Real Madrid’s mid-Season Crossroads: Xabi Alonso Focuses on San Mamés Amidst Tough Schedule
Madrid, Spain – the pressure is mounting at the Santiago Bernabéu. With a grueling stretch of fixtures on the horizon, including clashes against fierce rivals Atlético Madrid and French powerhouse PSG, Real Madrid finds itself at a critical juncture. But before the big european nights and Madrid derbies, manager Xabi Alonso is laser-focused on the immediate challenge: a daunting trip to San Mamés to face Athletic Bilbao this Saturday.
“My thing is tomorrow’s game and I focus on preparing the team,” Alonso stated, emphasizing the importance of the present moment. “We know where we are in the season, there is a lot left, we are a third into LaLiga and everything is even. There are manny points left to dispute and everything can take many turns.The short term is tomorrow.”
This pragmatic approach comes as Real Madrid grapples with a recent dip in form, particularly on the road. It is challenging for us to win away, it is the reality, but we can do it in Bilbao,”
Alonso admitted, acknowledging the team’s struggles. He stressed the need for a lot of energy and concentration, knowing from past experiences
to overcome this hurdle.
In an effort to galvanize his squad, Alonso has been holding individual and group meetings with key players. The objective? To foster unity and pinpoint areas for improvement. We talk about football, the locker room, the unity we need, what things we need to improve to be more consistent in the game,”
he revealed. That is what worries us as players and the coaching staff, how we can improve to break the dynamic in the League and win away from home.”
The conversations extend beyond the dressing room, with Alonso also engaging in dialog with club president Florentino Pérez. I have spoken with the president again, the conversations are very positive, in a good tone, wanting to reverse the results,”
Alonso confirmed. It’s what we’ve talked about.”
Despite the current challenges, Alonso projects an air of resilience and optimism. He understands the weight of expectation that comes with managing a club like Real Madrid. We are where we are in the classification, both in the League and in the Champions league, and we live with the demands and with the criticism,”
he said. We certainly know where we are and we focus on what we can, on working to improve, on winning games to be in April and May playing everything.”
The manager acknowledged that the team hasn’t consistently hit the heights expected, but insists the desire to improve is palpable. When you play you always try to do your best. The players always try to give their best, but there have been good games and others not so good,”
he explained. We have lacked playing more consistently in the last few games, that is why we have not won, and the requirement is to give a little more in the following games.”
Alonso is a staunch defender of his players, asserting their understanding of the task at hand. They are clear about what to do and how to improve it,”
he stated, adding that they possess intensity and energy to be able to do it.”
he identified organization
as a key area for enhancement, drawing a parallel to the interconnectedness of offense and defense. It all starts from having conviction. If you don’t defend well, you won’t attack well and if you don’t attack well, you won’t defend well,”
he stressed.
One player who has drawn particular attention is Jude Bellingham.The young English star, while showing flashes of brilliance, hasn’t always appeared to be in his optimal role on the pitch. Alonso, however, downplayed any individual concerns, attributing any perceived unhappiness to the team’s collective struggles. I see Jude doing well on a daily basis, with enthusiasm.He shares the feeling of all the players and those of us on the team of not being happy after not winning,”
Alonso acknowledged. The demand is maximum, the responsibility too and he is part of it.”
Looking ahead, Alonso remains confident in the squad’s potential. We have a large and good enough squad to be able to compete,”
he declared. November has not gone as we would have liked, but I trust in the personality of this group to play well and reach May in a good time to fight for everything.”
What’s Next for Real Madrid?
* LaLiga: Athletic bilbao (Away) – Saturday, November 25th
* Champions League:
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