I feel a revolution in my veins. As if Xabi Alonso weren't just a beloved former player, he’s already earning praise as the club’s manager, even before his first game.
Xabi Alonso is here to completely change the way Real Madrid have been playing for the past many seasons, and it is already showing. In his first training session, he made Thibaut Courtois participate in something he had never dreamt of doing.
And now, as per Diario AS, Xabi Alonso wants to correct a great many things in the team, and the first thing he is starting with is the pressing. According to the report, the manager wants the team to press high, play possession-based football, and recover the ball as quickly as they lose it.
Xabi does not want to rely on the low-block tactic that Carlo Ancelotti heavily depended on. Instead, he wants the team to be proactive rather than reactive. He wants total control of the ball and compactness. He is really emphasizing the pressing aspect and wants total dominance in that domain.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid were a bunch of waiters. They gave the ball away far too often, especially last season, and waited for the opponent to make a mistake so they could claim the ball again.
But more often than not, the opponent ended up scoring right in the team’s face as they waited for the ball. It was an outdated and stupid idea to play with.
Xabi is clearly not going to tolerate this. He is not going to wait for the opponent to commit a mistake, but rather induce them to give up the ball through intense pressing.
He has made one thing clear: one who does not run and press does not play. And it is a very good philosophy to begin with.
And the press needs to begin with the first line of defense, that is, the forwards. They need to run a lot and dominate every corner up there, so the opposing defenders feel not only threatened but also tired.