Xabi Alonso has quietly improved Fran Garcia into an absolute beast. Now, the Spanish coach has left Real Madrid fans gladly eating their own words.
Last season was a horrid season and a campaign that Real Madrid fans want to forget in a heartbeat. While going trophyless is customary for other fans, it's a foreign feeling that is unbearable for Madridistas.
Thankfully, it was a call for change. Carlo Ancelotti is undeniably a legend of the game and a Real Madrid hall of famer, however, it was hightime for some change. Enter Xabi Alonso.
Known for his remarkable 100% buy in approach, Xabi Alonso is going to place a microfocus on every position, which will call for many redemption arcs. He's seeing one of them unfold already.
Fran Garcia is the man of the moment
Fran Garcia has been a different beast at the Club World Cup this summer. From one game to the next, he's dropping one great performance after another.
Reading between the lines, it's clear that Xabi Alonso has got Garcia on a development plan and that plan has been working instantly. Whoever's in charge of personally coaching Fran Garcia in the USA needs to be given a pay rise immediately.
Garcia has started four matches at the Club World Cup this summer, and he's deserved every start. He's been simply untouchable, hence why he's played 90 minutes across his last four matches.
Real Madrid fans who wrote Fran Garcia off, myself included, have been given a serious reality check. This is one of those situations where doubters should proudly eat their words.
Xabi Alonso makes Real Madrid's defence tick
Xabi Alonso's defensive system could seriously work in Garcia's favour. He's been given the freedom to bomb forward and whip in crosses, which is a speciality of his, and Real Madrid's reaping the rewards because of it.
Last season, Fran Garcia was hardly given a chance. Unfortunately, though no fault of his own, Ancelotti's defence was not up to scratch. Injuries didn't help, but it left a few defenders in compromised positions and without a definite system in place.
Now, with Alonso at the helm and key defenders returning, we can see what Real's strongest defence really is. Whether he's in the strongest XI or not remains to be seen, but either way, Fran Garcia has proven to his doubters that he is capable of starting for Real Madrid.