The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to d all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job, Ezek, Valyrian Steel, Felipejack, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco and yours truly, Kung_Fu_Zizou
Vinicius Junior coming alive for Brazil at the World Cup. Vinicius is a natural big game player. This is a gift simply not given to many. But he’s had it from the jump. Before his finishing and decision-making were polished, he would
always put on a performance on the big stage. The current Brazil squad is not among their greatest. Not even close. Ancelotti will have to rely on a mix of youth, experience and the magic of Vinicius Junior. Ancelotti’s most successful spell as a manager in club football coincided with the rise of Vinicius Junior. One should not be surprised should the Don stake all his World Cup hopes on #7.
Arda’s World Cup is Over
Turkey huffed and puffed by simply could not do enough against a feisty Paraguay side who got an early lead and fought doggedly to keep it. Arda and his teammates needed to win or draw the game to stay in the competition. They didn’t come close. The ball wouldn’t sit for them and they failed to force the issue. There was a softness about them despite the talent and self-belief in their squad, they don’t seem to have the discipline required to really compete consistently. A good comparison would be Morocco. Morocco have a lot of talent but play with a lot of discipline. On the bright side, the likes of Arda and Yildiz have now managed to qualify for the Euros and the World Cup. The experience will stand them in good stead.
Housekeeping
Bouaddi On The Radar
Bouaddi is looking like the Real Deal. Calafat is already big on the youngster and given his success in brining bright young talents to the club, it might be wise to go after the youngster before Morocco win their first knockout game.
One More For A New Back-4
Real Madrid have already added two fullbacks and a centre-back. One more centre-back would mean a likely completely new back-4 for next season. That would be a most extraordinary overhaul. Given the issues in defence over the last couple of seasons, maybe Mourinho wants extra cover in anticipation of injuries and managing minutes for players while competing on all fronts.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Signing another young midfielder would be great but takes us back to having to trust the midfielders who haven’t had the composure to see us through the last two seasons. Maybe the terrible back to back seasons will make them better? Bouaddi seems like he would be a good investment and allow us to develop an alternative solution to the midfield of the past two seasons even if he doesn’t solve the problem immediately. There’s a high probability that only Jude remains in 2028 after the midfield reconstruction is completed. Real Madrid seem to be keeping their cards close to the chest regarding the next couple of signings. It is likely that the club might seek to secure some sales before making the next two signings. The noise around Nico Paz and Gonzalo Garcia seems to suggest there’s some pressure to make sales. Fran Garcia is another one who will likely leave but Betis will not want to pay.
