In a year from now, we’ll know

By El Maestro

Although it was evident, Real Madrid finally confirmed early this afternoon the signing of Carlo Ancelotti as the new manager. Now the questions a lot of us had when Mourinho left will begin to slowly but surely be answered. I’m not worried about the players that come, the ones that go, or the formation Ancelotti will use next season. What I worry about is how this club is being managed. Honestly, Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t my cup of tee, but he’s here and I (as well as all madridistas) will support him the same way I supported Mourinho. Now with that said, I want Ancelotti to have the same power Mou had where the coach made the final team decisions. Zidane should and will be allowed to help, give his opinion and make recommendations, but the final say should come down to Ancelotti. This season we’ll find out who’s really in charge at Real Madrid (president, coach, or players). We’ve seen what success Real Madrid’s had when the players run the show (6 years K.O. in the CL 2nd round). The way Mourinho left did not leave me with a good taste in my mouth because when a coach with his success and background leaves the way he did, you know somethings not right at the club. However, I can’t tell the future so I don’t know what will happen.

My personal opinion: When Mou left, I thought Real Madrid would be going back to the days where they got owned by Barcelona, made a fool of themselves in the Copa del Rey, and got knocked out in the 2nd round of the Champions League.

However, I could be wrong and I wouldn’t mind it at all. Things could change for the better under Ancelotti. Maybe he is the solution to this team.

Or

Maybe it will all blow up in our faces.

Only time will tell who was right and who was wrong. In the meantime, all we can do is go day by day and see how the team goes. One thing is for sure, at the end of May 2014, all our questions will be answered.

Before ending this post, I must do one final thing.

From all of us here at Real Madrid Social Club, we’d like to welcome Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid and hope he continues the fine work that was being done in the last few years.

!Bienvenido!

!Hala Madrid!

Jesé: Fabulous Player, Complex Brain

By El Maestro

In all my years, never have I seen a canterano with the talent that Jesé Rodríguez has. At the same time, never have I seen a canterano with the attitude Jesé possesses. Recently, Jesé has been news for both good and bad reason, but mostly bad taking into consideration the seriousness of his comments. Most notably in February when he gave an interview to Marca where he publicly trashed Mourinho and said he didn’t understand why he hadn’t gotten an opportunity. In that moment, I (and many of us) realized this guy has a much bigger ego than previously thought.

 

On Sunday, Jesé was once again on the front page, this time giving an interview to As where he continued along the same lines. Saying he deserved more chances and that anyone who understands football knows it.

With Zidane the new sporting director and a new manager still to be announced, many wonder what will happen to Jesé next season. It’s no surprise he has a big ego. All players who can take on 2 or 3 players have it. Ronaldo and Messi have one, Maradona and Pele had one, and even our beloved Alfredo Di Stefano had a strong ego. However, what worries me is Jesé is a canterano and he’s already acting like if he’s the best. If he’s like this now, imagine how he’ll be after a few years in the first team. Not to mention if he becomes the player everyone expects him to be (Casillas 3.0).

For starters, who’s he to tell Mourinho he deserves an opportunity to play. Mou is a world class manager and Jesé is a player who had an exceptional year in 2nd Division. If Jesé wants to know  why Morata, Nacho, Jesus Fernandez, Jose Rodríguez, Casemiro, Fabinho, Omar, Alex Fernandez, and Denis Cheryshev have gotten more opportunities than him, it’s not just because they play well, but also because they train hard, listen to their coaches, and keep their mouths shut.

If that still doesn’t convince him, maybe it’s his own head that kept him from getting opportunities. Along with these two interviews, Jesé has had a few big incidents in the past. Getting suspended 15 games for hitting a referee, which caused him to be banned from the Spanish national team for two years. Picking up a four match ban this season for kicking an opponent and spitting at another one in a match against Sporting Gijón. However, along with trashing Mou in public, what probably did for Jesé was the argument last summer during Madrid’s tour in Los Angeles when he talked back to ‘The Special One’. With what he’s done, Jesé has become a poster child on what not to do to get opportunities in life.

What to do with him:

As I said earlier, with Mourinho now gone, the decision comes down to Zidane and the new manager (who still hasn’t arrived). I agree, you can’t get rid of him just because he has a huge ego, but Real Madrid can’t allow him to turn into another ‘Raul/Casillas’. Probably the reason behind his attitude are two things: the press and his agent. Last season, Jesé played very well and did not make any noise (verbally) off the field, which earned him two shots with the first team. However, since winning the sub-19 European Championship with Spain, both the press (Marca and As in particular) and his agent have made sure to blow his head up. The press by putting him on the front pages and his agent, who just so happens to be Gines Carvajal (Raul’s agent who’s a pain to work with), by putting Madrid on the spot.

http://www.marca.com/2012/12/29/futbol/equipos/real_madrid/1356781541.html

If Real Madrid wants Jesé to develop into the player they want him to be, they can’t allow this to continue. First, they must decide whether to loan him out or keep him. If they go with option #1, then Madrid should make sure to pick a side with a quality manager that will keep his feet on the ground.

For example, England would be a great place. He’ll play, build mental toughness, grow physically and mature under the guidance of some of the best managers the EPL has to offer. The only question is where to send him, but I’m pretty sure Madrid would pick the right location. As long as he doesn’t go to Arsenal or some bluff of a team, I’m okay with any place they choose.

On the other hand, option #2 is bring him up to the first team, which Zidane is highly considering. If that’s the case, then it’s up to Zizou and the new manager to keep Jesé on the right track. It won’t be easy, but if there is anybody who can do it, it’s Zidane (just look what he did with Benzema).

