I promised in my Real Madrid vs Levante match review that I am going to be delving into more critical issues facing the team up until the moment I was dropping the piece which includes player analysis and I am starting with Brazilian youngster Vinicius Junior today.
With Gareth Bale’s suspension and Eden Hazard’s first squad inclusion after his injury return, both players were automatically and for safety reasons ruled out from the match day squad and the starting lineup respectively hence the reason Vinicius was given the nod to start. The 18 year old Brazilian who carried the team on his back for much of last season after his talent was discovered and appreciated is quite a shadow of himself this season. One of the major reason is down to the fact that Coach, Santiago Solari who brought him into the first team, believed in him enough to sub club record signing Gareth Bale for him is no longer at the club. French Icon and former Real Madrid player and Coach Zinedine Zidane is known to be a “tested-and-trusted” coach and who believes less in young talent as we are accustomed to seeing with his preferred squad selections in the two stints he has spent at the club.
Although Vinicius was injured during Zidane’s return, typical Zidane is definitely going to play the Brazilian second fiddle to any of the older players at the club. Vinicius case, not minding the Brazilian’s rare and raw talent is very likely to be on the same page with Marcos Llorente and Dani Ceballos, huge potentials who are today no longer at the club.
With Vinicius’ return from injury towards the end of last season, the youngster found minutes difficult to come by till the season ended and it continued that way into this season until Hazard’s injury. Now, you would want to ask Zidane if exactly he prefers older players to younger ones, not minding how talented the latter are or if he just dislikes Vinicius for playing to his age, but whichever is his answer, I for one would prefer Vinicius be given the space to grow and nurtured into the future star we know he will become.
Now let’s face it, truth is, now with Hazard’s return from injury and with Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale and Lucas Vasquez fit, Vinicius is very likely to not play more than a thousand minutes before the season comes to an end. Zidane might have his excuse bent on how immature the plays of the Brazilian are but that will be the worst of reasons ever.
Vinicius Junior is a speedy, energetic and skillful youngster who needs a bit of adjustment to the brain behind his talent for him to start taking fans off their seat game after game. Whoever that watched the Brazilian last season knows what he is capable of. In a situation whereby the team was lacking firepower and rhythm upfront, the Brazilian brought life into their attack. He gave fans reason to start watching Real Madrid again and for some time, took our minds off Cristiano Ronaldo.
In my own opinion, Junior shouldn’t be judged with his performances this season because it is apparent he is trying to impress his new coach and appears to be overstepping his boundaries. The only odd facts worthy of critics about Junior’s game is not knowing how to put the ball in the back of the net despite a large amount of space in the goal post at his mercy and his immature wrongly timed runs but these are issues that can be handled without much stress considering his age. The Brazilian is hugely talented and needs a Coach who believes in him totally and pushes him to be better. Is Zinedine Zidane really that Coach?
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