Real Madrid’s approach of looking towards young talents alongside top players has seen them shift to a long-term project – something relatively unconventional for Los Blancos who have always hunted for immediate success.
The current Real Madrid team has some of the world’s finest young talents as it stands including Franco Mastantuono, Arda Guler, and Jude Bellingham. While they are indeed highly rated, they are all still far from their potential.
Xabi Alonso, thus, has a task on his hands to develop the players and mould them into the players they are expected to transform into. Success, thus is not a given, and will have to be earned through hard work and a clear project in mind.
Former player speaks on Real Madrid’s potential
In a recent interview, former Real Madrid star Alvaro Benito was asked about Real Madrid’s current run of form, their strengths, weaknesses, and areas to improve on especially as highlighted by the defeat to Liverpool.
Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Real Madrid players
Real Madrid’s squad is filled with young blood, but is it enough? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
He began by speaking on how the generation to had left Real Madrid was far superior to the one that is currently donning the white colour jersey and how there was a tangible difference in quality between the generations.
“In recent years Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Isco, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo have left,” he began.
“Those who have come are good, and there will always be very good players at Real Madrid. But at that level maybe there is only Mbappé and Bellingham we will see what happens,” he added.
He then spoke on how Real Madrid were never a team that needed tactics, discipline, and consistency to win given the sheer amount of individual brilliance in the team which helped them coast past any hurdle.
“Real Madrid had us badly accustomed us to not needing tactical rigor and regularity in the season, because the team sometimes even let itself go a little.”
Speaking on the current Real Madrid team and how they are under Xabi Alonso, the former player said,
“The spirit and mentality are very good, yes. But, if you don’t have the players of the level that Real Madrid has had in the last 10/12 years, it is impossible to achieve the incredible feats that the team has achieved.”
Finally, he gave his thoughts on the potential of the current Real Madrid team and how they compared to the greats of the past.
“Right now Real Madrid does not have those players. They have good players, some young people with a great ceiling and we will see what they become. But today there are teams that have more potential than Real Madrid,” he concluded.
Source: Mundo Deportivo