Exposed: Why Madrid Is Struggling?

(Photo Credit: static.independent.co.uk)

 Real Madrid has won the Champions League twice in three years. Not only that the team has also drawn twice in their last three games. Many clubs strengthen their squads during the summer transfer window but Madrid relied on the old guns to carry on successfully with what the team has achieved in 2015/16. Youth players have been tagged as Zinedine Zidane’s new signings, but have they been able to take up the responsibility as individual players and collectively as a team?

Madrid played out a 1-1 draw against Villareal on 21 September and three days later on Saturday, the team drew 2-2 on the road at in-form Las Palmas much to the surprise of the bookmakers. They followed it up with another draw at Dortmund and on Sunday the team drew again to Eibar.

Zidane has done a great job with Real Madrid turning their fortunes last season. A manager like Zidane who has played the game and won every recognizable trophy should have brought some star performers to supplement the performances of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano. 

Teams are built on squads; strength in squad depth to an important role of an emotional state called urgency. Marco Asensio and Kiko Casilla are the only two players who made the line-up against Las Palmas who has not won the Champions League. They have won it all and therefore there’s no urgency in the teams quest to succeed because the players know that they would bounce back but complacency kills teams.

By fielding Marco Asensio ahead of James Rodriguez and Isco with the Borussia Dortmund game in mind means that Zidane thought Las Palmas was just a stroll in the park. 

Madrid is a team known for its buys and though the sums are so huge the players perform and prove they are worthy of their price tag. 

After three semi-final defeats, Madrid brought in Gareth Bale and Isco who were new to the squad and their urgency to achieve something with their new club. This undoubtedly led to the club’s tenth Champion’s league trophy. 

Casemiro came out of loan from FC Porto and the 2015/16 turn of fortunes was down to him as his defensive midfield display saw wins against Barcelona in the El Clasico and Manchester City in the semi-final of the Champions League. Without Casemiro, Simeone’s soldiers would have taken control of the midfield but his urgency to win and cement a place in the starting line-up propelled Madrid to win the 2016 Champions League title. 

Real Madrid has always been great but the team’s performance in the league and the Champions league has not been the best. 

Zidane knows this all too well because new players who have not won anything for their clubs always makes the difference.

Real Madrid head into the international break with four draws in four games and the Madridistas would know if their team’s performance would yield positive results when they come from the break. If it doesn’t then it means that the team needs new players who can bring a new sense of urgency into the team’s current abysmal performance.