Santiago Bernabeu Attitudes Must Change for Real Madrid to Enjoy Liga Success
Real Madrid remained top of La Liga after Jornada 13 thanks to a 2-1 home win over Sporting Gijon on Saturday, the same scoreline by which they defeated another Sporting, the Portuguese side, in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
Six points clear and guaranteeing themselves to stay top after El Clasico next week regardless of the scoreline. Manager Zinedine Zidane's side have won four in a row in all competitions, six in a row in La Liga, have not lost a match this season and have won 31 straight matches dating back to April, equalling Carlo Ancelotti's best run and includes two trophies already.
So all should be well with Los Blancos' fans, correct?
Crowd worries
Unfortunately not, it seems.
The below-capacity crowd were happy enough early on as they got to see Cristiano Ronaldo's trademark celebration twice in quick succession, a penalty and a diving header putting Los Blancos two goals up. But the chances dried up a little thereafter.
By their own admission Real Madrid took their foot off the pedal, defender Nacho Fernandez told BeIN (h/t Marca): "We started the game well. We went 2-0 up but then eased off a bit, I don't think we were relaxed. The surface was difficult to play on." Zidane, meanwhile, suggested he wasn't happy with aspects of the performance, per Marca.
Once Los Blancos downgraded to second gear, problems appeared as they have all season when the intensity is lacking. And the fans responded in kind.
Karim Benzema was a particular focus of their ire as the French striker continued to struggle for sharpness. Despite his goal in midweek to beat Sporting CP, he couldn't pose any kind of threat to Sporting Gijon until a second-half header was directed straight at the keeper from point-blank range. And the crowd wasn't happy.
The Bernabeu fans jeered Benzema on at least two occasions and again when a sub was made that could certainly have been interpreted as a decision to not remove Benzema. The forward is out of form and should arguably be out of the team, but he helped win an important match only a few days ago and his reward is abuse. It isn't going to help.
Likewise, their booing of the entire team was at best ignorant and at worst actively harmful to the club's title charge.
Madrid were whistled and jeered off the pitch at the final whistle, as reported by Marca and clearly heard over transmissions of the match, and this at the moment in which the club went briefly seven points clear at the top.
Just a week before facing Barcelona in El Clasico, too, the players' lingering memory of their "support" is to be reminded that they aren't being good enough. Top isn't good enough. Winning isn't good enough.
Yes, Real Madrid fans want to see good football, teams battered into submission and trophies won by the halfway stage of the season, but you rarely get what you want in football or in life. You get what you work for, deserve and progress toward—on a sodden pitch, against well-organised opponents who themselves missed a penalty to snatch a draw. A win is a win.
Real Madrid haven't won anywhere near enough La Liga titles in recent years to warrant or justify such dissatisfaction among the locals when they are top and have a good chance of claiming the league championship. Enjoy it, embrace it and just maybe that seven-point gap to their Catalan rivals can be maintained or even increased in a week.
Crowd teasers
Benzema's form, backing from the crowd or not, is a legitimate concern. He is lumbering, lacking a first touch too often and his strike rate is well down on previous seasons. With Alvaro Morata out he should have a guaranteed spot in the side, like most years, yet until Bale's injury it was an easy call to move Ronaldo into the attack and leave Benzema out.
His place in the XI for El Clasico is likely, but shouldn't be taken as an absolute guarantee.
James Rodriguez also failed to shine on his first start in two months, though it can hardly be a surprise given the conditions, the defensively resolute opposition and his own lack of game time, which stood at around half an hour in five matches before this one.
Keylor Navas is also still not at his absolute best after injury over the summer. He's certainly the right pick for No. 1, but his form of 2015/16 was other-worldly; this year he has merely been decent so far. Two clean sheets in La Liga have been bookended by conceded a goal apiece to Sporting and Alaves from just three shots on target apiece.
Crowd pleasers
While some might be floundering, others are beginning to soar.
Just as Gareth Bale took centre stage at the end of last season and the start of this season due to Ronaldo's injuries, now has Ronaldo begun to really flourish. And just in time, too, as Bale's long-term injury means the team will miss his penetrative runs and constant shots. Ronaldo now has eight goals in his last six games (with a couple of assists thrown in for good measure) and is the league's top scorer once again.
Lucas Vazquez, enjoying a run since the switch to 4-2-3-1, had his best game in some time and should be certain for the Clasico lineup. His mix of work, rate and pace to get behind the defence is so useful for a manager to call upon. Even if he's not in the very top ranks of technical ability, he's good enough to both balance out the side and offer a threat in the final third.
Finally, Nacho once again deserves recognition for a job well done. He won't be in the lineup against Barcelona and will be overlooked when it comes to headline acts and superstar names, but he hasn't put a foot wrong this season, was excellent at left-back—that cross!—and solid in the centre later on. The penalty was perhaps harshly called against him, and if Zidane were to pick his side to face Barcelona purely on form as merit, Nacho would be in.
He'll likely be one of those called upon in midweek instead, in the Copa del Rey against Leonesa.
Perhaps in that game, against meaningless opposition in an irrelevant match, Real Madrid will rack up the five or six goals in a victory that the crowd wants to see to go home happy.
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