Managing Madrid Roundtable: 2019/20 Season Preview

It’s that time of year — the annual Managing Madrid roundtable season preview has returned! Most of our writers have come together to share their thoughts and predictions on the upcoming 2019/2020 season:

What would be your one “quick fix” for Zidane to utilize after a subpar preseason?

Kiyan Sobhani: “Quick fix” is too easy. It doesn’t exist. The team’s issues — and I’m going to just separate a subpar preseason from the team’s problems that have been manifest for about two years now — require a holistic view. You’ll see it if you zoom out: A loose, disunited press which allows opponents to blitz through Real Madrid with one or two passes, leaving defenders outnumbered; a lack of creativity and off-ball movement in the final third; so many of the young, hungry players have either moved on or aren’t playing enough. The team has one cold-blooded finisher in Luka Jovic — hopefully he gets time and patience. James Rodriguez, one of the most efficient players in the final third, could really help this team, but I’m not sure he’ll be counted on much if he remains in the squad.

How will the team cope defending the flanks? That’s one of the team’s biggest weaknesses. You can’t dance with a high line if you’re not controlling the tempo of the game and retaining the ball rapidly.

My only quick fix is to rewind time and bring back the peak of the 16 / 17 season where everyone was at their apex. The next best option: Patience while ushering in a new and talented era.

Lucas Navarrete: Stop relying that much on the old core of players, they just don’t have the hunger to do it anymore. That, and give more minutes to promising, exciting players like Vinicius or even Rodrygo.

Om Arvind: I don’t have one. The primary issue for me, above all else, is defensive transition. Ignore preseason - this has been a consistent theme in the Zidane era that reappeared in 2018/19 after Lopetegui’s brief counterpressing success vanished under a wave of (sometimes unfortunate) defeats. There is no “quick” way to fix this issue unless you have all-time great readers of the game who are in their prime physically, mentally, and defensively. Then, you can just play them and bet on their ability to plug holes without adequate structural support.

Zidane had this benefit in his first tenure at Madrid. Casemiro and Luka Modrić protected their respective fullbacks, covered vast amounts of ground, and constantly triaged and snuffed out relevant threats whenever Madrid lost the ball. It wasn’t perfect and teams exposed Madrid on the counterattack more and more in 2017/18, but it worked (obviously). Now, Zidane has a less good Casemiro with no backups and a Modrić clearly past his prime. Even assuming some top class signings or a massive leap from Fede Valverde, it would be a tremendous ask to demand that any set of individuals replicate the defensive feats of one of the best midfields of all time. Donny van de Beek can’t do it; Paul Pogba can’t do it; Valverde can’t do it. The solution has to be tactical and that will take a lot of planning, preparation, and, most of all, time.

Ed Alvarez: This may be unpopular, but I’d go 100% old school: same line-up that started against Juve in Cardiff, replacing Cristiano with Jovic. Now he doesn’t even have to use Hazard, as he’s injured too. My point is that the team seems to have lost all its collaborative dynamics, and the only way to recover that quickly is to get people who have played often together on the pitch. He’ll have to build a new flow progressively, as it’s evident that the preseason hasn’t brought any decent alternatives to the past model. Again, this is a quick fix, he needs to develop a new model sooner rather than later

Matt Wiltse: Ease off the press and tighten the spaces between the defense, midfield, and forward lines. The team needs to be moving as a tight unit. On multiple occasions, just one pass can slip through our midfield and see a player turn and drive at our defense. A compact / lower block would give the team time to organize and be far more difficult to play through. Zidane’s insistence on pressing brings the team constantly out of shape. It can take months to fine-tune a press, Zidane should hold off until he’s had more time to train with the team.

Kristofer McCormack: Give the younger players the keys to this car early on. Real Madrid bought the likes of Kubo and Rodrygo with the intention of them either starting for the club or moving them on for a nice price. We saw what trusting youngsters such as Vinicius and Reguilion can yield and, despite popular belief, playing footballers under the age of 22 doesn’t have an impact on results. Naturally, it would be ridiculous to expect Kubo and Rodrygo to start week in and week out, but we saw in preseason the threat they can be off the bench and, though it pains me to say it, they are certainly more exciting options than the likes of Lucas Vazquez.

Sam Sharpe: I feel directly adressing certain situations that are causing tension within the group, rather than ignoring them entirely could be the way to go. It is difficult to determine what exactly is going wrong at the club, but the handling of multiple members of the squad alongside other youngsters will surely only create a breeding ground of negativity. If players are to stay then rebuilding relationships rather than letting ill feelings linger should be at the top of his priority list.

