Managerial Crisis

Is Kylian Mbappe a curse for Real Madrid? Following their aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich, Los Blancos face a managerial crisis and a squad regression that Florentino Perez must answer for. The fallout from Real Madrid’s 6-4 aggregate defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final will inevitably rumble on for several weeks. The competition was Madrid’s last realistic route to major silverware in a season which promised a lot, but will ultimately deliver nothing. Barring a monumental collapse by Barcelona in La Liga, the 15-time European champions will end a second consecutive campaign without a trophy. With that in mind, read on as we assess the repercussions for Real Madrid, starting with an issue which has been entirely of their own making. Mbappe has proved to be a curse rather than a blessing Kylian Mbappe is one of the best forwards in the world. That point is evidenced by his tally of 84 goals in 98 appearances for Los Blancos. However, his desire to be the ‘main man’ is not only a problem Madrid didn’t need, but one which they could have avoided. Mbappe scored 256 goals in 308 for Paris Saint-Germain. However, his efforts in front of goal failed to deliver the desired results in the Champions League. In their first season without the French international in their team, PSG were crowned kings of Europe. They have reached the semi-finals again this season. By contrast, Mbappe has made Madrid worse. They won La Liga and the Champions League in 20234/24 – since then, they have suffered a series of disappointments. The 27-year-old’s ego was problematic when he was at PSG, and has continued to upset the equilibrium in Madrid’s dressing room. Players such as Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior are no shrinking violets, yet are expected to play second fiddle to the ‘Mbappe Show’. Intriguingly, Madrid looked far more coherent as a team when Mbappe was recently sidelined with a knee injury. With Vinicius and Brahim Diaz leading the line, they were more balanced. It may seem churlish to question a player who has scored goals for fun in Madrid colours, but it cannot be ignored that they have regressed since signing him. Arbeloa on shaky ground after Champions League exit Madrid’s decision to appoint Xabi Alonso as manager last summer appeared to be a sensible decision with SportsView and other major football publications all predicting success for Los Blancos, but he lasted just seven months. At a club packed with egos and led by president Florentino Perez, the former Bayer Leverkusen boss was always likely to be on a hiding to nothing. Alonso quickly lost the dressing room, with Vinicius and Federico Valverde amongst the players who publicly expressed disapproval at his methods. Appointing Alvaro Arbeloa as Alonso’s replacement was no real surprise. He had done well with the club’s youth and ‘B’ teams, so was viewed as a steady pair of hands. Arbeloa responded to Flick’s comments However, the club’s failure to specify the length of his contract when he was placed in charge suggested that they were unsure whether he was the right man for the job. A record of 13 wins and one draw in 21 matches highlights why Madrid may have been reluctant to confirm whether he was a long-term appointment. Arbeloa will reportedly be replaced this summer, with Perez seemingly eager to bring in someone with a proven track record of success. That may be easier said than done given the dearth of viable options currently available. Madrid’s managerial options are thin on the ground Alonso seemed to be the ideal fit for Madrid. He was a former player who subsequently enjoyed success as a manager with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Sacking him after just seven months in charge did not seem like the brightest idea anyone had ever had, and developments this summer may hammer home that point. Several managers have been linked with the Madrid managerial job including Zinedine Zidane, Jurgen Klopp and Maurico Pochettino. Perez rates Zidane highly, but he seems destined to replace Didier Deschamps as the French national team manager at the end of the World Cup. Klopp would be welcomed with open arms at the Santiago Bernabeu, but has demonstrated no desire to leave his position as head of Red Bull’s football operations. Pochettino could be available after the World Cup, although nothing he has done with the United States national team suggests he is the right option for Madrid. Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has been touted as a possibility after the club recently confirmed he will be leaving at the end of the season. Several pundits believe the 43-year-old is an ‘elite-level’ manager, but whether he is ready to step into the Madrid hot-seat is hugely debatable. Madrid’s eagerness to pander to egotistical players and dispense with Alonso’s services has created a problem that may find extremely difficult to fix this summer.

