The Rondo, Real Madrid edition: Who was responsible for Xabi Alonso’s sacking - and did Kylian Mbappé make a mistake joining Los Blancos? | Goal.com Malaysia

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Were Real Madrid right to sack Xabi Alonso?

Tom Hindle: Of course not. Managers deserve time, and all things considered, Alonso's results weren't all that bad. Sure, there were a couple draws and one or two losses, but they are four points back in La Liga and very much in the picture in the Champions League. Clasico losses sting that much is clear. Yet Alonso didn't have to go. Then again, would it have gotten any better? Not sure. 

Ryan Tolmich: Wild as it was Monday, probably? Alonso clearly never commanded the respect of the team's top stars and when that happens, a coach generally has to go. The thing is, though, that there may not be a coach in the world who can actually tame that locker room. Alonso was the fall guy this time, but most coaches would find themselves in the same spot when dealing with the authority level of the club's players.

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What was the biggest mistake he made at Real Madrid?

TH: Trying to coach the lads who couldn't be coached. Madrid need a tactician, but they also need a vibes guy, a personality who can embody the concept of Madridismo. Sure, Alonso became successful by being a nerdy guy, but he needed to change his approach to make it work out in the Spanish capital. 

RT: Taking the job? It's easy to understand the allure of coaching the world's top stars at a club like Madrid, but the job is almost impossible even for the most experienced professionals. There's a reason that the club had to keep hiring and rehiring Ancelotti and Zidane for the better part of a decade: respect. There's just a lack of respect for coaches at that club, save for names of a certain level. Many thought Alonso's playing career gave him that type of name, but it doesn't appear so.

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Who is to blame - Alonso or the players?

TH: Make no mistake, the players got the manager sacked here. Sure, Alonso should have changed, but it was the lack of effort from Mbappe, Vinicius and Co. that was his downfall. They needed to buy in - or at least show some basic respect for the head coach. If Alonso says give the opponent a guard of honor, for example, they should bloody do it. 

RT: It can be both. Alonso will likely look back at a few moments he regrets. There were some where he was likely too rigid and others where he was likely too loose. That happens to a young coach. He'll learn from it. The question is if the players will, too. Yes, it's good to have power, and it's important for players to have a say, but ultimately, the buck has to stop with the coach. There needs to be that central figure of power, and if that figure doesn't have that power, the whole thing splinters. The club will hope to find that central figure, one who can get everyone rowing in the same direction.

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Do Madrid have to sell one of Vinicius Jr. or Kylian Mbappe?

TH: Financially? No. But for the better of the club, one of them has to go. Vinicius probably makes the most sense, even if he does have the "heir-apparent to Cristiano Ronaldo" vibe going on. Madrid can cash in big, and he gets a fresh start. He's probably a better team guy than Mbappe, but the Frenchman reigns supreme here - fairly or not. 

RT: Do they have to? No. Should they? Probably, yeah. There's no shortage of attacking talent, and it's something of a waste to have so much money effectively tied up in two left wingers. Mbappe can play centrally, and he has, but that's not the best use of him. Would it not make more sense to turn one of those guys into an elite striker or midfielder or defender in transfer? Probably, but that's one of several things the club needs to address over the next year or so.

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Is Alvaro Arbeloa a good replacement?

TH: No. No one is. This is an uncoachable club that needs a total overhaul. Any other team would realize that and act. Arbeloa perhaps has a slight leg up due to his experience in the academy, but it's otherwise an impossible job. He's the best of a poor group. 

RT: For now, sure. He knows the club well, understands the politics at play, and is seemingly well-regarded as a young head coach. That lack of experience, though, is hard to look past, particularly at a club like this. Hey, maybe he's the next Pep Guardiola, who rose from similar ashes at Barcelona, but, more than likely, the club is reassessing this spot fairly soon.

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Where does Alonso land next?

TH: Take your pick, Xabi. The manager is one of the best in Europe. That leaves options fairly open. You'd probably exclude Barcelona and Manchester United from that group due to past rivalries. Man City probably makes the most sense, especially if Pep Guardiola leaves at the end of the season. Also, Arne Slot's pits might have just gotten a bit sweatier in Liverpool. 

RT: Wherever he wants, basically. There will be no shortage of big clubs interested and, realistically, Spain could be, too, after the World Cup this summer. His exploits in Germany prove that he's a good coach who still needs one or two lessons to become great. Maybe Madrid was that lesson, and he'll be better for it. Some clubs will be eager to find out, for sure.

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Did Mbappe make a mistake in going to Real Madrid?

TH: No, he made the right choice. Mbappe has wanted to play for Madrid since he was a literal child, and he has the right to go where he wants - especially if a team is stupid enough to blow up their wage structure and chemistry to accommodate him. He had done all that he could have at PSG, who were far better as soon as he left. The question is: what happens now? He's 27 and hasn't really ever made a team markedly better. Unless he decides to buy in and fit into a system, he will just score loads of goals to no real effect. And to be honest, there is absolutely zero reason to sympathize with that. 

RT: Still TBD. Would PSG's Champions League success sting for him? Oh yeah but, on numbers, there's no way that Mbappe's move has been a failure. Those numbers include goals and, just as importantly, a whole lot of money and exposure that have taken him to a new level globally. Are there some sporting things to figure out? For sure, but given Mbappe's talent, you can bet on him figuring it out, even if it requires a few steps back to go forward.