Less than 24 hours on from Real Madrid’s 3-2 defeat to archrivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, Xabi Alonso was axed as the club’s manager after just seven months in charge. The Spanish boss arrived to much fanfare last summer, with his stint in charge of Bayer Leverkusen elevating his stock and making him one of Europe’s most coveted managers. However, the 2010 World Cup winner was unable to replicate that success back in the Spanish capital.
Alonso managed to win all but one of his opening 11 La Liga games in charge at the Bernabeu, with the sole blemish – a thumping 5-2 defeat away at Atletico Madrid – unable to banish them from the top of the table. However, despite all the wins, all was not right with Real, and that was clear for all to see. After scraping by with one-goal wins against the likes of Osasuna and Getafe, it quickly became evident that Los Blancos’ luck would run out if they were unable to find their attacking spark.
Real’s Downturn in Form Triggers Alonso’s Exit
Unfortunately, they couldn’t do that, and the inevitable ultimately happened. A run of three straight away draws saw them lose their grip on La Liga, with a 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo at the start of December setting alarm bells ringing. A home loss to Manchester City in the Champions League threatened to trigger a crisis, and while Real responded with three straight victories, they remained well behind rivals Barcelona in the standings.
The Blaugrana currently sit four points clear at La Liga’s summit, with online betting sites installing them as clear favorites to retain the title. Popular upstart bookmaker Lucky Rebel lists Hansi Flick’s men a 1/2 frontrunner to defend the Spanish title they won so impressively last term, and if their recent Super Cup triumph is anything to go by, it will take a Herculean effort from Real to stop them from repeating as champions.
That 3-2 Super Cup final defeat – Real’s fifth loss in six games against Barcelona – was something that president Florentino Perez couldn’t ignore. Real’s head honcho duly responded, pulling the trigger and not only axing Alonso, but also quickly announcing his successor: Real Madrid Castilla boss Alvaro Arbeloa. Like the outgoing boss, the new man at the helm played for Real Madrid, amassing 233 appearances across seven years, twice winning the Champions League with the club.
Arbeloa and Perez are thought to be close, and his promotion from academy manager to senior head coach comes as no surprise. Of course, the pressure is now ramped up tenfold, but several players in his newly inherited squad will be hoping to be handed opportunities that were scarce under Alonso. So, who are those players? Let’s take a look.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Few transfers last summer caused as much drama as Trent Alexander-Arnold swapping boyhood club Liverpool for the Bernabeu. The England international was expected to be the final piece of the puzzle for Los Blancos, with the Spanish giants having glaring issues at right back last term. Injuries and Father Time seemingly robbed Dani Carvajal of his best days, while his stand-in replacement, the veteran Luzas Vazquez, was allowed to leave on a free transfer in the summer.
Trent, however, has struggled to nail down a starting berth. His passing and crossing abilities have failed to shine at the Bernabeu like they did at Anfield, while questions of his work ethic and defensive capability remain. Injuries haven’t helped him either, resulting in Carvajal taking over as the starting right back. Could that be about to change under Arbeloa?
Throughout his time managing Real’s youth teams, Arbeloa has played with marauding full-backs, something which will suit Trent down to a tee with his spectacular pace, dribbling, and crossing ability. Should he get a chance in the coming weeks, he will need to grasp it with both hands.
Ferland Mendy
On the opposite flank, could forgotten left back Ferland Mendy also be in for a new lease of life? Since arriving from Benfica in the summer, Álvaro Carreras has been almost an ever-present, and his 2,151 minutes of on-pitch playing time is the most of any outfield player in the entire squad. But despite all those minutes, the Spaniard has managed just one goal and one assist.
If it’s marauding that Arbeloa wants, then surely Mendy would be the place to start. The Frenchman has pace to burn and was once considered one of the first names on the team sheet before injuries cost him his starting berth. So far this season, he has started just once, the wild 4-3 victory at Olympiacos in the Champions League.
That was the former Lyon man’s first start since February and his only start under Alonso. But under Arbeloa, could his fortunes be about to change? Much like Trent, he will have to impress should he get the chance to maraud down Real’s left flank once more.
