Real Madrid Have Found the Right Balance Without Vinicius Junior

Since we mentioned Real Madrid, you wanna start with them?

Yeah, we'll start with them.

Best performance of the season.

Go ahead, Lucas, I, I would agree with you, Liz.

I think that's the best performance I've seen from Madrid this season.

I think Mourinho did well to completely change the squad, give Enrica first star, which I don't think he was brilliant in, but I think he deserved it after the Roma game, put Valverde at right back, Gulen, the double pivot, who is one of the most talented players in Europe, and he's such a game changer for them.

Playing Diamande off the left, I know Vinny was suspended so he couldn't have played, but I also feel like with that performance, Vinny doesn't get in after that.

I don't think Vinny Junior should start for them, and that was Diamande's best performance in a Madrid shirt, goal and an assist, took his goal really, really well.

But in my opinion, guys, they were just going literally band for band on who can score the best goal, because all four of them goals were phenomenal.

Goulle's brilliant.

Mbappe's goal, the first one.

I think that's the best goal I've seen this season.

The first, yeah, yeah, I don't, that, that, that's my favorite kind of goal.

The flick from Jude into him who roulette controls it, then Lacroquetta is the key part into a goal.

Now that's, that's, that's.

It felt like, yeah, it felt right.

It really felt Ronaldo-esque.

That's too perfect for me.

And then he Panenka's the keeper on the penalty.

Diamandi's goal was brilliant.

That was the best performance from Madrid this season, and.

You want, that is the perfect time to hit that form, going into that Barca game, knowing, you know what, this, we have a locked on starting 11, and I don't think Mourinho should change that starting 11 whatsoever in the next few games, I think that is locked on.

Lee, as you mentioned what Luis Enrique is doing with Paris Saint-Germain, picking the best, now it's time for Mourinho to show, OK, Vinny, unfortunately right now you're um.

Yeah, I mean, he's got an opportunity, right, cause there's a 4-game suspension.

So I would have been interested in seeing if Vinny would have started this game if he was available.

Ultimately he wasn't, and Yan Diomande put in another really good performance, and I think he's just been growing, to be honest with you.

I thought his, his game against Elche a few weeks back was really promising.

I thought it was disappointing that he missed out on, on the derby due to whatever reason.

Then in uh there was another game as well too that I really liked.

Oh, Valencia, Villal, excuse me, he grabbed the winner.

And then this game, I felt he was involved in everything.

And in fact, he probably could have walked away from this game with a hat trick and a few more assists.

Really, really exciting player and it's, it's fun to watch Diomande emerge.

And I think Mourinho's quote after the game was really fitting.

He said, Diomande reminds me of a young Vinicius Junior.

And that's huge praise to Diamande but also quite damning on Vinny because we're not talking about a 35 year old, we're talking about a guy who's supposed to be in the peak of his powers, and it should be a wake-up call for Vinny to realize that.

Look, first of all, you're at Real Madrid and the competition is always gonna be huge, but there's a young thoroughbred waiting in the wings right now for you to slip up and ultimately take his chance.

cos just like we said in the last episode about how sometimes an injury can allow a player to, to get an opportunity, sometimes a suspension can too, and then he has to be really, really careful now that when he comes back, either Dio Mande doesn't drop off or he needs to get back to his best level because when you have a player playing the way he is, for me he's undroppable.

For me, uh, whenever Arde Guar is on the pitch, Real Madrid play better, and I would say that it's time to give Diomande the chance to uh to prove him in, in, in the best position he can play because even against Roma, he was the one leading.

He caused a threat every time he goes the ball , especially towards the end of the game.

Yeah, completely, and I, I, I like you said, Ale, I fought against Roma, he came into the game really well, uh, he played a good game.

I thought it was unfortunate that he got hooked in that moment, but the subs completely changed the tide, including Gouler, who just took the game by the scruff of the neck, completely changed it for them, and I really feel like this is.

This is the best team, the best 11 we've seen of Real Madrid this season by far.

They, they, they seem like the most cohesive side, they seem like they're all on the same page, and I like Diamande a lot in terms of how hard he worked.

There was a moment towards the end of the game where Madrid are pushing forward, they're in the final third, Cuccarela loses the ball, and Diamande sprints back into that left back position, showing that he's intelligent enough to know.

I need to cover his position.

He's lost the ball.

He's eager, yeah, I, I think that comparison with a young Vinny is very fair because Vinny, you remember when he was coming through, he was hungry, he was willing to work hard, he was a, a heavy presser, he would track back and Diamande.

He, he almost seems too excited at times even where he, he's a bit erratic on the ball, which it shows that excitement and that raw talent, but it also just shows how how, how high his ceiling can be, and I think Dimande off the left, like you said, I think there's uncomfortable conversations with Vinny when he does come back, Should he even play?

Should he play midweek in the Champions League?

You you'd have to say no at the moment, right?

If we're going based on meritocracy, Vinicius Junior doesn't deserve to be in the Real Madrid squad, and that's just the honest truth.

Would you start him against, would you start him midweek in the UCL cos obviously he's not suspended for that.

I mean, look, I think the Champions League is purely a game for preparation against Barca, whether that's resting players so that they're fit or whether it's even giving guys more minutes in the legs so that they can be ready, so.

Vinny doesn't really fit into either of them because he won't be part of the classical game.

Now maybe Mourinho just gives him the game because he's desperate for him to find some kind of confidence and some kind of form, but again, based on, on how he's playing, Vinny does not deserve to be anywhere near that Real Madrid 11.

The only thing I would disagree with you, Luca, is the right-hand side when you say the 11 should be the same because I agree with you.

I don't think Endrick played well enough.

It leaves an interesting conversation because Fe now is almost what, the, the, another right back in, in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold, and I think that's a whole other uncomfortable conversation, but Fede is really, really good in my eyes on the right, whether it's right midfield or right back.

The problem is if he plays right back, I don't think Real Madrid really have a natural right-hand sided player.

Diomande couldn't play out there, but he's doing really well out there.

Do you go for a, I don't even know if Ibrahim available?

Do you go for Abrahim?

Do you go for?

I don't know, you play Fete as the right winger and play either Dumfries or Trent behind him.

I would maybe be interested in seeing that because as good as Hendrick was against Roma, I don't think he did enough in his cameo to win back a , a, a place against Barca.

No, I don't think so.

Interesting.

I think, I think this is, it's not locked on, but Arda Gouler is their best player this season.

You have to say, right, he's, he's been on form, the most consistent and best player for Real Madrid this year, and I really like stories like this because we know, and Arda has always been a player that we know the talent, and he's been getting better and better.

But sometimes you see a player in front of your very eyes take that leap to the next level, and it's when you go from a great player to a star, and I think Arda is making that jump.

I think he's making that position in the team.

His own, which I don't think he's managed to do to this point, he's not one of the first names you see on the team sheet, and, and showing that personality with Real Madrid jersey in that dressing room is important, is, is a, is a huge statement for me.

Yeah, he has to start every game that he's fit, and I don't think Mourinho maybe saw him at that level to this point, but I think sometimes the performances, they get so undeniable that you, you, you have to be blind not to keep playing him.