Álvaro Negredo: “You can’t get angry or upset, especially at Madrid”

AS USA spoke to former Real Madrid and Manchester City striker Álvaro Negredo, who opened up on how he could sense Xabi Alonso would make a great coach, how players handle being left on the bench, and who, if anyone, can make Manchester City top contenders again...

Q: Did you ever imagine Xabi Alonso becoming a top-level coach? What has he done to achieve such a strong start to the season?

ÁN: Xabi Alonso is a very young coach, full of enthusiasm and drive. He’s only just started in management, but I was lucky enough to share a dressing room with him, and you could already tell he’d make a good manager. Playing for Real Madrid comes with huge pressure, and having been a player at big clubs, I think he knows how to handle that. With the squad Madrid have, it was important to start the season well, because there’s always a dip in form at some point in the league. They had a setback against Atlético Madrid, but overall, I think Xabi Alonso’s start to the season has been very good.

Q: Scoring goals as a lone striker or as part of a partnership is a different kind of art in terms of playing style. Can Real Madrid find that tactical balance with Mbappé, Rodrygo and Vini Jr., or is it more a question of mentality?

ÁN: It’s true that some players give you a lot in attack, even if defensively they don’t contribute as much. That’s why rotating players and adding more bodies in midfield can help defensively, because teams these days are very well prepared physically – and Real Madrid know that. That’s why I think Xabi Alonso doesn’t take unnecessary risks by fielding three forwards; instead, he uses a 4-4-2 system, which, given all Madrid’s attacking potential, works very well for them too.

Q: What goes through a player’s mind when they’re not getting the minutes they feel they deserve? We’ve seen Vini Jr. start on the bench more than once this season...

ÁN: Every player wants to play. It’s important to know how to manage that, to support the player when they’re not playing, but also to show the manager that you’re ready when your chance comes. You can’t get angry or upset, because every player – especially at Madrid – wants to play. You have to be patient, knowing your minutes will come, and then make the most of them. I imagine Xabi handles this well, rotating players so that no one gets frustrated and everyone has their chance to contribute, keeping the competition strong.

Q: Manchester City have had a mixed start: do managerial cycles naturally run their course, or is the team’s confidence unrelated to this tricky beginning?

ÁN: It’s hard to say right now. I think Pep Guardiola has already shown he’s capable of handling any situation. In this case, things haven’t started well for City in this first stretch of the season, but I think there’s still time to improve and get back to those top positions to qualify for the Champions League. If there’s one manager who can deal with this kind of challenge, I think it’s Guardiola.