Following Real Madrid's embarrassing 3-2 Copa del Rey elimination to Albacete, one thing is for certain: Xabi Alonso was not the biggest issue at the Estadio Bernabeu. The Spaniard is no longer the scapegoat for Real's shortcomings, and we all know the board will turn to Alvaro Arbeloa and blame him, but the club needs to start looking at the players.
Outside of Kylian Mbappe, Thibaut Courtois, Gonzalo Garcia, and, as of late, Rodrygo, nearly all Madrid players have been far from their best and, rather than being coddled, deserve to shoulder the blame for their part in Los Blancos' current situation.
Following the loss, Real's new manager Alvaro Arbeloa tried saying the players gave their best and that he takes responsibility for the loss, saying:
"The players tried their BEST.Alvaro Arbeloa
I told them I can't blame them for ANYTHING.
They had an excellent behavior tonight and tried their hardest to win."
But let's be honest, that's not the case. This is not all the manager's fault, and the players need to be held accountable. One of the top analysts just said exactly what fans have been saying for quite some time.
Real Madrid stars called out after Alba
Following Real Madrid's Copa del Rey loss to Albacete, Alvaro Benito Villar, one of Spain's top analysts, didn't hold back, branding it the "worst Real Madrid team" in years. Alvaro Benito Villar went on to say:
"This is the worst Real Madrid team in many years. I find it worrying when I see managers take full responsibility and praise their effort.Alvaro Benito Villar
Because if this is their maximum effort, then they are not good enough as footballers on ability."
Let's be honest here, he hit the nail on the head. If this is the best effort these players have, then just how bad are they at their worst? These players show no passion, no fight, and no effort, and that is the biggest issue, and that is not the manager's fault.
Players like Vinicius Jr, Fede Valverde, and Dean Huijsen, to name a few, have been clearly far from their best but still won't shoulder any of the blame for their part. If this is the best effort these players have to offer the club, it begs the question: What is their worst?
Next up for Arbeloa's Madrid is the visit of Levante in La Liga on Saturday (January 17th). It will be interesting to see if there's a shift in mentality after the defeat to Albacete.