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The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name!
Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job, Valyrian Steel, Felipejack, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco and yours truly, Kung_Fu_Zizou
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Looking forward to the first official match of the season.
Midfield looks great. Everyone is healthy. Time for Carlo to earn his money once again.
Rodrygo’s Goals
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If Fede needs to get double digits in goals from RW/CM, Rodrygo should be expected to get 20+ and so too Vinicius. It is up to Carlo to set up his forwards to get as many scoring chances as possible. They both underperformed their xG for majority of last season so it will come down to finishing those chances.
How many G/A for Vinicius this season? pic.twitter.com/nVW6m7cymM
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) August 6, 2023
Rodrygo finished last season with 19 goals and there’s no reason he cannot improve those numbers this season. He just needs to start games.
The Selection Headache
❗️Probable Real Madrid XI vs Athletic. @marca pic.twitter.com/TXoFkBs18t
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) August 7, 2023
Carlo has to balance squeezing players in against balancing the starting XI.
So far the 433 will still be the most reliable formation with Bellingham given license to roam. Toni Kroos has a special set of skills some of which can be replaced with a better pressing scheme or positional structure but it seems a bridge too far for Ancelotti.
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The diamond also requires positional discipline off the ball which Carlo seems to have little time for. If the team cannot mitigate the weaknesses of the diamond there will be very little reward for the pleasing build-up and attacking play.
Filling up the Bernabeu
The first game of the season at Santiago Bernabeu vs Getafe is expected to be FULL. All seats will be open. @diarioas pic.twitter.com/CEuLNY9BU6
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) August 6, 2023
The stadium will be full for the first home game of the season. Should be quite the atmosphere. Hopefully the team will be in good form by then.
The Daily Poll
Poll 1
Poll
Should Carlo return to the 4-3-3?
This poll is closed
-
61%
Yes
(582 votes) -
16%
No
(160 votes) -
21%
The formation does not matter
(204 votes)
Poll 2
Poll
The best starting midfield
This poll is closed
-
26%
Kroos-Camavinga-Fede + Bellingham
(253 votes) -
8%
Kroos-Camavinga-Bellingham
(81 votes) -
38%
Kroos-Camavinga-Tchouameni + Bellingham
(373 votes) -
2%
Kroos-Tchouameni-Modric
(26 votes) -
24%
Other
(239 votes)
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