At the same time, Jesé has to do his part by listening to his coaches and staying focused. It also wouldn’t hurt to get a new agent, someone who doesn’t blow his head up and is realistic. Doing this will he reach his full potential and not become a black mark like Raul and Casillas became.

What must be done?

By El Maestro

I’ve been following Florentino in these last two weeks where he has appeared in numerous radio and TV stations presenting his new plans for the future. So far, he’s announced that Zidane will be the new sporting director and expects to make important signings over the summer, which started last Tuesday with Dani Carvajal.

However, I’ve seen this movie before. Florentino promises to make important signings (which he completes), but usually misses the center piece of the project: THE COACH. No team, no matter how great on paper, is complete without a coach. Right now the man to take the job looks to be Ancelotti, but nothing is confirmed. Ironically, Ancelotti seems to be the only option since Heynckes has decided to take a year sabbatical, Benitez went to Napole, and Klopp looks keen to staying with Dortmund for another season.

Regardless, bringing in a new coach and new players is not going to fix anything. If the best coach in the world leaves the club for non-football related reasons, then the problem is much deeper than people think. Mourinho became Madrid’s 19th coach in 22 seasons, which includes top name managers such as Fabio Capello (2 stints), Jupp Heyneckes, and Guus Hiddink. The reason for this is because the structure of the organization has changed. With Santiago Bernabeu, the order of how the organization worked began with the President and his directors being in charge, the manager who was responsible for football related operations, and then came the players who followed the coaches orders. Now it’s the players (and press) who run the show. Since Florentino has been President, only two coaches have bumped heads with this structure: Camacho and Mourinho. Camacho tried and quit after four games in the 2004/2005 season and everyone saw what happened to Mourinho. We can talk all we want about signings and what great a team Madrid is on paper, but without the correct structure, success will be hard to come by.

What must be done?

Simple, the structure of the organization must go back to the way it was.

• President and Directors
• Manager
• Players

The President and directors are responsible for running the organization, the manager is in charge of football operations, and the players are the employees who do exactly what the boss says. If a player (s) is misbehaving and not obeying his boss, then he’s gone. The President and directors put all their faith in the manager and defend him at all times. The only thing that matters are the results and that’s it.

The last problem Florentino has to solve is the press. It’s clear they cannot be changed, but Real Madrid cannot allow the Spanish press to influence the club anymore. Florentino has to continue what Mourinho did and keep the press out of the club, as well as stop caring about their opinions. Who cares what they think as long as Real Madrid is winning and making good progress. However, Florentino also needs to make sure he keeps them in check, such as suing them every single time they insult (calling Mou a ‘Nazi Portuguese’) or cross the line that damages the image of Real Madrid (Hyenas video).

With this structure, everyone would know their place and any player who disagrees with it would not wear the jersey of Real Madrid. No bad eggs or dysfunctionality, every player would follow the line set by the manager and organization. This will not just guarantee years of success, but it will turn Real Madrid into the powerhouse they were back in the day.

COME ON FLOREN, YOU KNOW IT’S RIGHT!

Post Mourinho Era Begins

By El Maestro

Last Saturday June 1st at around 19:00 (Spanish time), the post Mou era began. I personally was at the stadium with my Real Madrid jersey and Jose Mourinho scarf where I gave my thanks and support to ‘The Special One’.

As expected, the Bernabeu was divided with cheers (led by El Fondo Sur) and boos. I cheered and supported Mou the entire game and went crazy when Essien (thank you for your services btw) ran to celebrate his goal with him. Of course, like always, the press made sure to make a show of it, beginning in the morning with Marca and As.

     

Then during the game by disrupting the start of the match, which caused Perez Lasa to go over to the bench.

Eventually, El Fondo Sur won the battle as the ‘piperos’ who booed Mou at the beginning quiet down, and “Jose Mourinho” was heard uninterrupted throughout the Santiago Bernabeu. Before the match concluded, El Fondo Sur made sure to give their thanks to Mourinho for these three great seasons.

His most loyal players on the pitch made sure to send Mou out on a high and beat Osasuna 4-2 in a match that had nothing at stake for either side. Mourinho is now gone and just sign for Chelsea on Tuesday. In the week since, Florentino has been reelected as President of Real Madrid for four more years (by default) and the club has signed Dani Carvajal, who had a stellar year at Bayer Leverkusen this season. Still no coach though.

Post Mourinho Era:

For the first time in a very long time, Florentino has come out to speak to the press. He’s spoken to numerous radio and TV shows where he’s presented his new project to the public. Already, he’s announced that Zidane will be his new sporting director, which gives me a little bit of hope. Regardless, I know what’s exactly going to happen. Florentino is going to bring in a new coach and make very important signings. Next season, Real Madrid will have one of the top 3 best squads in all of Europe on paper, this I have no doubt. However, I’m not going to talk about what the future awaits for Real Madrid. Like I said is previous articles, Real Madrid faces an uncertain future. The future can be positive or negative. Everything falls on who the new manager will be. Once a coach is appointed and the 2013/2014 season begins, all our questions will slowly begin to unfold bit by bit.

Was Mourinho right? Was Casillas really the problem in the dressing room? Are the players running the show? Does Florentino have what it takes to make sure this organization doesn’t turn back into a circus? Is the right man in charge? Are the right things being done to ensure success at the club? Is the press influencing in the day to day activities at Real Madrid? Does the manager have the characteristics to do what he really feels is right or will he give in to the pressure?

All these questions will be answered next season. Time will tell who was right.