International Break Reflections - First 3 GWs (Long Read)

[u/TypicalError9576]

As all Madridistas, I have been counting down the days for the season to start to see, in its first iteration, what this Xabi Alonso Real Madrid would look like. I, like everyone here, am gutted that we already have an international break but I think it will be a great time for Xabi and his team to reflect on this perfect league start (getting 9/9 point and conceding only 1 goal) and for the players to assimilate this new ride.

I have to say there is quite a lot to be excited about but it is clear that we are only just commencing the transition to Xabi Alonso's system and it will take time. These set of players have a lot to unlearn and relearn, some more than others.

Three positive indicators

To start with the roundup of positive indicators, and the one that excites me the most, is the fact that the team has regained defensive strength through high & coordinated press. The press has not been perfected yet but I am seeing, especially in the first half's of matches, that we are stealing the ball high up and suffocating the opposition teams in their own half. That has eliminated a lot of danger we were facing last year where we were often sitting in a low block with a scattered press and let opposition teams to get into our half easily. In these first three fixtures when Osasuna, Oviedo and Mallorca regained possession they were 50+m from Courtois meaning a lot of threats were snuffed out before they could become actual goal scoring opportunities. It has also allowed us to win the ball further up the pitch and begin our attacks closer to their goal (translating in 2 great goals in Oviedo).

The second positive indicator has been the overall squad planning - integration of the new signings, the return of our two defensive kings (Carvajal & Militao), and more importantly, the the re-engagement of the secondary line (Cantera, Guler, Brahim etc...). I don't disagree that there are still some gaps but we can observe how these play out over this transition year and see if new signings are needed in certain positions we are all banging on about (cough cough, wink wink center midfield). One of the great wins, which I think will be critical for Madrid long term, is Xabi having brought Guler into the fold, who was a step off being a completely outcast under Carlo. He's made him the lead playmaker in this stacked squad and he has shown that he has heart, he has vision, that he's press resistant, and can lead the creative and attacking line with G/A contributions. There's still a few things about Guler that need improving like the fact that he's often shot for stamina by minute 60 (I guess this will build over time as he gets match fineness and his body matures as he ages into his early to mid 20s); and his press is awkward although it has improved and has won a few contested balls / made interceptions.

With regards to signings, my two highlight signings are in the back line in Huijsen and Carreras. Huijsen will one day take the number 4 and turn it into his legacy. He's smart, he's good in the air, he's good at playing the ball out of the back, and he's extremely talented in reading attacking players intent (both for interceptions or making tackles). Carreras, much the same - just his block against Mallorca shows the type of player he is and what work ethic he employs in every minute of every game. He has often been the first defender tracking back and often the quickest to go out and press and win the ball. He has made some interesting forward runs albeit lacking the attacking output of previous great RM LBs like Marcelo & RC (I guess it will take time to associate himself with the LW and LCMs). One of my concerns about getting the maximum in terms of attacking throughput from Carreras is that there will always be Vini, who is not always the easiest to play with as a support LB as he often cuts in and dribbles instead of utilising the overlap. Let's see how this pays out.

As for the other signings, the young pup, Mastantuono has made a statement on his arrival - he's been brave and asked for the ball, has got himself into very interesting positions and has shown that he too will be first line of press for the Madrid attacking line. He's still very raw in terms of his decision making and a bit lost on the pitch (not sure whether to drift in or stay wide) but these two areas are understandable for a freshly arrived youngster who hasn't had even a week of preseason and time to gel with the team. As for Trent, it is too early to tell but glimpses are visible from what he can do from the RB position as he settles in. He could have had a worlder of an assist against Mallorca and, in my opinion, made some decent defensive contributions with a few interceptions and nicely timed tackles. He still seems a bit overwhelmed and slightly distant? Maybe I am reading too much into body language, but maybe the big change of environment (moving from his boyhood club to arguably the biggest football club in history) has been a bigger jump than he anticipated. Perhaps, dare say, the passing of his ex-team mate Jota is still affecting him deep down. All to say that we are truly blessed to have him and Carvajal competing the spot.

Speaking of returns, our captain has come back as strong as ever, showing real hunger to win his spot and lead the team and will be critical as the season unfolds. He's joined by Miliato, who has shown an extremely high level in these opening fixtures and great association with Huijsen. These two signings add depth at the back and significantly boost our chances of bringing in silverware at the end of the year.

The third and final positive indicator is the overall squad management, tactical flexibility and in-match substitutions employed by Xabi. I am probably speaking for all of us here who had grown mildly frustrated towards the end of Carlo's tenure at the lack of diversity in the starting XI and how late on the game he utilised subs to change the time of a match. Xabi has been the complete opposite. First of all, he has started different XIs in all three matches, which sets the tone for how the season will progress - that everyone is important and that players will be used according to the strengths they bring to the pitch and in relation to the opposition's deficiencies. He's not been afraid to bench senior players (Vini) when it has been needed and has made democratic substitutions based on performance at key moments of the match to bring fresh legs and new ideas to counter opposition dominance: these often coming around the minute 70 mark (vs what we had become accustomed to with Carlo - minute 85 often token substitutions that had relatively low impact on the course of the game).

Some areas of improvement that need to be addressed

Of course, not everything is rosy and perfect. To think that way would be delusional and I know Xabi is the last person to believe that. I've seen him on the touch line: he's involved and vocal. He's showing his frustrations on the side-line and actively coaching the team during the match and during the cooling breaks (I am sure it is the same case in the dressing room pre-match, half-time and post-match). Xabi knows the team still has a long way to go and I am sure he's already cooking something for after the international break from what he has seen.

In my opinion, the team clearly drops off in the second half around the minute 60 mark. In each of the three first matches we displayed overwhelming dominance in terms of press and ball control in the first half but it has often not been the case in the second half where all three oppositions (especially Mallorca), where able to break between our lines and get into dangerous areas with ease. I attribute this mainly down to lack of mental discipline and focus from our players, in particular those that have been at the club for some time who for various phases of the second halves had a tendency to ball watch. Active, cohesive, team pressing takes a lot of concentration and active thinking, which I think was not present under previous managers so it doesn't surprise me that there is a drop in focus from these players (even the likes of Valverde who is a pressing machine had moments where he was ball watching). I think with time and coaching this will resolve itself and we can begin pushing for domination in both halves (never 100% because it's impossible) but reducing the free time and spaces the opposition have on the ball to a minimum. It is impossible to do any of this when ball watching, one of my most hated characteristics in football players, so hopefully Xabi gets this coached out to oblivion over the course of the season!

Continuing on with this point, "ball watching" is something I also noticed is happening in attack, and again, I think it is to do with our previous style of play where we relied on individual brilliance to open defenses. Often when one of our players has broken a defensive line, either through pass or dribble, the rest of the team has been slightly delayed in reacting, which in turn killed the momentum of the attack (attacking players left isolated or defense able to regroup). There has been moments of magic with brilliant one-two combinations but still the attack feels sluggish and quite predictable. I think the transition will take quite some time because of how ingrained the previous tactical setup is in our core set of players.

I trust Xabi to unlock the attacking prowess of the team and get us moving to fast, associative, give and go football, whilst retaining the hallmarks of the traditional and historical great Real Madrid attacking style - brilliant individual actions as part of a syncronised and coordinated team move.

What do you think?

[u/DonuandDeca]

Upvoted for the effort, TLDR 😭🙏