u/Lost-Mention

I'm so excited for the season to start. Our team is SO much better than it has been in the last 2 years.

In Diomande, we finally have a right wing that is comfortable in the position. He has pace, can dribble, can shoot when cutting in and is a workhorse defensively. Just perfect.

And having Endrick and Brahim (and Rodrygo when he returns) as competition for that position is a luxury. In him we also have a viable backup for Vini on the left.

In Espi, we finally have a big centre forward to throw in when we need to breakdown a stubborn low block. And he's young and he appears willing to play as a backup.

With Dumfries and Cucurella in addition to Carreras and Trent, we finally have proper depth at the full back positions. No more midfielders playing out of position.

Likewise we have in Konate an experienced CB signing that is an upgrade on what Rudiger and Asencio offered last season. Again, no more midfielder playing out of position in defense.

And finally we now have in Bernardo an experienced CM who loves to receive and keep the ball under any pressure. He's also an absolute workhorse with a great injury record (taps wood). Add to that a rejuvenated Jude, an improving Arda and a growing Pitarch and we are in really great shape in midfield even without Rodri.

The gaps in the team have finally been addressed. Even if injuries come I feel we finally have proper depth to not really see a serious dip in performances.

I expect a lot of convincing victories in la liga, the group stages of the champions league and Copa Del Rey. And I expect much more competitive matches against big teams - more control, more calm and more proactiveness.

Hala Madrid!

The coming of Diomande and Konate almost fully buries the chances of Fede starting.

Fede's main allure in the lineup was his ability to cover for a right back like Trent who often attacks and is a bit light defensively at times.

Konate has years of experience covering for Trent and Diomande has the energy, pace, physicality and willingness to track back when required.

So from right hand side, we are covered defensively.

On the left it will be Cucurella who is defensively very sound and Bellingham helping to double team when Vinicius doesn't track back.

Then centrally you need someone who can slot in the CB position when a centre back pushes wide (Konate covering for Trent) or up (as Huijsen often does). And there's no one better at that than Tchouameni. He's easily the best screener of the defence in the team. He's also a better decision maker than any of Valverde or Camavinga.

With Tchouameni and Jude you then need a ball playing midfielder to connect everything - that will be one of Bernardo Silva, Arda or Pitarch.

A fully fit Madrid simply does not have space for limited utility players like Fede and Cama in the starting lineup. They are perfect as substitutes both in midfield and in left and right back positions.

Both must embrace their "Nacho/Vazquez" mantle if they want to stay long at Madrid. If either (really just Fede) disrupts the dressing room because they are not starting then they need to sold as soon as possible.

Tchouameni is not perfect, but he is also far from the problem. He's one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. He's been the most consistent player since the beginning of last year

Pair him with a ball playing midfielder and watch him flourish.

To me only Rodri (if he had come) would have been able to reasonably bench him. Without Rodri, any line up should have his and Jude's names nailed in our starting midfield.

It came out of nowhere but it's very clear to me that Diamonde is a two in one package:

1. He's a right wing option

Though mainly right footed, Diamonde, like Duoe, is comfortable and effective on the right wing. He offers huge chance creation threat as well as a high work rate to complement it.

Madrid may look to loan out Mastantuono and with Rodrygo out for most of the season it will be between Diamonde, Brahim and Endrick for the RW position.

2} He's Vini insurance

Mbappe is never going to play on the wings again (he needs to be close to goal and he does not track back). So if things don't go well with Vini's negotiations and he's either sold or he leaves Diamonde is the natural replacement.

This move also indicates that Madrid are not prepared to go all in for Vini's wage demands. Madrid may be prepared to pay a high transfer fee for a reduced wage bill and a more harmonious dressing room with Mbappe at the head of the project.

Also the fact that Madrid has made a bid while other clubs have not indicates they already have an agreement with the player and are the player's first preference.

what exactly is the position of evolutionists? Is it that there evolution or that there is no creator?

Because those are two very different propositions.

You can certainly prove evolution exists, but no amount of evolution existing will ever prove that there is no creator.

For example, let's say there was a big bang - and from there we everything just "naturally" evolved into everything we see today.

Fine. Where did the matter come from allowed the big bang to occur?

Is it turtles all the way down?

What stops there being someone who created the conditions for the big bang - someone who set up the dominos and then pushed the first one?

I've been noticing that there are many who doubt Thiago Pitarch's place in the first team and/or starting line up.

They are in two categories: Those who believe he's not good enough; and those who believe he's not good enough yet.

The argument I've seen is that he hasn't done anything special - no crazy goals or assists. And he hasn't controlled an entire game single handedly. Then there's the mistakes he's made, some of which could have led to goals.

