Chapter 391 Mariano’s Fulcrum Role
As Barcelona was eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, all four La Liga teams participating in the Champions League this season have been eliminated.
(Valencia was eliminated by Atlanta in the 1/8 finals, Real Madrid was eliminated by Manchester City in the 1/8 finals, Atletico Madrid was eliminated by Red Bull Leipzig in the quarter finals, and Barcelona was eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarter finals).
The "La Liga era" jointly created by Real Madrid and Barcelona came to an early end.
Many fans are very confused: it is an indisputable fact that Barcelona's personnel are aging, and their elimination by Bayern Munich was actually expected by many people (but the score was a bit unexpected).
Looking back at Real Madrid, they have been the team with the most investment in world football in the past two transfer windows. Why has Los Blancos' record not only not improved significantly, but also stopped in the top 16 of the Champions League for two consecutive seasons?
The reason is still the commonplace topic: Real Madrid in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era is still in confusion.
Let’s first take a look at the signings of the Galaxy giant after Ronaldo left: In the 2018~2019 season, Real Madrid invested a total of 156 million euros in the transfer market.
Among them, the introduction of Vinicius cost 45 million euros, the introduction of Courtois cost 35 million euros, the introduction of Odrizzola cost 30 million euros, and the introduction of Mariano cost 21.5 million euros. When the time came to the 2019~2020 season, Real Madrid, which was underperforming, further increased its investment in the transfer market in order to improve its record.
They invested a total of 318 million euros in the two transfer windows, introducing Hazard (115 million euros), Jovic (60 million euros), Militao (50 million euros), and Mendy (48 million euros). and Rodrygo (45 million euros).
Taking into account various major signings in the two seasons, Real Madrid spent a total of 474 million euros, but very few of these players can really help the team's offense and defense.
On the defensive end, Belgium national goalkeeper Courtois, who previously played for Chelsea, has firmly established himself as the main goalkeeper and continues to make wonderful saves on the goal line to save the team.
It can be said that the introduction of Courtois is a great value for Real Madrid.
But what is regrettable is that of Real Madrid's signings in the past two seasons, only Courtois can be worthy of the word "super value".
In addition to Courtois, the main positions of Militao and Mendy are not stable. Another full-back, Odriozola, was loaned to Bayern Munich in the winter window of the 2019~2020 season (he received the Opportunities to play are also few).
Of course, in order to make up for the fact that Ronaldo's offensive ability declined after Ronaldo left, Real Madrid's main recruitment direction is still on the striker.
The Vinicius, Mariano, and Rodrigo they have introduced in the past two seasons are all potential players. Among them, Mariano failed to fulfill his talent in the French League after arriving at the Bernabeu Stadium, and his overall performance has never met people's expectations. expected.
Both Vinicius and Rodrigo have very distinctive personal technical characteristics, but considering their young age, they are not yet able to fully provoke the offensive backbone of Los Blancos in a short period of time.
If there are many bright spots in the performances of Vinicius and Rodrygo, then the help brought by the two signings with the highest transfer fees-Hazard and Jovic is really unflattering. .
While playing for Chelsea in the Premier League and Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, Hazard and Jovic became one of the most sought-after forwards in their respective leagues.
However, both of them were acclimated after arriving in Real Madrid. The former missed most of the team's games last season due to injuries, while the latter's development trajectory was completely different from the expectations of Real Madrid's management. .
The poor state and endless off-field negative news have made Los Blancos more and more interested in selling Jovic.
Taken together, the fact that the offensive signings are not effective has indeed greatly hindered Real Madrid's performance in the European competition in the past two seasons.
But from another perspective, even if the performance of these new players does not meet people's expectations, their original lineup is still not as thick as a "Champions League 16th".
Combined with more qualities and tactical play, Real Madrid's decline in Champions League results in the past two seasons is actually due to many reasons.
How does Real Madrid fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo?
In addition, Solari also realized the impact of Modric's positional conditions on the interception hardness of Real Madrid's midfield. He retreated the Croatian international to a parallel position with Kroos, Real Madrid's classic midfielder. The three-man stance returns.
In terms of tactics, although Solari denied the slow passing and control during the Lopetegui period, he only made some minor repairs on the basis of his predecessor, and did not completely innovate the tactics of Los Blancos.
It is believed that they have made efforts in two aspects in recent years:
First, the team spends a lot of money to introduce many strong players in an attempt to enhance its paper strength in a short period of time;
Second, through internal exploration and changing the playing styles of certain main players, the purpose of presenting a new tactical pattern is achieved.
In the 2018~2019 season (the first season after Ronaldo left), the Portuguese's No. 7 jersey was inherited by Dominican star Mariano.
The latter represented Lyon in 45 appearances in various competitions during the 2017-2018 season, scoring 21 goals and 5 assists. He is a thigh-level player in the team.