Rob Husby: My quick fix would simply be for Zidane to actually play Bale and James after not really utilizing them in preseason. Real lack depth on right wing and in the midfield, both players fill these needs. It seems they’re here to stay for the time being, so not playing them out of stubbornness only hurts the team.

C-Trick: Not necessarily a quick fix but integrating Hazard into the tactical scheme more intentionally would reap relatively immediate benefits. The Belgian is a very intelligent attacking player whose selectiveness when in dangerous positions is practically second to none. Allowing him to influence play in the final third by deliberately/actively looking for him and working with his teammates to improve their chemistry should have a significant positive impact.

Gabe Lezra: Two words: Kylian Mbappe. If the question is about what he could do tactically with the squad he has, then this is a harder question. A lot of the defensive issues will be solved by starting Varane and Ramos (or Militao). Avoid Nacho at all costs, and slot Casemiro back into the DM role. Marcelo and Carvajal need to step up in a big way, and if I were Zidane I’d have a very short leash with both of them. But there’s no obvious quick fix.

What system do you think Zidane will primarily use and who will be the cornerstones to that formation?

Ed Alvarez: I can’t see Real Madrid playing 3-5-2 as it’s basic formation. I hope he returns to something similar to a 4-3-1-2 with Isco or Hazard on the free role behind the strikers. The key will be how much new blood he can bring into that formation to compensate for the diminishing energy of the starters. We may ride Modric, Marcelo, etc for a few matches, but if we don’t get some of the bench players involved early, it’s going to be a very long season.

C-Trick: My best guess at the moment would be the standard 4-3-3 with the usual suspects being the cornerstones. Ramos, Varane, Hazard, Kroos, Casemiro, and Modric will likely be locks in the line-up. Slightly less certain but quite expected are Courtois, Benzema, Marcelo, and Carvajal to form the primary XI. The right wing position is somewhat of a question mark.

Kristofer McCormack: I suspect he will stick with the formations we saw in preseason (a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-5-2), however given that its Zidane, there is no telling what shape we will finish the season with. His cornerstones are much easier to predict; Marcelo, Casemiro, Hazard, Benzema

Rob Husby: I think, at least early on, Zidane will continue deploying the 4-3-3 formation he’s accustomed to using. This of course heavily relies on the Modric-Casemiro-Kroos trio coming back into form. If there’s still glaring issues with them, Zidane may switch to the 3-5-2 formation that we briefly saw in preseason.

Lucas Navarrete: I still think he will mainly use a 4-3-3, especially after not signing Pogba. It seems that he’s willing to go with the 3-5-2 (it’s really a 5-3-2, Marcelo and Carvajal are not midfielders no matter where they’re deployed) for a while, but I think the team will struggle offensively so much with that one that he’ll revert to 4-3-3.

Kiyan Sobhani: Guessing what system Zidane will use is impossible. He surprises constantly. People got fixated on the 3-5-2, but I don’t think we’ll see that rolled out consistently, especially with the lack of centre-back depth and plethora of midfielders and wingers.

But the cornerstone of his formation will have to be Eden Hazard — he’s the one lock, and the one player who will have to link-up with the entire fulcrum of the offense. He plays on the left side where Real Madrid’s possession is typically funnelled, and he’ll connect with Benzema too, while being expected to create and score. If Zidane opts to put him up top with Benzema, I’m not sure we get the best out of him. He can’t be too isolated (although Sarri has made it work in the past to some extent by playing extremely defensive while leaving Hazard up the field on his own). It wasn’t something you could rely on.

Matt Wiltse: Like his first term in charge, I think Zidane will use a variety of systems. I think we will likely see a lot of in-game fluctuation. More often than not, I think we will defend in a 4-4-2, with a tight block of eight, and then while attacking, I think we will predominantly see a 4-2-3-1. I am not sold on the 5-3-2 and I think Zidane will only use it sporadically. I think two cornerstones to whatever system Zidane uses will be Hazard, the key to unlocking opposition defense, and Casemiro, the Frenchman’s man to provide stability.

Om Arvind: Is there even a point trying to answer this question? Zidane is notoriously unpredictable because he, first and foremost, doesn’t have a set system or way of playing. That has famously unbalanced certain opponents over the years but has also been a primary reason for our lack of tactical consistency. However, I would say, that regardless, the likes of Casemiro and Kroos will probably always be fixtures in midfield for Zidane. The former is the only player in our squad capable of covering for our structural issues in defensive transition and the latter is arguably the only world class central midfielder remaining on our team.

I’m willing to bet that Benzema will also, once again, be a key figure for Zidane whether fans like it or not. I don’t see much evidence (though the sample size is limited) or feel inclined to believe that Zidane’s offensive structure will provide better central occupation compared to last time around. That means Benzema’s skillset, however diminished, will still be critical to Zidane’s Madrid in terms of ball progression. On the flip side, if Zidane does make huge leaps in this department, Luka Jovic suddenly has a major chance of becoming the starting striker.

