06 Apr 2026 18:58:01
Alonso did little with a squad blessed with a lot of talented players in Madrid. It can be spun in every and any way. He lost when it mattered. He had what many managers dream of, in regards to talent. He couldn't manage the talent well enough. I don't care about the Vini/Alonso talk. Vini's better than anyone we have in this squad.
Salah's not a problem next season for the next possible manager, but you probably have other problems within that squad as shown with certain antics.
There's no proper leaders in the squad and some players who think they're greater than what they are and used to be (Virgil).
If we do get Alonso, he'll need to be fully backed. He would need to get the best out of our greater attacking players and if he thinks there's potential rotten eggs, sell them on. Don't tolerate it if it benefits the team and squad.
We need to get the team morale back as well as the obvious physicality and quality.
06 Apr 2026 19:14:53
He also took a team with much less talent than the traditional heavyweights to a Bundesliga title.
We'll see how it shakes out.
06 Apr 2026 19:22:00
Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid managed 34 games, and had a 70.59% win ratio, and a +34 GD across all competitions.
He didn't lose it when it mattered. The results were actually good overall, and he barely even got a chance to change the toxic culture and implement his high pressing philosophy. He just lost a power struggle to a bunch of ill-disciplined children.
Slot would bite your hand off for a 70% win ratio. In his 104 games we've conceded first in 37 of them, and our win ratio in those 37 games is 21%.
Basically we give up soft goals, and then he lacks the intelligence to change tactics/personnel and get us back in the game. His overall win percentage is 60.6%, massively skewed in his favour by his first 6 months playing largely Klopp's tactics with players still fit from Klopp's training regime. Yet still just shy of a whole 10% below XA at Real Madrid despite that huge leg up he was given by JK.
So, elaborate on how XA lost it at Madrid? The players got him sacked because he asked them to run more.
06 Apr 2026 19:22:37
His training methods were too intense for their divas. The club is full of prima donnas. They lobbied to sack the nutritionist that wanted to ban breakfast pastries from the canteen.
06 Apr 2026 20:08:15
Well said, MKS. Fully agree.
06 Apr 2026 20:45:40
Absolutely agree, MKS. Those players ran off crying to Perez and were and are a disgrace.
06 Apr 2026 20:45:48
Didn't he have a winning percentage over 70%?
He was there less than half a season.
Hardly enough time to use outcomes as the reason why he was let go.
06 Apr 2026 20:48:02
Wildly ignorant take Ron, and the fact that your intentionally removing the drama in the dressing from the equation proves it, you can't just pick and choose factors to back your own opinion without considering the entirety of the situation.
Alonso tried to coach a team of divas whose egos demand nothing more than a man manager. He was too young for the role, he tried to put his own stamp on things which didn't sit well with the matriarchal prima donnas. Early morning starts, high work rates and squad rotations were simply unacceptable for the high maintenance moan bags.
What Xabi brought to Real, the very thing that lead to his "failure", is precisely what we need; somebody who's tactically adaptive, willing to ruffle feathers, up the work rate, push the players and raise standards. That's exactly what we're missing
07 Apr 2026 07:16:04
Utter nonsense. Think the biggest load of twoddle was saying Vinicius Junior is better than any player at Liverpool, wouldn't want that cheating, horrible player waster anywhere near the club personally.
07 Apr 2026 11:19:08
Mks, anyone rating Xabi based on his record at RM (where his record is actually stellar, as you demonstrated) as a stick to beat him with while at the same time deliberately ignoring his outstanding & legendary record in the Bundesliga (that will live long in memory, btw) needs to go take a walk and get some air. Embarrassing.