After returning to Real Madrid, the high-spirited Mariano withstood huge pressure from public opinion and won Ronaldo's No. 7 jersey, which also proved his determination to copy Ronaldo's success.
People say that Ronaldo is strong. People say that Ronaldo scores many goals. So where is Ronaldo strong? Why can Ronaldo score so many goals?
His outstanding personal abilities and extremely hard-working attitude on the field naturally occupy a very important link, but his core tactical strategies and unique playing methods also play an indispensable role in this.
In Ronaldo's last three seasons with Real Madrid, Real Madrid scored a total of 310 goals, and Ronaldo scored a total of 86 times, accounting for 28% of the team's goals.
Ronaldo's high number of goals is not accidental. He also has the most shots in the Real Madrid team:
The average number of shots per game accounts for 39% of the team's total shots.
Judging from the tactical board, Ronaldo plays more of the left winger position in the 433 formation under Zidane (this is also the position he is most familiar with).
When the team is in an offensive state, Ronaldo will not stay on the left for a long time. The Portuguese superstar often uses the flexibility of his position to move into the center to form a frontal impact on the opponent's goal.
In order to create more opportunities for Ronaldo to receive the ball, Real Madrid's center Benzema will not stay in the center for a long time. Instead, he will actively pull to the wings or midfield area and use his organizational ability to provide C Ronaldo with more opportunities to receive the ball. Luo delivers artillery shells.
By the 2017~2018 season, Real Madrid's main lineup has changed.
In order to get Ronaldo closer to the goal and make up for the Portuguese veteran's physical decline due to age, Zidane removed a right winger and transformed the team's 433 formation into a 442 diamond midfielder. Ronaldo and Benzema formed a double striker.
Judging from the final data, Ronaldo still performed at a phenomenal level in the 2017-2018 season. The Portuguese veteran scored a total of 42 goals in all competitions that season, averaging 1 goal per game. .
Based on this background environment, Mariano actually has many similarities with Ronaldo in terms of position.
Judging from their running habits, both Ronaldo and Mariano like to use their speed to hit the gap behind the opponent's defense.
But unlike Ronaldo's period, Mariano does not have the ability to be a pseudo-winger, and there is no way for him to coexist with Benzema.
Under such a background, it was difficult for Zidane to give the Dominican forward more opportunities to play, and his state was affected as a result.
In addition, in Mariano's few playing times in recent seasons, we have also discovered a weakness of his - insufficient fulcrum function.
Speed is his innate advantage, but once he loses a fulcrum center as a cover, Mariano is often trapped in the opponent's back line, and his ability to get rid of local small areas and instant acceleration is basically not reflected. .
Since Mariano, who plays the center position, is not performing well, can Vinicius, who is also a left winger like Ronaldo, replicate the Portuguese's success?
From the perspective of personal technical characteristics, Vinicius's playing style is very similar to that of early Cristiano Ronaldo. The Brazilian star's range of activities is limited to the left wing. He is better at using his unpredictable dribbling skills to break through. people.
The picture above is a heat map of Vinicius this season. It can be found that the Brazilian winger does not leave the left wing many times during the game.
This technical characteristic is very similar to Cristiano Ronaldo in his early debut, but it is completely different from the Portuguese during the Real Madrid period.
The picture above is a hot spot map of Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2017~2018 season. The Portuguese superstar's activity area almost covers the entire opponent's half. At the same time, he penetrates into the opponent's penalty area to outflank and respond even longer than on the left. There are still many ways to go.
The different areas of activity determine that Vinicius cannot fully play the role of Ronaldo during the game. The young Brazilian player's highest number of goals in a single season in his career is only 6, which is far inferior to Ronaldo.
Of course, versatile wingers like Cristiano Ronaldo are too rare in world football. We cannot ask the young Vinicius to reach a height similar to the Portuguese in a short period of time.
Looking at Vinicius based solely on the standards of a winger, the Brazilian winger's performance this season still has a lot to offer. In 38 La Liga games, he completed a total of 48 successful dribbles, ranking 29th on the La Liga dribble list. You know, Vinicius didn't get much playing time in La Liga this season, but in the end he was still able to squeeze into the top 30 in the dribble list, which proves his outstanding personal skills.
Taken together, there is no doubt about Vinicius' talent, but he is not a goal scorer like Ronaldo, but a more pure threat creator from the wing.
Even if he grows into a first-class star in world football in the future, the technical habits he has inherited over the years will hinder Vinicius from growing into a goal-scoring machine.
At the same time, considering that Vinicius is only 20 years old this year, it is unrealistic to rely on such a young player to restore the glory of competing for multiple championships.
In this context, the arrival of Hazard and Jovic is very necessary.
Like Vinicius, Hazard plays as a left winger.
