Loconté

Football | Tactics | The business behind the game.
Writing what others overlook.

Co-Founder @BetXtra_ | Co-Founder UmbrellaInc | Advisor @RealDealPodz

[Loconté @Loconteee]

@uv02216 That was my XI for the game. But deeper I look into footage, his approach. More I come to this

[Loconté @Loconteee]

Looks like Mourinho will go with this XI, the RHS logic is relatively clear: Valverde taking the LW 1v1, Arda meeting Cancelo/Espart if they invert and offering +1. Tchouaméni screening the inside pass & Konaté covering the channel. Enough support to contest that side without constantly pulling another midfielder outside.

Camavinga able to help Cucurella against Lamine, Jude & Arda receiving at different heights, Diomandé can hold left w/ & w/o the ball with Mbappé stretching the CBs: this could give Madrid a compact structure to protect the middle, then use those close connections to play through pressure and attack the space beyond it.

Courtois/Lunin remains unresolved but looks like Lunin will be the GK. He’s most certainly not at Courtois level at anything but better with the ball which should allow quicker end-to-end approach.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

Looks like Mourinho will go with Tchouaméni, Camavinga & Jude Bellingham in MF against Barça. Both Frenchmen are coming off their best games in a while.

Barça’s 72.7% field tilt & 3.59 xG per game in La Liga come with 53.7% of ground duels won & 61.7% aerially. Mourinho probably feels the need to interrupt those combinations and have a way through the pressure after winning it.

Tchouaméni completed 64/69 passes & won 5/9 duels vs Sevilla. Having him protect the centre allows Camavinga & Jude to float & the engage with cover behind them. Camavinga timed his drops to receive & movements forward much better vs Leipzig: 65/71 passes, 14/19 duels won. Camavinga + Jude Bellingham is a duo is disrupt their pivots and absorb the contact while both have carrying ability. Bellingham just being more multi-dimensional.

This game gives Madrid best chances if it becomes end to end: RHS of Arda Güler + Valverde, LHS of Diomandé and Cucurella.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

@abdule_10 Mourinho does such things and you know it.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

Real Madrid official statement was Courtois suffering from flu & he’s out for #ElClásico. Now reports (credible) coming out with Courtois wants to play the match (he’s registered and eligible).

José Mourinho peak mind-games on this one.

He’s the master.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

It just goes from bad to worse, doesn’t it?

[Real Madrid C.F. @realmadrid]

Courtois, baja de última hora.
https://t.co/XZ84TYRyza

[Loconté @Loconteee]

Real Madrid shouldn’t set up without Arda Güler or Bernardo Silva in the pivot. Their ability to receive under pressure & release the ball at the right moment changes the flow of the game.

Arda vs Sevilla: 74 touches, 60/64 passes, 11 progressive passes, 14 into the final third, 11/14 long balls & 3 chances created.
Bernardo vs Leipzig: 89 touches, 76/81 passes, 5 line-breaking passes, 5 into the final third & 4/5 long balls. Not dispossessed once.

Both of the players aren’t static deep-lying playmakers: they move forward, create passages of play & create numerical superiority after beating the pressure.

Who partners them gets to face the game, Jude Bellingham load and ases as he receives higher & the attackers get the ball with part of the press already beaten.

Mourinho’s choices changed the whole dynamic and spirit of the team: two great performances were enabled by this change & impact is clear leading to #ElClásico

[The Real Deal @RealDealPodz]

“It just feels so unsustainable to have it where Ligue 1 moves fixtures around for one team, but then our league moves fixtures around to try and hurt us because they're unhappy with how we're portraying the league. And this can't continue. This has to be something that stops soon. Like it's just so imbalanced, you know? Like PSG rest all their players, they try for one half. Once they go up three zero, they stop trying against Man City.

The whole thing feels like a farce, in my opinion. Between Man City, then PSG and Negreira, I feel like football is genuinely under question and I know I feel like a lot of tactical analysts like ignoring these things 'cause they come here to escape. from their day to day lives. But it's just I think the sport is under question right now.”

[Loconté @Loconteee]

Dean Huijsen is Real Madrid’s best CB for me. His passing changes where the midfield can receive, while his defensive work gets reduced to the mistakes.

In La Liga, he leads Madrid CBs for completed passes per 90 (69), passing accuracy (96.6%) & interceptions per 90 (1.7). He’s won 65% of his duels & been dribbled past once across 592 minutes
.
Against Sevilla, his 19 progressive passes led the match. Against Leipzig: 97/102 passes, 19 line-breaking passes, 12 into the final third & 7 interceptions.

The value is getting Madrid beyond the first pressure and that is key. His decision-making still needs work.

