Xabi Alonso is braced to hold a meeting with Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. He requires total buy-in from the attacker for his plan to work.
A lot remains up in the air about Xabi Alonso and his Real Madrid introduction. While fans know that the young manager will arrive with a plan in place, it remains to be seen how quickly the plan will be implemented.
For example, Xabi Alonso is tipped to bring his 3-at-the-back system from Bayer Leverkusen, but this isn't expected to be the case right away with Real Madrid's dire injury situation. Nevertheless, foundations will slowly be put in place.
Starting with Vinicius Junior, if Spanish reports are to be believed.
Xabi Alonso wants Vinicius Junior to lead Real Madrid charge
According to a claim made by MARCA, Xabi Alonso plans to hold a meeting with Vinicius Junior about his work- ate. He requires 100% buy-in from his players to play wherever they are required, and that includes attackers helping out with defending when moments of play call for it.
This is absolutely brilliant, and a conversation that Real Madrid fans will adore Xabi Alonso for having. It shows that Alonso is confident in his own approach, and he isn't afraid to confront the egos of Real Madrid, since it's for the betterment of the club and, of course, Vini as an individual.
There is an underlying sense that Real Madrid's star players became too comfortable under Carlo Ancelotti and probably played for the badge a lot less last season. Certainly, it looked like they had little to play for on the pitch.
However, this needs to change under Xabi Alonso. Not only are the Real Madrid stars paid an exorbitant amount of money for their work-rate, but they'll also be playing in a system which works best when every single player buys in.
If even one Real Madrid attacker refuses to track back or up their game, the formula could crumble. Alonso is aware of this, so he'll surely meet with every Real Madrid attacker.
For now, though, it's good to see that he doesn't mind having uncomfortable discussions. If Vini receives the message, which we're sure he will, then he could lead the charge and be a figurehead in this new Xabi Alonso system.