How Solari can impress in his eight month job interview

On Monday Santiago Solari was confirmed as Real Madrid manager until the end of the season. The Argentine took over from the recently sacked Julen Lopetgui with the Spanish giants languishing in ninth in La Liga.

Due to Spanish rules preventing an interim manager being in charge for longer than two weeks, Real moved to secure their former player as the top man. Having served his apprenticeship for five years with Madrid’s youth team as well as Castilla in the Segunda Division B, Solari now has an eight month job interview.

The blueprint of hiring from within proved mightily successful last time when Zinedine Zidane took over in January 2016 after Rafa Benitez was sacked. One La Liga title and a hattrick of Champions League trophies later the former Real Madrid player would vacate his post after overseeing one of the most successful periods in Real’s history.

For Solari, the test will be similar.

Already making a good impression, Solari has guided Madrid to four wins out of four – the best start by any manager in the club’s history. In that time Los Blancos have scored 15 goals and conceded just two.

Having moved his former club up to sixth in their domestic league, four points behind current leaders and bitter rivals Barcelona, and in pole position to qualify from their Champions League group, the 42-year-old’s chances of being at the helm beyond this campaign are in the balance.

There is no question that the expectations for the winners of three consecutive European Cups will be to advance well into the latter stages of Europe’s premium club competition. A last-16 exit would not bode well. Maybe even a quarter-final appearance would not be good enough for a club used to lifting the trophy once all is said and done.

Solari will also be tasked with gelling a squad very much in transition. The exit of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus after a nine-year spell in the Spanish capital signalled the changing of winds. Mariano Diaz replaced the name above the “7” on the crisp, white shirt but has so far been a picture of frustration following a spectacular goal against Roma in the Champions League – his only strike this season.

Vinicius Junior, the 18-year-old starlet once of Flamengo, has also been given some opportunities to strut his stuff in the first team and has impressed in his limited showings. He has registered a goal and an assists in four appearances off the bench.

Solari’s ability to slowly blood the stars of Real Madrid’s future will help to determine his status as the boss long-term amid rumblings of Antonio Conte and Mauricio Pochettino being names at the top of Perez’s wish-list. The latter has proven his ability to bring through young players and make them established cornerstones of the first team.

The chase for a 34th La Liga title is still not over. While Barcelona stare down at the other 19 teams their campaign to this point has been anything but smooth.

The Catalans recent lost at home in a thrilling 4-3 contest against Real Betis. Outside of that Ernesto Valverde’s men have conceded at least two goals one seven occasions, relying on their attacking dominance to get them over the line against lesser sides in domestic competition. There is opportunity to close that gap while Barcelona work on fixing their defensive leaks.

The 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Barca, which was the final nail in Lopetgui’s coffin, will sting. Solari could endear himself to supporters and board members alike when the Catalan giants visit the Santiago Bernabeu in the league in early March.

Madrid have trodden this path before.

In disarray and in need of a feel-good moment, they turned to a former club icon. While not as iconic, Solari is well respected around the club. His five years playing for Los Blancos yielded seven trophies including two league triumphs and a Champions League success.

The Argentine has studied hard in the background waiting for this moment. Now he faces the final exam.