All 11 have to be involved: Xabi Alonso lays down strict rules for all Real Madrid players; including Kylian Mbappe & Vinicius Jr
(Courtesy : DFL/Bundesliga)
The Spanish manager has urged all players to put collective performance on the field.
At Real Madrid, new head coach Xabi Alonso has established stringent regulations. The coach has cautioned players like Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe that they will need to defend.
Alonso, the new manager of Real Madrid, gave his all-star attacking side a plain directive: defend or sit. Xabi Alonso emphasised that all 11 players must contribute defensively during a pre-game press conference prior to his team’s FIFA Club World Cup matchup against Red Bull Salzburg.
He brought up previous frustrations under former coach Carlo Ancelotti, when forwards like Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe were criticised for ignoring their off-the-ball responsibilities.
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Xabi Alonso has set guidelines for Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and other Real Madrid players
Alonso made his demands very clear by highlighting the team’s defensive cohesion and concentration, saying:
“What I’m clear about is that we all have to defend. All 11 have to be involved. Without that… Vini, Jude, Fede, Kylian, the defence. The shorter we are, the better. We’re working on it, and so is Vini.”
Looking ahead to the decisive game, he added:
“We have two objectives. The first is to win and finish first in the group. The second is to do it with 11, after doing well against 10. It’s not a good idea to think about not going out to win. It’s not a good message. Feelings are very important and we have to focus on winning. I see the group eager to learn, wanting to do things well. They’re top players and they pick up concepts quickly.”
Due to illness, French sensation Kylian Mbappe has not yet played in the Club World Cup. He was discharged from the hospital and has now resumed training before the match in Salzburg.
Even though he scored 43 goals last season, he will have to fulfil Alonso’s strict criteria upon his return or risk being left out. Alonso’s remarks imply that Mbappe and Vinicius, who were hardly ever required to exert pressure under Ancelotti, are in for a significant transformation. At one point, the Italian stated that he didn’t mind if Mbappe concentrated just on scoring goals.
As the Spanish team play the Austrian team in their final Group H match in Philadelphia, Alonso has made it plain that winning and finishing first are more important than just qualifying.
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