Álvarez Pleased With Real Madrid Start

Marcos Álvarez has revealed how he and Juande Ramos had to quickly introduce their ideas at Real Madrid and admits that he has been very impressed with the players' attitudes.

Los Merengues assistant head coach would have liked to have had pre-season to prepare the squad, but without that he has had to start work and help the boss change things midway through.

Ramos has steadied the ship at the Bernabéu on the pitch and Álvarez believes that a lot of the hard work was done by the players who were keen to change their fortunes.

“When you join a team and don't have a pre-season to work with, you need time to adapt so that the team gets accustomed to way of playing football as quickly as possible," he told the club's official website.

“Training methods, players' willingness to improve daily, the ability to understand where the coach is coming from... it all plays a part.

“I was impressed with the players ethic and willingness to work; they never give up. In fact, they want more.

“They are very ambitious, and that's exactly what a team like Real Madrid needs. When a player gets here it's because he is one of the best in the world technically and physically.

“We have 24 players and each one of them has to be in the best shape possible throughout most of the season.

“There are moments when, due to extenuating circumstances, some players perform better than others, and that's what we have to try to balance out.

Álvarez thinks that Madrid's elimination from the Copa del Rey has been a blessing so that the players can work without having to play every midweek during January.

"Having a daily workout for two months straight without any kind of midweek competition has allowed us to make good progress," he continued.

"Players will adjust to the demands we place on them and they will be in great shape when we play the first game of the last 16 [of the Champions League].”

“We have spent the last four weeks doing intense, high volume work. We are now at a point where all that we have worked on will allow players to feel less of a burden on their legs. They will be faster, more agile and more resistant.”

Lucas Brown, Goal.com