Madrid, Spain – E be like say football matter just dey hot for where Xabi Alonso dey coach Real Madrid. On Friday, him don yan plenty things before dem face Espanyol for La Liga on Saturday. One question wey reporter ask am be say if Kylian Mbappé na di only ‘absolute starter’ for him lineup. Xabi come reply say, “How you mean by ‘absolute starter’? You think say e go just dey start every match? Abeg, make we relax, plenty games dey, and some time e no go start. Na normal level.
“Mbappé dey important, but we go fit manage am. We don play five matches now, and I dey notice, people dey draw conclusion for di whole season based on just five games. Make we chill small and see how di things go,” Xabi talk. E carry plenty gist when e talk about Espanyol too, dem dey perform well, but Alonso dey ready to show dem who be di boss for home ground.
Xabi talk say, “Espanyol dey come with hot form, but we too dey feel positiveness. We wan continue di phase wey we dey and improve every time. Tomorrow go be jaga jaga match. Dem dey play well and hard, but we dey play for home, and we go show our fans say we fit deliver.” (No be so na, chance wey dem dey look for, wetin you think say e go happen?)
Alonso also get matter wey touch am about one player, Dean, wey no go fit play. E talk say e would have preferred say Dean dey join dem for match, but mistakes get consequences. “I go like am different but e no go happen. Na so life dey, we go reason am like that,” he added with sharp tongue.
“But I think say Dean dey okay. Yesterday no be di best time to talk to am, but today e dey shine small. We do some individual training together and everything dey go well.” Dem don fit find groove for di team, and e talk say Vini and Rae na players wey fit shake ground. “Both fit make di squad balance strong and show correct impact,” Xabi don yarn.
He dey try no put too much pressure on di squad yet. “We don play five league games, but na marathon we dey till May. We just dey start and we need to take am slow. Everybody gatz feel important for di team.” E add say, “When e come to midfield, players like Jude and Camavinga fit add plenty for us, and I dey happy sey we get all dis options.”
Xabi come drop one philosophical thought too when e mention say “never” and “guarantee” no dey exist for football. Dem go play well, but e no dey sure say person go dey start every time. “Di important thing be say everybody suppose dey ready,” he conclude, leaving us wit small suspense for di match on Saturday.
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