Attitude Adjustment | 3 December 2025

The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to d all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job, Ezek, Valyrian Steel, Felipejack, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco and yours truly, Kung_Fu_Zizou

Xabi Alonso’s men look to kick-off 2026 in style by getting a much needed 3 points against a tricky opponent. The Real Madrid’s tenure has been marred by dressing room unrest and poor displays amounting to poor results. As a student of the game there is no doubt he is actively looking for solutions. It is one thing to have faith in the players but change needs to be visible on the pitch immediately. The players will also be under pressure to perform with the club actively looking for players to bolster the squad for next season. Two seasons of failure under two different managers will inevitably lead to questions about the players themselves.

UP NEXT.. Real Betis

Real Madrid do not have a great record against Betis, only winning 2 of the last 8 encounters against the team from Andalusia. The team come into this game under tremendous pressure following a string of poor results which ended with the manager’s head on the chopping block for each ensuing fixture. These are not ideal circumstances for the manager, the project or the players. It leaves very little room to manoeuvre for the manager as any loss now will be catastrophic. Failure to beat Real Betis at home will be catastrophic in itself.

Xabi’s Thoughts

Xabi’s perspective on developing the players betrays a fatal flaw. The manager sees potential in his talented squad. He sees what they can become instead of what they are. This in itself is not a wrong approach to football. If anything it is generally the ideal approach. Unfortunately, in the Real Madrid dugout, football development does not enter the list of priorities. Xabi must accept the players he has and work around it. He must tweak things and not bring wholesale ideas. He needs to win some silverware and survive to the summer where he can have some semblance of a pre-season. Until then he will have adjust his approach. Take Carlo’s 4-3-3 and tweak it.

Kylian Mbappe Circus

Kylian Mbappe is Real Madrid’s biggest asset. You might presume he would be handled with care. Instead he plays through pain and gets rushed back for appearances. It is extremely dangerous and it could soon alter the trajectory of his career. His spirit and competitiveness are not in question. It is up to the club to protect him. The club is unwilling and will soon pay a price for it. Forcing the issue could lead to catastrophe. What if he misses the next two months and the team struggles? Will it have been worth it?

Kees What We Want

Paz Is What We Have

Why are we looking at Kees Smit at all? Real Madrid Madness continues.