Miguel Gutierrez has played some fantastic games for Real Madrid Castilla and the first team near the end of last season as well as this season.
Of course, he’s my favorite recent Castilla product at the moment and that’s why I love to write articles on him and yes, I am very happy that he finally made his debut for the Spanish Under-21 team (his performance’s video on the last slide).
The 20-year-old has been playing for Real Madrid lately and is included by Carlo Ancelotti in every matchday squad as neither Marcelo Viera nor Ferland Mendy is available. Ancelotti has played versatile defenders David Alaba and Nacho Fernandez in that position too, but with David Alaba moving in a more central position pairing with Eder Militao and Nacho Fernandez moving at the Right Back position (being unable to make an impact at the Left Back position), Miguel seems to be the most suited player at the Left Back position.
In one of my previous articles, I had written that many opportunities will come Miguel’s way because of how well he has played lately showing some sparks of brilliancy, and now I’ll be talking about the strengths that make him so special.
1. Defensive Positioning and Sharpness:
Naturally a Left-Back, Miguel has shown us what he’s capable of whenever he got a chance. Zinedine Zidane was the manager who gave Miguel Gutierrez the chance to showcase his abilities at a higher level and Miguel never let him down.
He impressed us all with some top-notch displays and that’s when I realized he’s one of the greatest talents in the position. This season too, Miguel has got some opportunities under the new manager Carlo Ancelotti. But the Italian doesn’t seem to trust the Castilla player so early.
Has Miguel done something wrong this season? A few things, yes. But when we talk about his defending, which is the most important thing, hasn’t he been too good at it? Yes, he has been. With both- his positioning and his interceptions.
Talking statistics, Miguel has made 3 appearances in LaLiga averaging 2.3 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, and 0.7 clearances a game with an average WhoScored rating of 7.44. Isn’t it impressive for a 20-year-old youngster?
2. Helps in Attack from the Left-Flank:
There was a time when Real Madrid’s attack (especially the Left Flank) was way too threatening for the opposition. I know what came into your mind and that was what I intended to do. The Bale-Benzema-Cristiano (BBC) Era where Marcelo was a key player.
Unfortunately, Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in the 2018 summer and Marcelo was never the same again. Real Madrid was never the same again. With time, Marcelo got older and slower and our backline used to struggle whenever Zinedine Zidane would play him.
So, it was natural to move on to Ferland Mendy who was just the right man. But there was something that he lacked. He would make runs forward, but he was just not on point. Yet the management was patient with the young Frenchman for how strong he was defensively.
And now, Real Madrid has a chance to bring those good old days back by bringing in Miguel. We have seen him play and his attacking game is too good. He dips in great crosses in the opposition’s box and with a player like Karim Benzema in the box, his crosses often pose as a danger to the opposition.
Who remembers his assist to Luka Modric last season? It was his first start for the club and the Spaniard was already better than Mendy on the attack. I’m sure that if Ancelotti shows more confidence in him, he will be one of the best in just a few years.
3. The Required Pace and Stamina:
In the Marcelo-Cristiano era, Marcelo was not only the best Left-Back but also one of the fastest. With age, his skills in attack and defense remained mostly the same. But what got him down in the pecking order was his stamina and pace. Even when he would go on the offense, it would be very difficult for him to come back in time to help Real Madrid in the defense.
But Miguel is very young and has got both of these aspects. These are the qualities that separated Mendy from Marcelo, and now Miguel from Marcelo. I have already told you in the previous point what separates him from Mendy as well. So yes, Miguel is different and special.
To play for the biggest club in the world, Real Madrid, a player needs to have something special. Something that distinguishes you from the others, and Miguel has got that. He can run up and down the pitch the whole day. Isn’t that what you need to have to play as an attacking Left-Back for Real Madrid? All the three qualities I mentioned are what you need to be successful and since these three qualities are actually Miguel Gutierrez’s strengths, then you just know he will be the best.