Meanwhile, for some others, ‘struggle’ is not being able to put food on the table. This is the way life is; it just has a way of making one word mean many things.
For low-budget top division clubs, staying up is the be-all and end-all. But when it comes to Real Madrid, being just two points from the top spot after 8 games in the league is a crisis.
They are second in their group in the Champions League, a competition which they have won three times in a row and are currently defending it, and yet, with no goals in the last four games in all competition, the general consensus seems to be that the Galacticos are struggling.
It is all about standards and the way the Blancos have set the bar, it is only natural to claim that they are in a spot of bother – and here are 5 reasons why that is happening…
#5 Ronaldo departure
If one removes a light bulb from a room, it ought to become dark. That is how it is. There could be some light rays travelling inside the room when the sun is up but by the time the darkness of the night shrouds the world, the room will become pitch dark.
So when Real Madrid decided to remove the light from their room by selling Cristiano Ronaldo, it was only a matter of time before the darkness seeped in. After all, this is a man who shattered the scoring records of former Madrid players and ended up becoming the highest ever scorer in the history of the club.
And it took him only 9 seasons to get there. In the process, he helped the Merengues win the Champions League four times and the league two times. His goals were fundamental for the club and with his absence now, the Bernabeu outfit are now going through a scoring-drought of four games.
#4 Underwhelming window
Lopetegui started the season well but the sun had to set and once it did, the darkness crept in. It wouldn’t have mattered if the light bulb was replaced with another one.
But the point is, Florentino Perez didn’t. He didn’t sign a single proven goalscorer to replace the Ronaldo-sized gap in the team. So if he is upset about Madrid’s woes now, it would be like covering his eyes with his own hands and then complaining that the world is dark.
The Galacticos had a very quiet window as the only notable attackers that came in were Vinicius Jr. – whose signing was confirmed a long time ago – and Mariano.
As talented as they might be, they simply don’t have the credentials to fill the void left by the Portuguese superstar. Even then, it might have not mattered and the Merengues might have kept winning if it weren’t for…
#3 Isco reliance
The moment Julen Lopetegui was announced to be the new manager of Real Madrid, it became evident that Isco would play a prime role under him at the Bernabeu. This was a safe assumption to make because, after all, the former Malaga man was the key player in Lopetegui’s system for Spain.
And the exact same happened at Real Madrid. Isco, at his best, is a joy to behold. He not only controls the midfield by connecting the dots, but he is also the link between the midfield and the attack and plays a crucial role in the final third.
While this might be a good thing, it also makes Real Madrid vulnerable since Isco’s absence gives them a major blow. There is no-one that can do the job that he does in Lopetegui’s system and the fact that Madrid haven’t been able to score a single goal since his appendicitis is a testament to the claim.
Three losses, no goals, no wins and five conceded since Isco’s absence. That’s all.
#2 Injuries
This is basically an extension of the earlier point. Isco was ruled out for a month after he got operated. However, he is not the only one who got afflicted by the fangs of injury.
Both of Madrid’s first-choice full-backs, Dani Carvajal and Marcelo, were scathed by injuries. As a result, youngsters Alvaro Odriozola and Sergio Reguilon had to be the full-back pairing against CSKA Moscow.
Meanwhile, Gareth Bale is also currently injured and hasn’t been at his 100% in the last couple of matches. Benzema, too, is addressing a hamstring issue.
As it is, Madrid are already suffering from the departure of Ronaldo and the unavailability of Isco. So these further absentees only just hurt them more.
#1 New coach
In the history of humanity, there have only been a very, very few instances when a change in power of any organization was smooth. Even in a democracy, the transition of power almost often causes hiccups.
So when a new manager takes over from his predecessor – a highly successful one at that – it is only natural for things to be a little erratic in the beginning. Julen Lopetegui’s football system is completely different to that of Zidane.
While the Frenchman brought the best out of an individual player, Lopetegui always tries to implement a system wherein the individual skills of each player produces the best in a collective manner.
From Zidane to Lopetegui, this is actually a big change tactical-wise and it will take at least a season for the Blancos to completely implement what the Spaniard intends to.
Even something as small as a caterpillar takes around three weeks to turn into a butterfly and we are talking about an entire football team here.
