Alvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid manager
Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images
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.
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.
Alvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid manager
Alvaro Benito believes Arbeloa has a lot of work ahead of him. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
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.
Alvaro Arbeloa, Head Coach of Real Madrid
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
It has been around three weeks since Alvaro Arbeloa became the coach of Real Madrid, replacing Xabi Alonso.
The former right-back was promoted from an RM Castilla trainer to a first-team coach, as the club sought someone who could not only restore order in the dressing room but also knew the club well inside and out.
Having worked with Real Madrid’s youth department for years now, Arbeloa was a natural choice. And in a recent show of confidence, the Real Madrid coach showed his trust on Real Madrid’s academy by attending a UEFA Youth League match today.
As reported by MARCA, Arbeloa was a notable presence in the stands at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium during the Juvenil A side’s UEFA Youth League Round of 32 clash against Marseille.
The first-team coach watched several players who were under his command at Castilla until very recently, including starting talents like Jesus Fortea, Joan Martinez, and Dani Yanez.
Arbeloa has immense faith in Real Madrid’s academy. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
The pathway from the academy to the first team has become increasingly visible under Arbeloa’s brief tenure.
In fact, two of the young stars featured in the match against Marseille in Jorge Cestero and Diego Aguado, have already earned spots in several first-team matchday squads in recent weeks.
As mentioned earlier, Arbeloa has a deep connection with the Real Madrid youth and his attendance in this Youth League match was likely another scout mission for the coach.
It was reported last month that Arbeloa did not ask for any reinforcements in the January transfer window as he had full faith in the Real Madrid academy and was willing to use the youth players in order to fill gaps in the squad.