Who's to Blame For Real Madrid's Recent Failures
Who's to Blame for Real Madrid's Failing Campaign
The 2018-19 season has been a disastrous one for Real Madrid thus far, following three years of success under Zinedine Zidane. They continue to struggle into the near year in hope of much-needed improvement, let’s discuss some reasons as to why this is the worst Los Blancos team in recent history.
1. The void left by Ronaldo? Surely a team of Real Madrid’s pedigree shouldn’t feel the departure of a single player, however, Cristiano Ronaldo is no ordinary player. The Portuguese superstar not only attributed 40-50 goals every season, but he also radiated an aura of invincibility that flowed throughout the dressing-room. That lack of inspiration has become consistent on and off the field. This void has unfairly dropped on the shoulders of Gareth Bale who has struggled with injury this season in an effort to replicate Ronaldo's scoring prowess.
2. Fewer shots on target. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." This is certainly true in Real Madrid's case. They have suffered as a result of their unwillingness to attack the goal. A total of 563 shots so far this season, less than at the same point in the previous two seasons. 602 - 17/18 and 547- 16/17. However, even more, frightening is their accuracy or lack thereof. less than 50% of their shots are on targets this season the lowest number in the past five seasons.
3. Defense. Not only is Real Madrid misfiring on offense, but they're also struggling to keep the ball out of their own net. A certain surprise to the Madrid hierarchy, especially with the summer acquisition of Thibaut Courtois. The white outfit has conceded 35 goals in 30 games throughout all competitions.
4. The Manager. While the players certainly have to carry their fair amount of blame, the manager cannot be looked over. Lopetegui was the wrong choice and the could be seen in his short tenure. Six wins, six losses, and two draws that left the team demoralized all came to a head with a 5-1 defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona, which ultimately cost Lopetegui his job.
5. Poor Transfer Market. In my opinion the biggest culprit of the bunch. Selling the best player to have stepped into the Santiago Bernabeu in the last 10 years without a contingency plan is frankly stupid. The signings of Mariano Diaz and a very young teenager in Vinicius Jr have yet to put in a convincing performance. Rumors continuously surround the acquisitions of big name players such as Neymar, Mbappe, and Hazard, however, as of now, they are still just rumors.
Overall, I believe a total revamping of the squad needs to happen from the keeper to the forwards. The hunger in the team has vanished, whether that's because they have won the Champions League three years running, an aging group of players who have won everything Madrid has to offer, or the simple fact that these players aren't good enough anymore. Drastic changes need to be mad in Madrid before this situation becomes overly familiar.