Personally I see in him the makings of a midfield great. I see a Vitinha, a Xavi. He was thrown suddenly into the first team during the season after an injury crisis and immediately showed a quality we've been missing throughout the entire squad (bar Ceballos) - someone who actually loves receiving and collecting the ball in the deep areas of the pitch. No one, not Bellingham, not Fede, not Tchouameni, Camavinga - not even Arda (skillful as he is) - could consistently show a desire to show up for the ball under pressure in the heart of defense.

This quality alone makes him worth his weight in gold.

Then there's the relentless running. Running to close down and recover possession (he's not very good at this yet, but he never fails to try). Running to open up passing options. Running to stretch the defense. He covers every inch of the pitch - back and forward, left and right. He's as enthusiastic without the ball as he is with it.

That intensity is sorely needed in our too often dead and lackadaisical midfield.

Then there's his quality on the ball - of which I think we've only seen a glimpse. In the first place he is or is very close to bipedal. He can pass off either foot and as such is difficult to pin down. His passes are always confident and assured - arriving to the receiver with weight and often with direction too. His first touch is assured.

But as I said, I think we've only seen a glimpse of what he can offer with the ball. His teammates don't yet trust him to dictate the flow of the game. But a preseason and more games and training time with them will assist in getting him the go ahead and take his place as our midfield fulcrum.

If we have the money for Vitinha or Stiller, by them. They are both easily ahead of him for the next few years. But do not doubt his potential and trajectory - he is an absolute star in the making.

To succeed in the next 5 years, we need to take drastic action to balance the squad again.

The first of these is that Vinicius must be sold or not renewed and benched. Individually his consitency is extremely disappointing. Collectively his fit with Mbappe is not working (3 coaches have now tried and it's not working). Outside football there appears to be a jealously or rivalry between him and Mbappe that is distabilising the dressing room.

We can all have our opinions about who is better between him and Mbappe or who has done more for Madrid but you're all aware that with Mbappe's contract situation he is not going anywhere anytime soon. That leaves Vini, who's contract is up next year as the only player that can be moved.

In his place, as I've said before I would go for Guirassy or Budimur. A Joselu type striker who is good enough to start a decent number of games but who also wouldn't mind coming off the bench for a club of the size of RM.

Secondly an assessment needs to be made about Fede. He is not starter material for our midfield. You have Tchouameni who is excellent at his role as a DM. Then you have Jude who is excellent in the CM/AM role. So now you have one or two midfield spots (depending if it is a 3 or 4 man midfield).
If it's a 3 man midfield, then you need a controller as the 3rd midfielder. Someone like Angelo Stiller.
If it's a 4 man midfield then he would need to compete with Arda/Pitarch depending or what qualities the coach values in the setup.

The point being if we are to succeed, he cannot be a guaranteed starter. And that is where the assessment needs to come - can he accept coming off the bench or being rotated in the prime of his career? If so then keep him. But if not, he is one of the senior players in the team that can seriously disrupt the dressing room. It would be better if he is sold.

Then lastly the club needs to sit Mbappe and Bellingham down and resolve whatever issues they have with each other because the two of them will be key to the success of the club going forward. If Vini and/or Fede leave it might also help break the "anti-Mbappe" clique that appears to have formed recently.

Other than that, the arrival of 2 experienced CBs should be enough to ensure we compete well in all comps next year.

A reminder that despite being subbed off earlier and not starting a few games, Vini was having his best start to a season ever statistically.

Real Madrid was also pressing better than ever, winning the ball higher up (even with Mbappe playing every game, all 90 minutes).

Courtois was having a picnic out on the back and we were winning almost every game (including the "easy"ones we're no longer winning now). This was despite dealing with a lot of injuries and playing 3 youngsters (Franco, Dean and Arda) almost every game.

Xabi's project only began falling off when a certain cry baby demanded he plays all 90 minutes of every game otherwise he's leaving.

Then the pressing broke down. Then his goals dried up. And suddenly Thibo started having to work and then the goals started leaking in again.

Finally he Got his wish and we reverted back Carlo ball. Especially when the coach got fired and they hired his biggest fan who made sure we go back to giving him the ball 70 times a game whether he's succeeding or not.

We started sitting back again and letting even mid teams attack relentlessly.

His stats went up but eventually our performances went to the sewer.

I hope he doesn't accept the new contract and he leaves. There'll be no success with him in this team with him, his attitude and play style.

EDIT: Just to add, it was when the high press ended and opposing teams were allowed to keep possession for long periods (Carlo-ball) - it was only then that questions started being raised about why Mbappe is not tracking back and helping with defense. We didn't have a single issue with defense right up to that Barca game. But when the team went away from Xabi's system, Mbappe was blamed for the goals we began leaking.