Sam Sharpe: Another question that in reality is probably anyone’s guess. I like the generic 4-3-3 formation often used, but the team often look lethargic and lost within that plan. I can say that I am really not very keen on playing three at the back, something that has been tested out this summer.

Gabe Lezra: I think when push comes to shove Zidane will go back to the 4-4-2/4-3-3, with a lineup featuring Hazard playing behind the striker, with Modric, Kroos, Casemiro and Isco. I just don’t see him altering this formula, even if Madrid is struggling.

Name one game on the calendar that you think will be much trickier than most people expect:

Matt Wiltse: Villareal have finally signed some players to improve their leaky defense and Madrid have struggled at El Madrigal (now known as Estadio de la Cerámica) over the last few seasons. I expect the yellow submarine to give us another difficult game on September 1^st, it will still be early in the season when Madrid are trying to work their kinks out.

Om Arvind: Leganés in late October. They defend extremely deep and compact, are generally well-drilled, and work extremely hard off-the-ball. This has provided challenges to Madrid’s disorganized attacking structure and overwhelmingly cross-oriented approach, leading to a couple of competitive league encounters over the years. More notably, they’ve handed Madrid defeats in the Copa del Rey in the last two seasons, knocking Los Blancos out of the competition in 2017/18. This indicates that Leganés are a handful when Madrid don’t take them seriously, which is a real risk given that the game against them is sandwiched between fixtures against FC Barcelona and Real Betis. I still think Madrid are big favorites vs. Leganés, but all it takes is a touch of bad finishing luck, a greater lack of cohesion due to significant rotations, and Madrid’s classic lack of defensive transition to see Leganés nick a one-goal win or a draw.

Kiyan Sobhani: Real Sociedad, both home and away. Even with Odegaard out of the line-up due to the fear clause, these guys had a great summer, and will probably finish in a European spot.

Sam Sharpe: Celta Vigo during the season opener. If the team carry what we have seen into the competitive year then Real Madrid could easily suffer from a disastrous start to the campaign, which in turn may set the tone for the entire season. Celta may have finished very low in the La Liga table last season, but they will be looking at this game and Madrid’s form with a strong belief that they can get a result.

Lucas Navarrete: Celta and Betis away. Celta is the season opener and considering how badly Madrid have performed in the preseason it will be tough to earn a win there. Betis could be a very exciting team to watch this season.

Kristofer McCormack: Celta Vigo away is a terrible fixture to start the season with, especially when you are entering said season with no momentum and lacking match fitness. I haven’t watched Celta Vigo’s preseason, but they appear to have posted some impressive results and after the poor campaign they had last year, I suspect they will be eager to hit the ground running.

C-Trick: A little bit of a cop out but the next game because that’s where the focus is and despite the doom surrounding the team’s prospects in online forums, the expectation is that Zidane’s men will pick up full points against Celta Vigo and the pressure will add a complicated additional element to deal with.

Ed Alvarez: The first four trips in the calendar are very, very tricky. Celta should be tough, as well as Villarreal, and we tend to play poorly in Sevilla, The fourth is at the Wanda, with Atleti dying to show that the 7-3 wasn’t a fluke. If we don’t get some cohesion, especially at the back, those four exits could generate plenty of noise at home.

Rob Husby: Real Madrid at home against Sociedad on November 24 may be tricky considering how poorly Real played against them last season. Real lost the last two matches to Sociedad, so it’ll be interesting to see how that changes this season.

Gabe Lezra: I think Lopetegui’s Sevilla are going to be really good, and I would bet that they really trouble Madrid.

What is your “hot take” for the season?

Lucas Navarrete: Brahim starts consistently.

Kiyan Sobhani: Real Madrid have another disappointing season in La Liga but win the Champions League. Zidane gets it right on big European nights, and everyone steps up — but there is just zero consistency domestically and the team will drop too many points to finish in the top-2.

Om Arvind: Signing Eden Hazard didn’t help to significantly fill the goal scoring void left by Cristiano Ronaldo. Jovic’s transfer did, but he won’t get enough game time. This will be proved when no one on this squad scores more than 15 non-penalty goals in La Liga this season.

Ed Alvarez: Zidane will have to use the youngsters a lot more than he has in the past, or he’ll die with his boots / his old guard on.

Matt Wiltse: Going to keep with my “hot take” from our last round table at the end of the previous season: Fede Valverde will be a starter by the end of the 2019/2020 season. I also think Brahim Diaz will get significant minutes.

