Endrick MOTM: Was He Actually Madrid's Best Player?

So Endrick got voted Man of the Match. And the timeline absolutely lost its mind. I get it, I really do. Kid comes on, does something electric, and suddenly hes the next Ronaldo Nazario according to half of Twitter. But Ive been watching Madrid long enough to know that a MOTM vote after a cameo is not the same thing as being the best player on the pitch. So lets actually talk about it.

Yes, the award was deserved (and no, it wasnt)

Look, I voted for him too. Ill admit it. The vote is basically a popularity contest mixed with a highlights reel, and Endrick gave us the highlight. When a teenager comes off the bench and makes something happen, thats the story. Fans vote for the story. They dont vote for the guy whod been quietly winning every second ball for 70 minutes before the kid even took his tracksuit off.

But heres where I push back on the pushback. The people screaming that the award is a joke are missing the point. Man of the Match in a fan vote isnt a measured tactical assessment. Its a vibe. And the vibe was Endrick. If you wanted the award to go to the midfielder who did the unglamorous stuff, maybe vote next time. Thats not a knock on the kid, thats just how these votes work.

Endrick MOTM: Was He Actually Madrid's Best Player?

The hype machine is already out of control

This is my real concern. One good cameo and people are talking about him like hes already prime R9. Hes not. Hes a kid with a rocket of a left foot and a lot of learning to do about link-up play, offside timing and when to release the ball (he holds onto it like its his last possession on earth sometimes). That stuff comes with minutes and coaching, not with MOTM trophies.

And honestly, the pressure thats getting piled on him is borderline unfair. Every touch gets clipped and dissected now. One bad game and the same accounts hyping him will be calling him overrated. Ive seen this movie. Young Brazilian arrives, gets a nicknames worth of hype, then the discourse turns ugly when he doesnt score every week. Lets not do that to him.

What he actually did well (the boring stuff nobody clips)

Everyone remembers the flashy bits. Fine. But watch the runs he made without the ball, dragging defenders out of shape so the senior players had space. That stuff doesnt make the compilation, but its exactly why the manager trusts him off the bench. His movement in the box is genuinely sharp for his age. He attacks the near post like hes been doing it for a decade.

And the shithousery. God, the shithousery. He plays with this little chip on his shoulder, barging into defenders, celebrating like hes won the World Cup in a league cup tie. I love it. Madrid fans love it. It winds up the opposition and thats half the fun of watching him.

Hes not the finished article and thats fine

People keep comparing him to legends and I think thats the wrong frame entirely. Hes not the next anybody. Hes the first Endrick. The question isnt whether hes already world-class, its whether he can stay patient while the club figures out how to use him. And thats where I get nervous, because Madrid is not a patient club. One bad stretch and the loan rumours start, then the permanent transfer rumours, then some board member gives an interview about balancing the books (you know the type, the ones who treat the squad like a spreadsheet).

If they give him real minutes and stop treating him like a marketing asset, he could be special. If they yank him around every window, we might be watching him tear it up somewhere else in three years. Thats the actual risk here. Not whether he deserved a fan vote after one match.

My verdict, since you asked

The MOTM was a fan vote doing fan vote things. It went to the most exciting player, not the most important one, and Im completely fine with that. Endrick earned the moment. He did not earn the crown. Let him be a teenager who scored a worldie and got a trophy for it, and lets save the legend talk for when hes actually done something over a season.

Ive seen enough flashes to be excited. I havent seen enough to be certain. And the people who are already certain are the same people who will turn on him first when it goes quiet for a month.

Takeaway: a Man of the Match vote is a mood, not a verdict. Endrick deserved his moment, but the hype needs a leash and the club needs to actually play him before anyone decides what he is.

Did Endrick really deserve Man of the Match?

In a fan vote, sure. He gave the most exciting moment of the match, and these awards go to the story, not the quiet 90-minute grind. I voted for him too. But calling him the best player on the pitch is a stretch, because a cameo isnt the same as controlling a game.

Is Endrick overhyped?

The hype is ahead of the evidence, yeah. Hes got a rocket left foot and sharp movement in the box, but hes still raw on link-up play and decision-making. The talent is real. The legend talk is way too early.

Should Real Madrid loan Endrick out?

I wouldnt, not yet. He needs consistent minutes to develop, and the risk is that loaning him out just hands his progress to another club. Give him real rotation minutes and judge him over a full season before making that call.

Whats Endricks biggest weakness right now?

Holding onto the ball too long and his offside timing. He plays like every possession is his last, which is fun to watch but costs the team sometimes. That gets fixed with minutes and coaching, not with MOTM trophies.

Will Endrick be a starter soon?

Depends on the manager and the squad situation. He looks like a genuine impact sub right now, and theres no shame in that at his age. Forcing him into the XI before hes ready could do more harm than good.