Eddie Howe fighting for his job after Sunderland defeat plunges Newcastle into crisis

On Tuesday's Football Daily, Phil Egan brings you the latest, including Everton's shock win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. David Moyes on the Toffee fighting spirit. Ruben Amorim has fears for last season. Are Arne Slot's days numbered with Liverpool? Finn Azaz kicks on after international duty. Pep puts up a century in Europe for Manchester City. Chelsea and Barcelona clash once again. And Vini Jr to say hasta luego to Real Madrid? Become a member and subscribe at offtheball.com/join

BAYERN MUNICH IN MANAGERIAL CRISIS??? Thomas Tuchel is Bayern's most recent coaching casualty, with the club and manager announcing their conscious uncoupling at the end of the season. Rog and New York Times Chief Soccer Correspondent Rory Smith are back to break down exactly how the Tuchel/Bayern pairing was troubled from the start. Plus, with the managerial turnover at Bayern reaching a fever pitch...is the club finally nearing a tipping point? Then, Rog and Rory deep dive into Sporting Lisbon's manager-on-the-rise, Ruben Amorim. Who is this young Portuguese manager already drawing comparisons to Jose Mourinho? And is he really Europe's next big thing? All this and more on the latest European Nights... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

James is joined by Manchester United fan Gary Robinson and Bournemouth fan Neil Grover on Clash of the Correspondents to discuss contrasting fortunes at their clubs ahead of their midweek fixtures tonight and the GW16 meeting at Old Trafford on Saturday United were - though it didn't feel like it - the form team in the Premier League with 5 wins from 6, but following Saturday's woeful display at Newcastle it feels like United in crisis again with several questioning whether the players want to play for Erik Ten Hag. Is the situation recoverable for the manager? And it feels like we've seen it all before... so are the players the problem? While at Bournemouth, everything is beginning to look brighter for Andoni Iraola after three promising displays that have yielded 7 points and suddenly they are looking upwards from a position that had seen them pick up only 3 points from their first 9 games. There's discussion on FPL assets and remarkably it is Bournemouth players who may appeal more with some attractive fixtures across GWs 17-19 and there are 5 players who Fantasy managers may want to consider to solve potential problems. Plus, why are Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford currently of minimal interest and do defensive United assets that are owned need binning following Saturday's game... in which Bournemouth will feel they can get something. Follow Neil on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AFCBNG Tomorrow on Planet FPL: Planet SkyFF s5 ep22 Today on Patreon: Tot&Ars on a dramatic few days for the North London Clubs For the full Planet FPL schedule this week, including our offering on Patreon view this post: https://www.patreon.com/posts/content-dec-4th-94050445 Want to become a member of our FPL and SkyFF community and support the Podcast? Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planetfpl Follow James on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlanetFPLPod Follow Suj on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sujanshah Follow Clayton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/claytsAFC Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PlanetFPL Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/planetfpl Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planetfpl #FPL #MUFC #AFCB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's James Pearce & Raphael Honigstein to discuss the problems facing Liverpool in biggest crisis of Jurgen Klopp’s time as manager. What’s gone wrong & what can be done to turn things around? And if things don't improve how might it effect their chances of recruiting elite players such as Jude Bellingham? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following Sunday's humiliating 4-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup James catches up with Leicester City correspondent Aaron Lagor to discuss the current shambles at The King Power and ask if Brendan Rodgers job is at risk. There's also discussion on if the squad is looking at having a big overhaul, how difficult it will be for The Foxes to break into the Top 6 again, why there has been such a dip in performance and results this season and what we can expect for the months that remain... Coming Up on Wednesday on Planet FPL - Planet SkyFF s3 ep26, discussing all the latest in Sky Fantasy Football... and still to come today on the Planet FPL YouTube channel Jmaes presents the GW24 Deadline Stream Live ay 615pm BST ____________________________________________ Want to become a member of our FPL community and support the Podcast? Our Patreon content in February features 20 additional Podcasts from Intermediate Tier. Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planetfpl Follow James on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlanetFPLPod Follow Suj on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sujanshah Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/planetfpl Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planetfpl Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8043oOKTB4uP8Nq15Kz6bg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arsenal are officially in crisis, but at least the merch looks good! Jasper Taylor is joined by Kate Burlaga and Gerard Brand to discuss the weekend's Premier League action, as Arsenal lost again at the Emirates, meaning their current points tally has them on track to finish 15th this season (05:27). How low does it have to go for Mikel Arteta to face the sack? The panel also discuss Liverpool's 1-1 draw at Fulham on Super Sunday (18:30), and why the injury to Diogo Jota could have big ramifications for Jurgen Klopp's side. In the Regional Review, we talk all things Newcastle with Sky Sports News reporter Keith Downie - takeover talk is on the menu again, as well as Steve Bruce's intentions for the January window (32:23). And in part four, we discuss a turgid Manchester derby (45:30) which brought more questions than answers, including: should players really be hugging and smiling after serving up such a dour performance? Listen to every episode of the Sky Sports Premier League Podcast here: skysports.com/sky-sports-premier-league-podcast You can listen to the Sky Sports Premier League Podcast on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play the Sky Sports Premier League Podcast". For all the latest football news, head to skysports.com/premier-league For advertising opportunities email: [email protected]