Real Madrid News
Former Real Madrid star tears into team – “Bad times are coming”
Real Madrid’s recent win against Rayo Vallecano has created more problems than solutions for the club.
After all, the club had to rely on a late penalty from Kylian Mbappe to secure three points, after appearing almost toothless in attack and vulnerable in defence.
Not to mention, Barcelona president Joan Laporta didn’t hold back from criticising the referee for some of the calls he had made during the game.
In light of Real Madrid’s hard-fought victory, former player Alvaro Benito has offered some strong suggestions.
Alvaro Benito on Real Madrid’s tactical woes
In a recent interaction with Movistar+ (h/t MARCA), Benito, a former Real Madrid player, has claimed that the team lacks any kind of identity or philosophy.
“Time goes by and we still don’t know what Real Madrid’s footballing philosophy is. Is it a team that wants to counter-attack, defend high up the pitch, press, keep possession, dominate…?” Benito said.
He argued that simply improving the mood in the dressing room – Arbeloa’s apparent priority – is insufficient for a club of this stature.
“To dominate, you obviously have to meet many defensive requirements that aren’t being met. I think Arbeloa has a lot of work ahead of him,” he noted.
“It won’t be enough for him to simply create a good atmosphere, which he seems to be achieving and which has been the number one objective, like having the players in a good ecosystem.”
“Then there’s the other aspect, which is the technical and tactical one,” Benito added.
Benito was particularly critical of the notion that this star-studded squad is somehow “uncoachable.” He warned that without immediate structural improvements, the current momentum is unsustainable.
“It can’t be that an elite team can’t be coached, in quotes,” he stated.
“I think we’ve reached that point where, hey, either the team defines itself and is a truly dominant team in the game, capable of controlling matches so that if you have a bad result, it’s just an accident that can happen in football, or very bad times are coming,” he concluded.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