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title: “5 Reasons Why Real Madrid Are Struggling” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-10” author: “John Waterfall”
So what is it that is holding Madrid back? Here we take a look at the reasons for their current struggles.
#1 Goal drought
Sevilla, Atletico Madrid and CSKA Moscow have all kept clean sheets against Real Madrid, as the Los Blancos haven’t found the back net since Marco Asensio’s goal against Espanyol. This Real Madrid side has now gone 319 minutes without scoring which represents the third worst goal drought in Europe’s top five leagues only bettering Cagliari and Dijon. This is largely due to the fact that this side has been unable to open up the defense of teams that like to sit back and absorb pressure and just rely on counters.
Karim Benzema started the season in scintillating fashion scoring 4 goals in LaLiga but off late has been disappointing. In his last 5 appearances he’s failed to get on the scoresheet with only 1 of his last 11 shots being on target. It’s not solely down to Benzema, the midfield has struggled to create clear cut chances for the striker to capitalize. Neither has anyone else stepped up to score these goals recently.
#2 Injuries are taking a toll
Both the starting fullbacks Dani Carvajal and Marcelo have been sidelined with injuries. Marcelo out with a calf injury is expected to be back within a week or two but Carvajal’s issue is much more serious which may cause him to miss around 6-8 weeks. Alvaro Odriozola was roped in this summer as Carvajal’s backup has been doing well but he’s still inexperienced and has a lot of things still to learn. Meanwhile, Nacho and Reguilon can cover up for Marcelo but to cover up Marcelo’s offensive contributions is not an easy task.
Even the star midfielder Isco has been out citing his recent appendicitis surgery. To add to this list even Gareth Bale had a scare when he felt some discomfort in his groin. With Ronaldo’s departure Bale is supposed to be their main man but for it, he must be fit throughout the season. With injuries taking a toll it has forced Julen Lopetegui to make so many changes and Real Madrid’s squad depth which has been deteriorating over the years after the departure of players like Kovacic, James, Morata, Cristiano and many more is also one of the reasons.
#3 Life without Cristiano Ronaldo was never going to be easy
When Cristiano came to Madrid the team was struggling to even qualify for quarters of UCL, but with his arrival, the team won everything they could not have imagined a decade back. Cristiano was there for Real Madrid when everyone was down saving the team on numerous occasions which one can’t even keep tabs on. Real Madrid relied on Cristiano’s individual brilliance to get them sailing and his numbers speak for him as he never disappointed. Ronaldo scored 451 goals in just 9 years to become the club’s all-time goalscorer and managed to collect 16 titles.
After his departure, it was all down to Julen Lopetegui to get this squad balanced out and find a way to replace 50 goals a season. Everyone knew it was never going to be easy for Real Madrid to keep the current Ballon d’Or achievements in the past.
#4 Inconsistent performances from the promising Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio often termed as the best youngster in world football alongside Kylian Mbappe had a huge responsibility on his shoulders as he was going to feature more than ever for Real Madrid after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. Marco Asensio started the season on a high and contributed to team victories against Leganes, Espanyol and Girona but underperformed against Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and CSKA.
Florentino Perez refuted from signing any other player to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as he did not want to hamper Asensio’s growth and looks at Marco Asensio as his personal project. Asensio definitely has what it takes to be a talisman in the future if he remains consistent throughout.
#5 Leaking goals
Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos are arguably the best centre-back pairing in the world but this has not prevented Real Madrid from leaking goals off late. The reason being the advancements of the fullbacks high up the pitch and Casemiro’s positioning sometimes leave Real Madrid vulnerable to counters which is too much for both the centre-backs to deal with. Ramos who used to cover up for Marcelo’s area when he used to advance up the pitch has not reached his peak form this season. In the hunt for goals, Real Madrid have been leaving acres of spaces uncovered inviting teams to counter. The goals have nothing to do with the goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Keylor Navas who’ve been excellent till now. It’s all down to the defensive shape, positioning of players and being alert to the possibility of dangerous attacks.
Conclusion
Julen Lopetegui started the season well playing breathtaking football and has done well to keep up with the pressure but all of these issues coinciding have created problems for him but it is too early to criticize a manager who is managing a team as big as Real Madrid which is under a transition phase. All the fans would be hoping Lopetegui to look for solutions to get out of this slump.
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