When Xabi Alonso was appointed as Real Madrid's new manager last May, many believed he was the man to lead the club back to being the unstoppable force in world football, however that was not the case. The Spaniard had some bright moments during his time in charge, but also some low low moments that ultimately led to the manager and the club going their separate ways.
Many were quick to point the finger at Vinicius Jr being one of the main reasons for the manager's downfall, and while he did play a part, the Brazilian doesn't shoulder all the blame and we need to start looking at Alonso himself and the part he played in why his tenure in charge of Los Blancos went sideways from the start.
Xabi Alonso failed, an it's not all Vini's fault
First let's take a look at his management and play style. One of, if not the most important part of being Real Madrid manager is man management, the team is filled from top to bottom with some of the biggest names in football, and you have to find a perfect balance of keeping the players happy, while also not micromanaging them and letting them be the players that they are, and that is where Xabi Alonso struggled most.
We've seen Gareth Bale discuss in the past this concept of manager vs coach. Previous Real Madrid managers like Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti excelled at the man managing aspect. While yes they did coach the players they didn't over coach them like Xabi Alonso did. The Spaniard brought an incredibly tactical approach to the team, almost constricting the players from being the creative minds that they are, and that ultimately led to unhappiness from the players towards the manager as they felt held back by Alonso but now feel incredible freedom under Arbeloa.
When it comes to his style, it was very much the opposite of how a club like Real Madrid should play. It was slow, non progressive and lacked the ability to allow the attacking players to show their flair and do what they do best. Under Arbeloa, the style is fast, flowing and fun to watch, with the players playing more as a unit from front to back, unlike Alonso's where the attacking line felt isolated at times.
And finally the signings. Xabi Alonso was desperate for the club to bring in a tempo controlling midfielder as it was crucial to his philosophy, but the names on his list don't come close to the kind of player that Real Madrid looks at, with the Spaniard suggesting names like Rodri and most recently Tijjani Reijnders being a name he suggested... Reijnders, really? While there's no denying Xabi Alonso is a top manager, he just didn't understand how things are at Real Madrid and ultimately it led to his downfall.