Dear Cyrus C. Malek:
While I strongly respect your opinion both as a sports journalist and as a fan of the beautiful game, I think your article entitled “Why Manuel Pellegrini Should Be Retained” is off the mark. Although Mr. Pellegrini did an admiral job of managing Villareal for the past 4 seasons, he does not have the credentials to take the helm at a team as storied and talented as Real Madrid, particularly when you consider the scope of the egos of the “New Galacticos.”
First of all, I do agree with you on several points. Manuel Pellegrini is an extremely tactically shrewd coach, and he is fundamentally sound when it comes to communication with his players. You are also correct that the self-esteem levels of several Madridistas are unnaturally high. However, a lot of tactically brilliant coaches find themselves lacking when it comes to man-management of these sorts of players.
The wealth of talent currently at Pellegrini’s disposal comes with a hefty price tag: that of the ego. Mr. Malek, you blame Guti’s petulant antics for much of the tension in the locker room and the lack of effort on the pitch. Is there perhaps a better reason why Guti would act this way? The simple answer is that he can get away with it. The more complicated answer has to do with Pellegrini’s man-management skills.
A great manager must understand how players think. Furthermore, he must be able to keep control over superstar players that think they, as individuals, are more important than the team. Florentino Perez erred when choosing Pellegrini for this role because he doesn’t have the experience with these kinds of players. Who is the most famous player for Villareal? It’s probably a three-way tie between Capdevilla, Rossi, and Robert Pires. How many people outside of Spain know who these players are? Not many. As a result, they don’t have the swelled head that someone like, say, Karim Benzema has.
Pellegrini should be sacked immediately because Real Madrid are floundering on all fronts. Losing to a team like Sevilla is one thing. Drawing with Sporting Gijon 0-0 is another. According to ESPN, Real Madrid had 67% possession and couldn’t capitalize. That’s unacceptable for a team with this much striking power.
When a player like Guti becomes more powerful than the coach, the boardroom knows it has a problem. Real Madrid’s problems are more than just Guti, however. An overreliance on Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas, the poor form of Benzema and Xabi Alonso, the lack of defensive solidarity in the back, and the complete mental meltdown after conceding means that there is a lot of work to be done, and it needs to be done by someone else.
Mr. Malek, you advocate Real Madrid taking a page out of Barcelona’s book. The only problem is, Barcelona wrote that book when they knew the story already, so they acquired it page by page. You expect Real Madrid to write the same book having bought similar pages at a yard sale and stapling them together. On paper it looks like a good idea, but when experienced in reality it doesn’t make sense. Real Madrid’s players are not tailor made for the asphyxiating style of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. The quick passing game should be there, but so too should the organization. This brings me to the real problem.
When players don’t defend properly, you blame them for being lazy. But is it really the player who is lazy? These are highly trained athletes that have had to adapt to different tactical systems in their careers, and they know what it takes to secure first-team football. The issue is organization. I can tell you from personal experience that when I saw Chelsea play AC Milan this summer, the Blues also had some marauding wingbacks. Unlike Pellegrini’s Real Madrid, however, Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea had John Obi Mikel, who was playing the same role as Lassana Diarra, covering back for either Ashley Cole or Jose Bosingwa. In the same vein, Arbeloa, Drenthe, Marcelo, and Sergio Ramos are far more talented going forward than they are at defending. Lassana Diarra and even Xabi Alonso and Esteban Granero need to cover the gaping holes on the sides of the defense. If those holes are even the slightest bit exposed, teams with strong wing players (Barcelona, Sevilla, Valencia) will make Real Madrid’s center backs pay dearly. According to soccernet, Real Madrid has conceded twice as many goals in the first half of their games (4) as they have in the second half of all their games (2). That mentality comes from the coach. They also have scored 15 goals in the second half of games compared with the first half (8). This responsibility also falls with the coach: great teams must play the full 90 minutes of a football match.
A more defensively organized mindest is required. But now, after firing Pellegrini, who should be hired? My recommendation is someone who understands defense, someone who is also tactically sound, and has had success at the highest level, dealing with egos like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Douglas Maicon. Roberto Mancini, the now-unemployed former coach of Inter Milan, is completely available. He understands how defensive tactics are supposed to work from his experience in Italy. And if he can deal with “Ibracadabra,” he can deal with the likes of Ronaldo and company.
Pellegrini is not a bad coach, but he is definitely in way over his head. He needs to go immediately, or else he’ll dig Madrid into a deeper hole. And trust me, when El Clasico rolls around, Florentino Perez will be glad he found a coach who encourages more organization. With Ronaldo, Kaka, and Benzema up front, scoring goals won’t be the problem. Shutting down Madrid’s Catalan rivals from the back, however, is something that only an expert can deliver. An expert like Roberto Mancini.
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