Real Madrid had a generally positive start to the season, but after a defeat to Liverpool and a draw with Rayo Vallecano, more questions are arriving at Xabi Alonso’s feet. Some of his key players are also coming in for criticism too.
Perhaps none more so than Dean Huijsen. After the Club World Cup, Huijsen was earning rave reviews, following a €60m move from Bournemouth, and appeared to have taken to life at the Bernabeu like a duck to water. Yet Huijsen has struggled more of late, and has looked shaky on the bigger occasions against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool.
Alonso to maintain faith in Huijsen
Even so, Diario AS say that Alonso has no plans to drop Huijsen in the near future. He has complete faith in the 20-year-old, and remains key to his plans, especially in possession. one of the factors behind his struggles, the coaching staff feel, is that he is asked to be more aggressive than his partner Eder Militao. Without the ball, the onus is on Huijsen to step into midfield and make interceptions, and with it, he is tasked with breaking the lines. As such, he has won the ball back 43 times in the opposition half, compared to just 26 for Militao. On the ball, he is the Real Madrid player with the most passes into the final third.
Dean Huijsen – ‘I’m handling it well’
One of the things that stands out about Huijsen is his composure, and in a recent interview while on Spain duty, he seemed relaxed about his form. While acknowledging that he had room to improve, he seemed unconcerned by the recent criticism.
“I focus on myself and try to improve every day. I’m handling it well, actually,” he told RadioMarca.
“Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world, so it’s normal that there’s so much talk about it. I don’t read the press. I live my normal life, I go to training, I go home, and that’s it. At Real Madrid, if you have a bad game, it creates panic, but the season is long. We have to stay calm.”
Huijsen will face increased competition for his spot imminently, with Antonio Rudiger on the verge of a return from injury. In terms of characteristics, Rudiger is more similar to Militao, but it could push Huijsen to regain his form.
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