Zidane Sack Watch

I said this in the Madrid section and i'll say it again...  since Mou took over, he fought with the Castilla coach then to make Castilla's tactics mirror the senior team's... and he won the battle.  Since that time (Mou's last year then Carlo and now Rafa), Castilla has implemented the same tactics as the Senior team.  Under Mou, it was the 4231, then last year it became a 433 and then back to a 4231 this season.

This was an executive order regardless of roster.  The reason?  If a Castilla player needed to be called up on an emergency basis to the senior team, they wanted the player to be tactically familiar before arriving.

So you can't say that Zidane has implemented his style at Castilla...  he hasn't.  He's implemented the style of whoever was the manager of the senior team.  Now we'll see what style he really wants.

Given how he's continuously praised Guardiola (and basically campaigned for this style to be implemented at Madrid), i predict he will try to transition Madrid to a 433 with an emphasis on ball possession. He won't get it completely done this season. But it will be 100% done for the next one.

It's BS sports, you are rationalizing his shet team display to protect a manager and a man you love. Zidane was in charge of castilla, he was autonomous, he has oscillated himself between 4231 and 433 with no regard of what the first team was doing. It's ok, no need to justify it, we will see what he does, with his ASSISTANT SOLARI

Nick... go do some reading about this and then come back to me. You're talking bs.

I always read, and not fichajes.net and Donbalon, funny you ask me that of all people... i have also watched castilla at different times when they were playing one way and the first team was playing another way.

For you to say that ZIDANE of all people was getting an executive order on how to play is baffling to say the least. You are protecting him from the criticism he got when managing castilla with some lame excuse.

There is no need.

As far as Solari... he doesn't have much of a choice in January now does he. Most of the really good tactical bench coaches are committed until the end of the season and they're not going to burn bridges by joining Madrid now. When the season is over (and maybe even the Euro), then we'll see who becomes part of the staff.

So it's a coincidence that Castilla became a 4231 team under Mou, and then a 433 team when Carlo was here and back to a 4231 this season...  just random

Why in the world would Zidane implement a 4231 when he's openly and continuously praised Guardiola and his tactics... saying he wants to emulate him tactically.

Did they sack Rafa without even announcing his sacking and just presented Zidane?

futbol wrote:Did they sack Rafa without even announcing his sacking and just presented Zidane?

we sacked him and then the next sentence was "zizou new coach"

Hey, Flo is pretty good no?

you guys are worrying too much, if zidane has decent system in mind, the players have to commit now that rafa got axed, them giving more effort every week is a start, and maybe some winning mentally too.

sportsczy wrote:So it's a coincidence that Castilla became a 4231 team under Mou, and then a 433 team when Carlo was here and back to a 4231 this season...  just random

Why in the world would Zidane implement a 4231 when he's openly and continuously praised Guardiola and his tactics... saying he wants to emulate him tactically.

Zidane every weekend

ZZ: Hey Beni, what's the executive tactical decision for the weekend? 4231 or 433?

Benitez: i feel like 433 today

ZZ: You got it executive chief, castilla will line up as you command

give me a break...

Perez: "Hello and welcome. I invite you all here today to announce that we have terminated the contract of Rafa Benitez. I would like to make it clear that he is a great professional. Zidane, you are from this moment, the coach of Real Madrid."

that was fast

I don't think what he has in mind is implemented that quickly Chad... it would be very dangerous and potentially disastrous to try and do it now. We can't just flip a switch and become a short-passing, possession type team.

But i expect us to change to a 433 or 442 with a lot more emphasis on midfield play and total team football. That's going to happen immediately.

Anyway, now we'll see how much actual coaching and tactical mastery a team full of superstars really needs or whether it's just a case of keeping egos in check and motivated. He is a popular figure and an idol to many, the likes of Isco and James will certainly not dare to make faces when subbed if they don't want to get headbutted. Basically, the success or failure of Zidane will shed some more light whether Pep is a fraud or not.

Nick

How it happens (and most big clubs work like this btw) is that, either the technical direction is mandated from the club or the senior club's management.... some follow the national technical direction for their youth teams.

For Madrid, it used to be the national direction. But when Mou arrived, he was adamant that Castilla was there to serve Real Madrid and not the national teams. So that was changed to follow the senior team's technical direction. Been that way ever since.

Anyone thinking this will make RM play better is crazy. You CAN NOT play BBC upfront and have James & Isco in the field at the same time. Who will defend? They are all horrible at tracking back. (no hate, they just arent defensive midfielders). He will play the same 11 as rafa did yesterday. just imagine what teams will do with all that EXTRA space (even more then now) when those 2 are playing. the team is unbalanced. simple.

Do you think he'll be our coach when the next season begins, i have my doubts.

@sports what im getting it at is 4-3-3 to 4-4-2, the players should still know it, just more rotation and switching it up for certain teams.

collbanc no one is suggesting that calm down.

chad4401 wrote:@sports what im getting it at is 4-3-3 to 4-4-2, the players should still know it, just more rotation and switching it up for certain teams.

Yeah but it's the spacing that he wants and the reflexes that will take some time...  he's looking for extreme effort from the midfielders so the basic forms, like triangulation around the ball, are maintained.  We don't do that well at all right now.

Talent at Castilla is pretty garbage.  I don't think more than 2-3 players have the potential to make it to the top level.  But he's kept them in the hunt by making them run until they can't run anymore.  He makes them focus on positioning... that's how they're getting results.  There was no other way since the defenders are poor so they need help AND the strikers are also average so they need help...  as a result, he had the midfielders at Castilla run like madmen.

Anyone that's any good keeps getting moved after 1 season at Castilla and unknown projects are brought in. Makes things difficult. No continuity whatsoever.

sports is ejaculating all over the place

Zidane coaching up James, Isco and Kovacic gets me excited tbh

futbol wrote: Basically, the success or failure of Zidane will shed some more light whether Pep is a fraud or not.

Can't really compare since Pep inherited the team in summer, had a full preseason, etc

If you really want light shed on Pep, let him take a time that doesn't have infinite budget and doesn't make top 1-2 every year

I'd say the eye test sheds light on whether Pep is a fraud or not lol.

@sports the team is talented they can think on their own, all zidane needs to do is guide them like carlo, no need for nothing fancy or extra, just straight forward tactics, structure and work rate.

Zidane is not about straight forward tactics... he's about implementing a philosophy. He's adamant about that. What Laurent Blanc has done at PSG is a good script for what's going to happen here.