But the ability to progress possession & step in to intercept give Real Madrid a much needed boost.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

Jude Bellingham needs freedom in this #ElClásico . Drop to help Madrid escape pressure, drift to combine, arrive in the box when Mbappé moves. This was my biggest caveat w/ him not resting either Sevilla or Leipzig games.

But the bigger issue is what happens around those movements. Jude drops? Someone has to occupy the space he leaves. He carries through midfield? Give him a pass to release it. Madrid need to exploit his movement instead of waiting for him to solve the next action. Don’t put too much on his plate.

Mourinho has to create a cohesive approach where Jude Bellingham isn’t forced into 12-15 isolated duels v their pivot.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

@Richie_Ramos29 Two league losses in 19 games. Beat Monaco and Benfica and you finish 2nd in CL.

Funny indeed.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

Real Madrid dismissed Alonso in a close league race v Barça, inside the CL top eight (Monaco & Benfica left for top 2-3 finish) & having just beaten Atléti before taking Barça to deep waters with a depleted side.

There was enough left to play for to let him finish the season. What’s happened since makes that decision look even more premature.

Arda at the heart of midfield, with Valverde’s running used elsewhere. Competition between Vinícius & Rodrygo, instead of treating Vini’s place as undisputed. Decisions that gave players roles suited to their qualities & made selection something to earn. Mourinho is using exactly those establishments and principles. Alonso’s vision aging like a fine-wine.

He deserved to close the season. Then assess the football, the results & whether the players were improving. Madrid made that judgment before giving his changes enough time to become a team.

You can’t be alive & well in all competitions but get sacked without a plan B. Thats exactly what happened and derailed the season.

Alonso has coached 120 league matches: has lost 14. 88% of the time he doesn’t lose.

• Rookie coach appointed after 8 games played already & battling relegation: 7 losses & European football secured.
• 0 Losses the following year
• 3 on his last league campaign

• 2 losses in 19 games with Madrid
• 2 losses in 7 games with Chelsea

No matter the narrative you build around. Xabi Alonso is an elite tier coach with great vision, work ethic and platforming players to have them overperform.

Admitting his sacking was a mistake doesn’t kill you, nor does understanding decision was made and couldn’t be reversed.

[(fan) REAL MADRID FANS ���� @AdriRM33]

🎙️ Qué lecciones aprendiste en el Real Madrid?

🗣️ Xabi Alonso: "Sentí que las cosas llegaron a su fin antes de lo que esperaba, estábamos compitiendo tanto en la Champions League como en La Liga. A pesar de todo, la experiencia fue valiosa."

[Loconté @Loconteee]

@Jideadeyemoh Can’t even make one compelling argument against facts and resorts to stupidity. Typical? Absolutely

[Loconté @Loconteee]

@NealGardner_ I don’t mind it, and personally love when Courtois is the heel. Extremely entertaining.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

For this #ElClásico , Camavinga should start alongside Arda. The midfield that can shift across, support the ball & move forward together.

Konaté holding his position & Dumfries tracking the far post makes me more comfortable without a fixed anchor. The trade-off is losing Tchouaméni’s protection centrally, but Fede narrowing from the right gives Arda another option & Camavinga less ground to cover alone.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

@NealGardner_ Please no. Anyone but him.

I hate because he’s exact prototype of player we struggle againstZ

.

I take Rodri + Pedri for 90’ 10/10 times.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

He is completely right saying that. Real Madrid had one of toughest CL campaigns, were cruising in the league before certain and something & HE STILL managed to keep it compact and survive.

Did he make mistakes? Yes. But everyone does.

Truth is that Madrid’s trajectory was upwards.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

@HellenKell42873 What year are we on?

[Loconté @Loconteee]

José Mourinho can watch Como’s 4-2-3-1 & see exactly how to use this Madrid midfield.

Arda in Perrone’s role, Valverde in Da Cunha’s & Jude in Nico Paz’s. Camavinga taking Luis Milla’s floating role to complete the pivot

Huijsen is already being used in Jacobo Ramón’s role. There are similarities of usage btwn Diomandé/Baturina and how FBs operate.

Cesc Fàbregas is most certainly a much better tactician but you learn by adapting to the rules.

[Loconté @Loconteee]

@janufooty I really don’t think it was fixed. Work upon? Yes. Can we call that fixed? Don’t think so

[Loconté @Loconteee]

My biggest concern for #ElClásico is distance between the press & the defensive line.

Madrid can push defenders high without disrupting the player making the pass. Leipzig exposed that time & time again.

Against Barça, the first escape can leave the entire midfield chasing towards its own goal.

Courtois cannot keep being the solution to a structural problem. If Jude & Arda jump, everyone behind them has to move with them. And Mbappé cannot be a negative on that side of the ball. Cant be playing with 10.