However, judging from the Belgian international's heat map at Chelsea, his technical characteristics and activity areas are obviously more similar to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The picture above is a hot spot picture of Hazard in the 2018~2019 season. This picture basically reflects the tactical status of the Belgian international in the Blues:
He is the instigator of the team's frontcourt attack. Once his midfield teammates control the ball, they will immediately transfer the ball to his feet in order to utilize Hazard's ability to pass the ball in a small area and threaten the ball.
After arriving at Real Madrid, Hazard's competitive form plummeted.
Some people think this is because the Belgian star has suffered frequent injuries, but the injuries will eventually recover and the form can be found. Whether he can integrate into the team's tactical play is the key to testing Hazard's future for Real Madrid. factor.
In the few times he has played in La Liga this season, Hazard's activity area is almost concentrated on the position where he is on the tactical board - the left wing.
The ultra-high coverage area and the organization and dispatching ability at the top of the penalty area that the Blues have shown in the past have disappeared.
Why is Hazard's tactical status in Real Madrid so greatly suppressed? The decline in his personal form is naturally part of the reason, but it also has a lot to do with Real Madrid's midfield and frontcourt configuration filled with superstars.
When playing for Chelsea, Hazard was a well-deserved thigh player in the Blues, and no one was qualified to compete with him for the ball.
After coming to Real Madrid, the situation has changed dramatically. In the midfield, Los Blancos have stars such as Modric, Kroos, and Casemiro. These people are all top-notch ball control players. In addition, their years of playing for Real Madrid have allowed them to form their own unique skills. It is completely impossible for them to reduce the time of possession of the ball in a short period of time and quickly deliver the ball to Hazard's feet.
In addition, Benzema's special running position further compresses Hazard's ball-taking space.
As we all know, Benzema played more of a green leaf role during the Cristiano Ronaldo era. The former French international would often take the initiative to switch positions to Cristiano Ronaldo's left during positional attacks, thereby giving Cristiano Ronaldo the space to grab points and outflank him. Luo.
Unfortunately, Hazard is not a player who likes to enter the middle of the penalty area to outflank like Ronaldo. He still has to use his foot skills and passing skills from the outside to organize and transport.
Under such a background environment, Benzema's frequent pulling out during the game will compress Hazard's ball-holding space, making it difficult for the latter's personal ability and threat delivery ability to be fully demonstrated.
If we can list a lot of data when introducing players such as Mariano and Vinicius, then we can use very little material when introducing Jovic.
The reason is simple: the Serbian international has played too little time on behalf of Real Madrid. So far, he has only started 8 games on behalf of the Galaxy giant. We can’t even analyze his habitual movements and advantages and disadvantages on the field. Make a comprehensive summary.
Of course, after all, Jovic has only been in Real Madrid for one season. It is understandable that at such a young age he would not be accustomed to playing in such a world-class giant.
At the same time, Benzema's extremely stable main position allows him to get very little playing time. In addition, the wingers who come on the bench at the same time as him are mostly young players, and they also hope to actively show their excellence. ability.
As a result, Jovic, whose confrontation ability is relatively average, is often isolated and helpless.
However, there is no need for fans to put a death sentence on Jovic's Real Madrid career early. As we all know, Real Madrid's top management is determined to replace the team's frontcourt. As long as Jovic corrects his attitude and trains hard, he will still have success. A chance to win back the hearts of the club's top brass.
On May 31, 2018, Zidane, who led Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles, officially resigned as coach.
Less than half a month later, Real Madrid announced Lopetegui's appointment (at the time, Lopetegui was still the coach of the Spanish national team), but Lopetegui's move to privately sign a work contract with Real Madrid angered the Spanish Football Federation, which in Announced the dismissal of Lopetegui from his position in the national team on July 13).
After the Spanish head coach took office, he made some changes to the overall tactical play of Los Blancos. First of all, he abandoned the efficient football that Real Madrid has advocated in recent years, and instead hoped to start to promote more ornamental passing football.
Fans who know Lopetegui should know that the former Spanish goalkeeper vigorously promoted the ground passing game when coaching the Spanish national team.
After coming to Real Madrid, he further defined the team's main tactic as ground passing, requiring players to avoid using long passes with little purpose and instead use ground passing to advance from the backcourt. .
As shown above, assuming that Real Madrid's offensive attack comes from the left, their midfield trio will pull out at the first opportunity to assist the left back or left winger in organizing and guiding.
In this way, most of the defensive force in the opponent's midfield will inevitably follow the Real Madrid players to move sideways, exposing the gap on the opposite side.
The tactics used by Lopetegui are similar to those of most traditional head coaches. They do not hope that the team can complete forced penetration on a local scale, but hope that the team can conduct transmission on a local scale. It can attract the opponent's defense line to move as a whole, thereby exposing the gap on the opposite side.
When your right back or right winger gets enough space to get the ball, your left teammate will quickly pass the ball to the opposite side in a short time to help your right teammate get 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 1. effective offensive situation.
