After Real Madrid’s late 2–1 win over Rayo Vallecano, the debate around the team’s identity continued on El Larguero on Cadena SER, where Alvaro Benito questioned whether the club’s issues can be fixed with a coaching change.
Benito contrasted the current uncertainty with Carlo Ancelotti’s clarity. “Ancelotti had it more than clear. Since he knew they weren’t going to run, he set up two lines of four in a mid-to-low block and waited to see what he could get up top with the speed of the forwards.”
He added that the current approach lacks direction. “If you don’t want to play like in Ancelotti’s era and want to go the other way, to be a proactive team like today’s winning teams, you have to go down the opposite path to the one being taken.”
That shift requires collective commitment. “You have to demand that Vinicius runs, that the others run, and that everyone works within a collective idea that’s visible on the pitch… You need an idea for the medium and long term, sign players, and let the coach train.”
Benito was blunt about Xabi Alonso’s situation. “It’s very hard to accept that Xabi Alonso arrives and after three months we conclude this team can’t be coached. It’s unbelievable.” His verdict was stark: “It’s total indefinition. They don’t know where they want to go.”
