Vinicius Jr.’s spot in Real Madrid’s starting XI is now under serious threat, or, for practical purposes, may well be gone.
The long-term suspension has not helped the player’s case in any way after his poor start to the season.
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Some saw it as a much-needed reset for the Brazilian star, but as he prepared to return to league action after the international break, he will find Yan Diomande sitting comfortably ahead of him as Jose Mourinho’s preferred option on the left wing.
Former player speaks on Vinicius
Former Real Madrid and Spain striker Fernando Morientes spoke to the media earlier this week, where he opened up with his honest assessment of Vinicius Jr.’s situation and his competition with Yan Diomande.
Tough times for Vinicius Jr. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Sharing his honest thoughts on the same, Morientes admitted that Vinicius was not quite at the level that he is usually associated with, as he said (h/t Defensa Central):
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“We are not looking at the best version of Vinicius at the moment, but, well, that is the reality. I think he himself has acknowledged it, hasn’t he?”
He then stressed that it was the responsibility of the coaching staff to ensure the player returns to his best.
“The responsibility of the coaching staff, without getting into the wider debate, is to try to bring back the best version of Vinicius,” he began.
“Especially considering that his current performances have fallen short of what is expected from a player of his stature, given his history at Real Madrid and his most recent contract renewal,” he added.
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“The coaching staff’s job is to work towards that without fuelling all the external debate surrounding him,” he concluded.
Morientes then backed Yan Diomande as Real Madrid’s superior left-wing option at this point in time.
Diomande has utilised his chances well. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
“The reality today is that Diomande is in better form, and Real Madrid currently play better with Diomande on the left than they do with Vinicius.
“At the same time, however, the coaching staff’s responsibility is to bring back Vinicius’s best version.”
On what lies ahead for Vinicius
The former striker then backed Vinicius to come good and insisted that he is still a decent player who can contribute, even until he returns to his best.
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“I believe he is a player who can still contribute. I believe he is an important player, and I don’t think we should write him off, because players like him can be decisive when they are in top form.”
“When a player like Vinicius, whose strengths are taking on defenders, dribbling and scoring goals, fails to deliver those qualities, his shortcomings become much more noticeable than those of other players,” he added.
Finally, he emphasised that the Brazilian is the one on whom the spotlight shines the brightest, making him a top target for criticism even if the whole team has a disappointing game.
“However, I am convinced that if we look at the statistics of all those matches in which Real Madrid have played poorly or suffered defeats, we would probably find other players who have also underperformed.”
“But we always focus on Vinicius because he makes for a more interesting talking point.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
