Real Madrid have wasted little time in the
transfer market this summer. Without having to negotiate mega
transfer fees and galactic wages, Los Blancos have already brought
in three pivotal players – Angel Di Maria, Pedro Leon and Sergio
Canales – and they have just completed their fourth recruit in the
shape of Sami Khedira.
The young German international may have just signed himself up
for one of the most demanding, thankless jobs in the squad. The
holding midfield position is almost a role that is cursed: Claude
Makelele had an unceremonious exit, Thomas Gravesen only lasted
half a season despite making a good early impression, a promising
Fernando Gago has been reduced to tears, Mahamadou Diarra had his
long, aggravating knee injury, Lassana Diarra has abruptly lost his
place eventhough he was easily Madrid’s best player in his first
six months, and even the legendary Fernando Redondo disappeared
from the footballing map quickly after he left the Santiago
Bernabeu for Milan and was struck down by never-ending knee
injuries.
So, as Khedira prepares to embark on a new adventure, here’s
just a short list of things the defensive midfielder can expect
during his initiation year.
Expect A Few Boos
The Bernabeu faithful are a demanding lot, and so are the ‘White
House’ bosses. And coach Jose Mourinho. The simple fact is that
Khedira will not be able to please everyone every time.
Mourinho may instruct him to sit back and protect the backline
at all times, but the home fans, all 80,000 of them, will try to
encourage him to attack. The club directors may be happy with his
progress, but the fans may not. One slip-up or one mistake, and
young Sami may have to endure months and months of boos from his
own supporters. But as Marcelo, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane will
attest, the booing only makes you stronger once you overcome the
shock to your self-belief.
Run Sami Run
If Mourinho elects to deploy the same defensive tactics and
formation at Madrid as he did at Inter, where every player is
protected and helped by a team-mate, then Khedira might just have a
chance to truly flourish. But if the Merengues choose their typical
all-out attacking approach, then the German will be exposed. He
will have to fend for himself, and he will have a lot of running to
do to cover gaping holes and empty spaces vacated by his
colleagues. That, in theory, shouldn’t be a problem as Sami is
known for his endurance and his ability to just run and run and
run. Whether he can put it into practice is another question.
Be Prepared To Warm The Bench
Watching Khedira’s performances for Germany at the 2010 World
Cup, you would think that his style of play is the perfect fit for
Madrid: a ball-winning defensive midfielder who knows how to
initiate a quick counter-attack. Those who anticipate him being an
instant flop might just be proved wrong.
But no matter how good or how tactically ideal, almost every
player at Madrid will go through a phase where they suffer a severe
dip in form and confidence – due largely to the booing from the
home fans – and they will be consigned to the bench. It has
happened to Iker Casillas, Kaka, Raul, Guti, just to name a few.
The key to succeed at the Bernabeu is to have the resilience to
bounce back, as Rafa van der Vaart and Fernando Gago showed last
term.
Working With The Special One
It’s not all bad news for Khedira now that he has joined Madrid.
You just suspect that one of the main reasons he was so keen on
becoming a Blanco was because of the opportunity to work under Jose
Mourinho. The Special One is known by reporters, journalists,
arm-chair and rival fans as an arrogant, self-absorbed, egoistic
coach. But inside the dressing of the club he is coaching, he
paints a very, very different picture. He is a reputed motivator,
one who knows how to get the best out of every player. He protects
his stars from the media glare, soaks up all the distractions and
ensures that they focus on nothing but football.
Learning From The Best
At 23, Khedira is still very much a young player with a lot of
promise to develop. Playing in Spain and with Real Madrid is the
perfect way for him to work on the weak points of his game, such as
his technique and ball control.
If he can nail down a regular starting berth, he will be
featuring frequently alongside Xabi Alonso, one of the best passers
of the ball. He will also work a lot with Sergio Ramos, as he may
be required to cover for the marauding right-back at times.
Attackers like Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo will teach him how to
hone his skills when pushing forward, while Real Madrid as a whole
will train him on how to cope with the kind of excessive pressure
he will be exposed to when he becomes an established star for the
German national team.
