Ex-player: Xabi Alonso

Zidane managed all these “prima donna” players and got them to play very well and they won quite a few Champions League trophies and he came out unscathed from criticism from thd fans and media.

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This is a club that fired Vincente Del Bosque after he won the Champions League. Just toxic as fuck.

In my following, I’ve known a few Real sides where you got the feeling that it’s balanced enough, in their own context.

Obviously Del Bosque (up to a certain point of the team ending up with too many stars), Mourinho, Ancelotti (twice) and Zidane (I didn’t see it coming from when he took over, but gotta give him respect due to results).

Some other coaches won, but it didn’t last long.

It’s a specific club that also changed in some ways they operate. They’ve learned some things from the past, perhaps the Makelele ending wouldn’t happen anymore today (Casemiro being a modern example of that).

Can’t tell if Xabi going there is too late, but he might not want to be a coach forever (and different circumstances can lead to not being offered the job again, even if they change if it’s not working), so he went for it and it’s hard to reject.

https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1998388517395710040

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How he says clubs before club.

Smart fella.

:joy:

Jupp Heynckes too, I remember, just after winning the champions league. They finished fourth in la liga and his goose was cooked.

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Well now…

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https://x.com/BBCMOTD/status/1998409040385425662

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Wow. A colleague today gave me his prediction that Alonso would be sacked at Real Madrid and Slot would be sacked at Liverpool, and Alonso would be at Liverpool before the end of January.

I thought it was more of a long shot, or at least that it would take more time, perhaps even to the end of the season, but it;s one to keep an eye on, in case the stars are aligning.

Mind you, I want Slot to succeed as I don’t like Liverpool struggling, as we have been this season.

If Slot is right for us, which I hope he is, he will turn this disjointed season into something to be celebrated at the season end.
Alonso can join the queue for any vacant managers role at Anfield

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Real once sacked a manager who won the CL but noch the league - or was it the other way around?

One thing is for sure. President Perez loves his shiny galactico toys more than anything. They are on course in the CL and not far off Barca in the league but still switching to ‚panic’ mode because it’s looks like Vini struggles under Xabi.

There’s a whole bunch of us calling for Slot to be sacked just after winning the league, so I don’t see how we can criticise other clubs for impatience (much as I loathe RM).

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The Athletic is rife with articles describing Alonso’s struggles at Real Madrid - which boil down to their stars not taking a liking to his methods. The overall feeling is that he’ll be done there unless he win their next 1523 matches (or, more likely, he’ll be done there if they lose to Man City) and that Zidane and Arbeloa are the candidates to replace him. If it’s got that point, I think he’s already done.

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Jupp Heynckes.
CL in 98, but finished 4th in la liga.

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And Del Bosque was sacked days after winning la liga having won the CL the year before (and another 1 or 2 as well I believe).

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Not just a CL, but the one they had been referring to for years as La Decima, and with that removed a big monkey off their back

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Ancelotti won La Decima, not Del Bosque.

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Yeah but apart from that it was still a good point

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https://x.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1998850402763300926

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Uh oh, Xabi might be walking the plank.