“I’m very pleased with the mental strength and the fighting spirit that the team have. The team have kept a similar level all season. At the Bernabeu we’ve played 16 games and we’ve won 15, and we’ve scored a lot of goals. We’ve always lifted ourselves after difficult moments, after falling in the Champions League, after the game against Barcelona.”
“We’ve shown spirit and I’m very proud of both the group and all the players individually. I’m very happy with my squad both on and off the pitch. It was very important to win in Almeria and follow it up against Valencia. We are a team full of goals.”
These sound like the words of a coach who is on the hot-seat and is now trying to cover any sort of rumors about his demise with positive thinking. It almost sounds like the writing is on the wall. I mean, these guys should know by now that they can do anything–but that they’re just lazy. So, why all the sweet talk?
Because Cristiano Ronaldo told the press last week that he wouldn’t mind having Jose Mourinho in Madrid. This means only one thing:
Real Madrid HAS ceded control of the club to Ronaldo. Why else would we hear about him wanting another coach and then his current all of the sudden gets all “lovey dovey” on us.
The unfortunate reality is that his statement meant:
“Cristiano, I know you don’t like me, but don’t fire me. I like you guys–I really do. Even though you’re all a bunch of overpaid brats who only try when you want to and even though you–Cristiano–are a horrid leader I REALLY like our club now.”
I know I’m reading in between the lines, but there’s no way you can tell me that all is hunky-dorry in Madrid when their coach has to gush this late in the season over a bunch of guys who should require no gushing at all.
This isn’t a motivational tactic–it’s a white flag with the words “Don’t fire me” written on it.
Ronaldo should be ashamed of himself. Pellegrini should be talking about how this team WILL do something–NOT about how they CAN do things.
photo credit: Arturo J. Paniagua
