Is Real Madrid Attempting To Mirror Xaviesta ?

My fellow Barcelona fans, I exchanged a tweet with Goal.com's Clark Whitney today and found his reply quite interesting. So I thought I would share it with you and ask whether any of you had this in mind already and/or it does make good sense to you now.

"Sahin's style is more like that of Xavi than Bastian Schweinsteiger, Cesc Fabregas, & Ever Banega. Oezil's qualities are more like that of Iniesta than Samir Nasri's & Javier Pastore's. Not to mention, based on last year I rate Sahin and Oezil well above any of the competitors you mentioned. "

So is Real Madrid actually attempting to create a Xaviesta of their own? Since Sahin has been bought as per Goal.com it will be Sahin, X.Alonso and Khedira in midfield. However is it possible that the intention is to play Sahin and Ozil in a 4-3-3 next to each other with either Xabi Alonso or Sami Khedira as the lone DM. Also the forward line has three forwards - a center forward like Higuain or Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo on one wing and the other wing being taken by a sensational new signing likely to be either Sergio Aguero or Neymar. Angel Di Maria serves as immediate replacement from the bench.

So what do you all think? Is this really the plan? If it is then how good a plan do you think it is?

They will try, and they will fail.

Yes, it deff seems like they are trying, apparently they will use our same formation next season (but when it comes time to play us they will just park the bus and then complain after losing)

well, we are trying. if you cant beat it, match it.

Xabi Alonso can not play lone DM like Busi... simply becuse Xabi is not DM, he is CM (deep laying playmaker).

ChollaVille wrote:Xabi Alonso can not play lone DM like Busi... simply becuse Xabi is not DM, he is CM (deep laying playmaker).

Busquets play lone DM but he wouldnt get away with it if it wasnt for the ridiculous work rate of the other players. He doesnt do the defending alone, it's a team thing no? whenever someone has the ball, there are two people on him.

thing is, you can get the similar players to Barca and try to do the same style. But, they won't have the same training to make such a style effective, plus a key to Barca's success is that the entire team works as to make the style work. You just can't get similar type mid players and make it work (especially with Mou doesnt play all out attack like Pep does)

I dont think the idea would be to become exactly like barca, just a change in formation which i welcome.

The one thing i like about the 433 is the spacing. it's easier to find a quick passing option vertically or horizontally, play in triangles, and it facilitates the pressing zones, as you can get two or more players to press for the ball at all times.

we toyed with high pressing high line at the end of last season, it would be a good sign if we start that way and keep on working on it.

I thought the formation Madrid used last year was the best possible formation for the players they had to work with. Using Ozil farther back or as a winger in a 4-3-3 I think is not using him to his strengths imo

The more Ozil touches the ball, the better, position wise, he just never sticks in the middle so im just worried about him being able to play as a CM, which i dont see happening.

i personally dont like the 4231.

I don't like it either, just thought it fit Real Madrid's players well

Yes, I belive we are playing 4-3-3, Özil @ the wings tho.
We definitely lack some attack, but I belive Sahin is same as dangerous than benzema for instance in front of a goal.

I dont think so.

I don't really think so. Their not really attempting to mirror, I think they just went for Sahin to compliment the rest of their midfield in a way that Xavi would do for Barca. It's less about creating a Xaviesta and more knowing where they need some more support.

Sahin is no Xavi and never will be.So there goes that plan out the window, if ever there was such a plan.

alexjanosik wrote:Sahin is no Xavi and never will be.So there goes that plan out the window, if ever there was such a plan.

does that mean that when xavi retires your team will fall apart

But the thing is against Barca we don't need a 10 foot tall DM. Alonso is more than capable of playing at DM and it's not like he's going to be the only one defending. Ozil and Sahin are capable of keeping the ball and distributing it to the attackers.

No! Mourinho isn't trying to create an imitation of Barcelona in Madrid, he's just keeping true to his ways by signing on young talents and cheap experienced heads as he did in Chelsea and Inter.

At Chelsea he signed on Makelele for free from Real
Ballack for free from Bayern Munich
Essien was a young talent from Lyon
Robben, Wright-Phillips, Drogba, etc. were not ready made superstars.
Shevchenko was not a signing of his.


