Real Madrid star Mijatovic questioned the team's current midfield setup and expressed his nostalgia for Modric and Kroos in a recent media interview.
Mijatovic began by talking about the midfield combination consisting of Chouamene, Camarvinga, Valverde and Bellingham (although Bellingham was not in the previously explicitly mentioned combination, but may have been included in his overall assessment). He stated, "I don't agree with such a midfield combination. The problems in the midfield were obvious in the game against Lille. This midfield combination is too physical and lacks the creativity that Real Madrid needs."
He further stated, "I miss Modric and Kroos very much. Both of them were able to bring precise passing and excellent creativity to the team on the field, which is what this current Real Madrid midfield lacks. The midfield consisting of Chu Ameni, Kamavunga and Valverde puts too much emphasis on muscle and hardness, which doesn't exactly fit Real Madrid's style of play."
Speaking about Vinicius' performance, Mijatovic opined, "You say Vinicius is out of form, but his performance depends a lot on the quality of the passes. In the game against Lille, we didn't see a creative midfield that could provide him with effective passes. If the midfield could provide more support, Vinicius' performance could have been even better."
Mijatovic also gave his advice to young striker Ndelic: "I don't think Ndelic is ready to make his debut yet. This year he should start more from the bench and take advantage of the opponents' chances to score goals when they are less physical. This will guarantee him playing time, but also allow him to play a bigger role in the game."
Mijatovic's comments undoubtedly raised new questions and challenges for Real Madrid's midfield configuration. The team needs to improve the creativity and passing quality of the midfield while maintaining the physical confrontation and hardness to better support the attack of the front players. At the same time, the cultivation and use of young players also need to be more cautious and reasonable.
