Real Madrid’s league campaign went from bad to worse this weekend as they lost at home to Real Sociedad. That result left them down in fifth outside of the Champions League places as the vociferous fans voted with their feet, leaving 30,000 seats empty inside the Santiago Bernabeu.
Current gaffer Santiago Solari is coming under heaps of pressure from the Spanish media after a couple of poor results whilst comments such as “We mustn't underestimate the draws,” are not winning him many fans around the Spanish capital.
As Solari’s name was announced before the weekend’s game, there were noticeable whistles around the stadium with the home fans that had turned up showing their frustration. Just before the winter break, it looked as if Solari was the perfect man in charge of Madrid. They won three games on the spin heading into the Christmas period but a 2-2 draw against Villarreal followed up by this home loss has put him on the back foot.
With Champions League qualification at stake and unhappiness behind the scenes in Madrid, another change of manager may not be the most unlikely scenario. Sergio Ramos is their only in-form defender with Marcelo and Raphael Varane failing to find any form this season. The Madrid captain is the main reason why current favourite for the job Jose Mourinho is not fancied for return. The two simply do not get on and no as Madrid’s most influential player, Ramos is likely to prevent him from joining.
With Real Madrid looking unlikely to sign a big name anytime soon and instead putting their faith in youth, there is a standout candidate for the job. Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino may be building something very special in North London but it is impossible to envisage him turning down the biggest job in football, one that he has admired for a long time. Nobody turns down Real Madrid.
Madrid’s shift in focus to young players plays straight into the hands of Pochettino. The signing of 19-year-old Brahim Diaz from Manchester City could turn out to be a huge one whilst they already possess young talent such as Isco, Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio.
Experienced heads like Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric are perfect to guide these young players through but they need a manager who will put faith in them and give them game time. Pochettino has shown his ability to develop young players both at Southampton and Tottenham and I’m sure he could convince a few of the Spurs boys to join him in a sunnier climate.
It may not be the ideal time to join the Spanish giants but this Tottenham setup seems delicately balanced with Mauricio Pochettino being the glue holding all these players at the club. If he leaves then we could see a mass exodus of players who could earn more money elsewhere.
The new stadium is on the horizon for Tottenham Hotspur, but in my opinion, if the opportunity arises, Mauricio Pochettino should grab the Real Madrid job with both hands.
