Thibaut Courtois Vents Frustration After Real Madrid's Disappointing Draw Against Al Hilal
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has stated that the squad requires additional time to adapt to the tactical approach of their new head coach Xabi Alonso.
Attention was focused on Alonso as Madrid began their Club World Cup journey on Wednesday facing Al Hilal, however they failed to impress by struggling through a 1–1 draw.
Courtois was candid about Madrid's performance struggles but emphasized that these issues stemmed from habits developed under the previous management of Carlo Ancelotti, rather than reflecting problems with Alonso's leadership.
"We're attempting to implement different strategies, naturally, but you cannot accomplish everything within four days," he explained. "Following four years of operating under a different coach, the old automatic responses may still persist.
"We've worked to modify our approach, implementing a higher defensive line and increased intensity. During the opening half we appeared sluggish, while in the second half we showed more aggression, which reflects our desired playing style."
When questioned about areas requiring improvement for Madrid, Courtois shared his observations regarding the team's present tactical shortcomings.
"That's primarily a question for Xabi," he responded. "Our tempo was too slow during the first half, and collectively we must increase our pace. The midfield players shouldn't position themselves so near the defense that it causes the forward to second-guess their movements."
Alonso also recognized the necessity for enhancement but, similar to Courtois, cautioned supporters that patience will be required as the team adjusts to his methodology.
"I understood it would require time," the Madrid manager stated. "There are aspects we must modify.
"We'll need to address these issues, and we'll continue working on them. Everything requires time, we've had nine days, and some players have only participated in three training sessions. It's challenging, we're competing, but we're committed to learning, and achieving our objectives will take time."