Rob Husby: My hot take for the season is that sacking Zidane in January would be a big mistake. I’ve never seen such a drastic change in opinion on a manager in just 5 months. It’s gone from the excitement of Zidane returning to calling for his head after a disappointing preseason. Yes, it’s fine to be critical, but already asking for or expecting him to be sacked is a huge overreaction from fans before the season even starts. Certainly sacking him in favor of someone like Jose Mourinho is not an actual improvement. Patience is required in an expensive rebuild of the squad after a disastrous season.

Sam Sharpe: Exactly the same as it was towards the end of last season: either the team will challenge for a major honor, or they will implode and go through multiple new managers.

Kristofer McCormack: The apocalypse arrives in early October and Eibar are declared the last champions of Spain by the few humans that survive it, embrace your families while you can. Should the world not end, my hot take is that Zidane has taken more from this preseason than we expect and surprises us in good ways after a rocky start.

C-Trick: My hot take is my prediction for the team’s chances for silverware this season.

Gabe Lezra: The hottest of takes I have is that Zidane will be gone before the season ends. Will this happen? No. But is it the kind of thing that *could* happen? Yes. And I think if the season goes badly enough that this is the discussion we’re having, Florentino likely also does not survive the season.

Give us your predictions for:

A) Unsung hero of the season

B) MIP (most improved)

C) MVP

Kiyan Sobhani:

a. Unsung Hero - Ferland Mendy

b. MIP – Alvaro Odriozola

c. MVP – Eden Hazard

Matt Wiltse:

A. Unsung Hero - Karim Benzema

B. MIP - Fede Valverde

C. MVP - Eden Hazard

Lucas Navarrete:

A. Unsung Hero - Eder Militao - Ends up playing many minutes because of injuries for Varane and Ramos and proves himself.

B. MIP – Thibaut Courtois

C. MVP – Karim Benzema (again)

Om Arvind:

A. Unsung Hero - Lucas Vazquez

B. MIP - Fede Valverde

C. MVP - Eden Hazard

Ed Alvarez:

A. Unsung Hero - Raphael Varane

B. MIP – Courtois (and boy we need that to happen)

C. MVP - Eden Hazard

Kristofer McCormack:

A. Unsung Hero - Fede Valverde

B. MIP - Marcelo

C. MVP - Eden Hazard

Sam Sharpe:

A. Unsung Hero - Mariano Diaz

B. MIP – Fede Valverde

C. MVP - Eden Hazard

Rob Husby:

A. Unsung Hero - Lucas Vazquez (of course)

B. MIP – Toni Kroos

C. MVP - Eden Hazard

Gabe Lezra:

A) Back to a good future: I think an unsung hero could likely be Jovic, assuming the “he’s already available on loan!” stories are bogus (they are). We haven’t seen anything close to his full potential yet, and he could well break out for Madrid this season. If he does, that could be a major spark for this side.

B) Most improved player is a tough one, but I’m hopeful that we’ll see Modric and Marcelo battling for this one. Neither of them had good seasons last year, but I’m not at all prepared to write them off--they both play really well under Zidane, and they could see this as a chance at reinvigorating the end of their careers. That’s my hope--we’ll see if it comes to pass.

C) MVP: I think the “safe” answer is Hazard, as when he’s finally on and Madrid figure out how to work him into the side well, he’s arguably the best line-breaking player on the team. But I’m going to go with a controversial choice and say Isco. I think we’ll see Isco make it back to his world-beating form under Zidane, and I could easily see him flourishing in a system with Hazard to play off of. I could also see Vini take the next step--which would basically only mean he learns how to finish...and if he does, watch out world.

Give us your final season predictions: Standings in La Liga, Copa, and UCL.

Om Arvind:

La Liga: 2^nd

Copa: Quarter-Finals

UCL: Semi-Finals

Lucas Navarrete:

La Liga: 2^nd

Copa: Semi-Finals

UCL: Quarter-Finals

Kiyan Sobhani:

La Liga: 3rd

Copa: Semi-finals

UCL: Winner

Rob Husby:

La Liga: 2^nd

Copa: Semi-Finals

UCL: Quarter-Finals

Kristofer McCormack:

La Liga: 3^rd

Copa: Semi-Finals

UCL: Quarter-Finals

Sam Sharpe:

La Liga: 2^nd

Copa: Winner

UCL: Quarter-Finals

Ed Alvarez:

La Liga: 3^rd

Copa: Semi-Finals

UCL: Quarter-Finals

Matt Wiltse:

La Liga: 3^rd

Copa: Semi-Finals

UCL: Quarter-Finals

Gabe Lezra:

La Liga: 2nd

Copa: Winners

UCL: Semi-Finals

C-Trick: As always, predicting by default that Real will win every competition they participate in. 2019-20 treble, here we come