'Be more aggressive' - Xabi Alonso explains what he wants from Trent Alexander-Arnold and fellow Real Madrid full-backs as coach looks to fix Carlo Ancelotti issue

Madrid head coach Alonso explained his footballing and tactical vision at his new club and shed light on the role he expects his full-backs to play in his system. He also acknowledged one pressing issue brought up time and again by his predecessor Ancelotti, stating that he is trying to learn from what the Italian has pointed out in the past.

Los Blancos had an underwhelming 2024-25 season, which also culminated in the departure of Ancelotti after a four-year tenure. The former Real Madrid manager often spoke about a lack of balance, which saw them suffer heavy defeats against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals, as well as arch-rivals Barcelona in La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de Espana.

Revealing what he expects from his full-backs, Alonso told former Real Madrid team-mate Guti on DAZN: "Once we've made progress, we need the full-backs to be higher, to be more aggressive. We have to be brave, we have to try to stifle [the opposition] so they don't get out. We have to not be shy and correct the opposing side. That's fundamental."

Later on, he made a telling Ancelotti reference.

"I've listened to Carlo, and he often said that the team lacked balance last season," Alonso explained. "And that's been important in the messages we're sending, when it comes to having the ball, turning it around, knowing how to accelerate, knowing how to stop... The quality is there, and the more collective sense we bring to the game... Then exceptional plays emerge that you can't coach. That's the path we want for the Club World Cup and for the future of this new era."

So far, the two Madrid full-backs, Fran Garcia and Trent Alexander-Arnold, have done a more than decent job in the ongoing Club World Cup. Garcia has shown relentless energy and has been among the best players in Alonso's first four games at the club, while Alexander-Arnold is slowly settling into his new surroundings. The Englishman grabbed an assist during Madrid's 1-0 win over Juve in the round of 16, and he will be hoping to build on that performance when Los Blancos take on Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals on Saturday.