Xabi Alonso sets out vision for Real Madrid side – ‘We have to be flexible, we want excitement'
Real Madrid's new manager Xabi Alonso was presented on Monday, and promised the fans, joy and excitement. However he also underwent his first examination in the press room at the Santiago Bernabeu, and was asked for more details on how he would be approaching things with a Real Madrid side that was defined by its lack of balance this season.
In terms of what this Real Madrid side needed to turn things around, the Basque manager explained to the press that he had already conducted his analysis of the team, but gave little away about his conclusions.
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'I've analysed how the team played, how the players are, and I'm using it to inform my own ideas. As coaches, we depend on the players, and I think they're top-notch. The challenge is to build a team, unleash the potential of these players, and for us all to come together. If we all come together, we'll have a very powerful force.'
How will Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid set up?
A more open question was how his side would play, and what kind of formation he was inclined to use.
'It's a good question, and I like it because today's football demands flexibility and dynamics. It demands that you move your pieces around. I have an idea of how we want to play, but the system can change. There is no fixed image or formation, a forward can become a midfielder, and a two can become three or even five.'
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'I want the team to convey emotion and energy, play ambitiously, and connect with the fans. The symbiosis we seek is essential for a good start to the season. I like to improve each player's potential to fit the pieces together.'
Image via Real Madrid CF
More specifically, Alonso was quizzed on whether his side would be applying pressure high up the pitch, as his Bayer Leverkusen side often did.
'What I like is that we know how to choose our moments. With the idea of knowing how to do it, of always having control and knowing what to do. But you have to know how to handle different situations, seek high pressure, and retreat when necessary. But the idea of an ambitious and active game, that knows how to take the initiative… we have players for that.'
The Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior chemistry
Another of the items near the top of the agenda is getting the best out of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe together. While both performed well in stretches, particularly the Frenchman, they struggled to combine, and that issue was even more prominent with regard to Rodrygo Goes.
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'It's a blessing that we have players of that calibre. Not just Kylian or Vinicius, but so many others. They're differential players, they make the difference, and we have to get everything they have. I have ideas. There's still time before we get together with them. But for me, communicating what we want is very important. They're high-calibre players, and that's the task at hand.'
Improving Real Madrid defensively
Real Madrid had the best defence in Spain last season, and by a distance. Yet this year, Los Blancos have conceded 38 goals, one per game, in La Liga. A problem exacerbated in the big games, with Barcelona scoring 16 times in four matches against Real Madrid.
'I've watched the games and analysed them. Now, I'm thinking about how to build a balanced team. So that we all know how we want to do things. That will give us a stability that will allow individual qualities to flourish.'
His predecessor Carlo Ancelotti was always cast as an expert man manager, and Alonso was asked whether he was more methodically-minded, or also focused on being close to the players.
'I don't usually like to describe myself much, but I need proximity and closeness with the players. I need that connection to feel how the team is doing and what each player needs. I know what I'm doing; I know I'm the coach. I like being close to them.'
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