At Inter
Milito for cheap from Genoa
Lucio for cheap from Bayern
Motta for cheap from Genoa
Eto'o from Barcelona
Pandev for next to nothing from Lazio
Sneijder for cheap from Madrid


At Madrid so far
Ozil for cheap from Bremen
Sahin for cheap from Dortmund
Di Maria young talent from Benfica 25 million
Altintop for free from Bayern
Varane for cheap from Lens
Carvalho for cheap from Chelsea
Adebayor free loan from City
among others

He is simply trying to build a squad with his identity which can become like a template on which future teams will be built on, as was done by Rijkaard in Barcelona. He is certainly not trying to replicate Barcelona's midfield in Real Madrid. In my opinion, Sahin will directly rival Alonso for a place in the midfield and the other spot will be between Khedira/Lass/Altintop and any other CM.

I still believe he will stick with the 4-2-3-1 which worked in most matches for him and will switch to a more conservative 4-3-3 if the need be, probably with Pepe as a CM/DM.

St_Nick09_of_Goal wrote:

ChollaVille wrote:Xabi Alonso can not play lone DM like Busi... simply becuse Xabi is not DM, he is CM (deep laying playmaker).

Busquets play lone DM but he wouldnt get away with it if it wasnt for the ridiculous work rate of the other players. He doesnt do the defending alone, it's a team thing no? whenever someone has the ball, there are two people on him.

Put Xabi in Barca, on Busi's place... and he will fail.
Xabi would do better on Xavi's place than on Busi's place.

how do you know it will fail? i have a different opinion.

All, thanks for your replies.

BTW wind, that's a real cool signature.

I read a similair article once, can't remember where but it said that Mourinhos plans were to improve Barcas playstyle with Real Madrid.

I highly doubt it but it would be cool.

We're not a possession team in Madrid. We're a direct striking, counter attacking team.... but even for this style, our midfield was not very strong. We had Xabi and Lass/Khedira as the link between the defense and the forwards. That's just not enough, especially since Lass/Khedira are not creative passers at all. Most teams that had success on us would just bracket Xabi and Ozil, forcing Lass/Khedira to playmake.

The idea for this coming year is to either have two playmaking mids in Sahin and Xabi or take a forward out and play a 4-3-3 with Khedira.

Much more balanced and less reliant on Xabi. Also allow Ozil to stay more in the attack, which is where he excels. When Ozil needs to come too high, he's a bit out of sorts.

messixaviesta wrote:All, thanks for your replies.

BTW wind, that's a real cool signature.

lol, thanks! I find it hilarous

I wouldnt say copy, but I thinking having Sahin and Alonso in the same team will help in terms of not having a broken team, which Madrid have had.

Alonso is the only link guy on the pitch, he joins it all together. Without him, it becomes 6 defenders and 4 attacks, broken apart.

Sahin on the pitch at the same time gives you another link and in theory and better team who plays as a more solidified unit. In theory.

But no, Ozil and Sahin will not be Iniesta and Xavi, what those two are is more then ability, its a link. I do think pairing Sahin and Ozil in midfield could be a positive thing but

A. Against Barca it would get destroyed

B. Mou isnt a great offensive coach, I doubt he will get it to flow together by working on it in training

C. Ozil is best in the final third with incredible licence to roam to the wings, you cant have that and have him consistently linking with Sahin like Iniesta does to Xavi.


And finally...


LOL@ Mou buying young talents and cheap experienced heads are Chelsea at Inter.

He rarely bought youngsters and the experienced players might of been low transfer cost due to circumstances but the wages were enormous.

I don't think Ozil, Sahin and Alonso will make a good midfield. Ozil struggles under pressure, and likes to give the final pass a lot. If he plays deeper, he can lose many balls and cause problems. It also looks a very soft midfield, I don't see Mou playing it. And Sahin and Alonso don't seem as so great defensive to cut all the counters.

Also, it would be wrong to bench Di Maria, who has been outstanding, for Ozil on the wings.

One thing is for sure, they will all be benched for Pepe, Alonso and Khedira when Madrid plays Barça.