Salah etc limits his take on abilities as a winger. Also his finishing which used to be clinical has regressed considerably since 2023.
Idon't see him being as fast, flexible or durable as Vinicius if i'm honest. Vini had great separation and slippery flexibility from the start. Endrick seems to be difficult to handle because of his low center of gravity but so far i don't see a great athlete, moreso somebody on Rodrygo's level.
I’ve never seen much in Endrick going back to the early days when those videos of him playing on dirt patches, beating defenders that were day laborers during the week. To be fair Endrick has shown a few flashes of great skill. I’m hoping I’m wrong and he develops into a great player as Flo will keep him for as long as possible given the investment, but I just don’t see it with him. He’s not that fast, not incredibly skilled and seems to be hot headed with rash fouls and bad temper.