OPEN THREAD: XABI’S MARK | SEPTEMBER 11, 2025

The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, Ezek Ix and yours truly, Valyrian Steel.

Since Xabi isn’t going to come and help us win anything we haven’t already won before. Barring a treble. What would we say is a metric for success for Xabi in his first season? Winning La liga? or a double? or winning every clasico? I think what would really make his time here stand out is if he becomes the first coach to get us to our treble. Carlo gave us la decima in his first season here. Zidane gave us a treble of CL trophies, back to back. What would be Xabi’s mark here?

Last week, Lunin left the Ukrainian NT with a back ache. What does the future hold for Lunin here? he’s 26 and is good enough to be a starter anywhere else that he goes. Will Xabi properly rotate him with TBO? I sure hope so.

I believe time has always been right about certain players abilities, prospects and futures when we initially gauge their talent level. Case in point ceballos, after his euro displays, many saw him as the next xabi etc, same with Illaramendi, luca silva etc. Only for them to turn out the opposite. If ceballos had gone to barca several years ago. Would we look at him different? can’t say real madrid have curved his career because he went out on loan to arsenal, so we got to see him at another club and they didnt want him in the end.

Sometimes, when you wait out the hype, reality can be seen much clearer. Alot of factors go into a players prospects and longevity at the top, two aspects that i rate higher than talent level are personal decision making and personal discipline. We’ve seen young budding players go to clubs that they never recovered from and faded away as a result. And by 30, they’re done. How many young players that had a breakout year, either from teenage years or early 20’s, have maintained a consistently good run of form over a 5 year period? you’d be hard pressed to find. Being young, talented and playing every game isn’t always a good thing.

Take Man Utd for example, their academy seems to be churning out young players…who shine brightly for brief moments and then end up at mid table clubs. Barring rashford.

I’d like to go on one knee and say a big thank you, to you, the readers of the my DT’s. I notice you all respond to what is written here. I try not to be too wordy. I appreciate it!

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