Real Madrid News: Luka Modric's Role at Real Madrid in 2013/14

Expectations for Luka Modric at Real Madrid ahead of the upcoming 2013/14 season are high.

His protracted £33m transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Los Blancos last summer was only finalised towards the end of the transfer window. By that point, Real had already played their second match in La Liga, meaning a less than comprehensive integration period for the exceptionally talented Croatian.

Without a preseason under his belt, Modric struggled early on in Spain. His Real career stuttered, evident by the unused substitute appearance during the 2-2 El Clasico draw at the Camp Nou.

By the turn of 2012, the playmaker had been declared the transfer flop of the season in La Liga by readers of Marca.

However, by the end of the season he accumulated 33 La Liga appearances (second only to Cristiano Ronaldo at Real) but tellingly, only 51.5 percent were full 90-minute appearances (compared to fellow midfielder Xabi Alonso's 68 percent).

Unfortunately, after just one season, Modric's worth to Los Blancos was questioned thanks to alarming headline figures of four goals and four assists in 44 La Liga and Champions League appearances. Subsequent transfer speculation has followed, linking him with a move back to England—Spurs, as part of possible Gareth Bale transfer, and to Manchester United claimed the Daily Mirror.

With Jose Mourinho gone and Carlo Ancelotti in the Bernabeu hotseat, the Italian needs to revisit why Modric became one of the best midfielders in the Premier League with Spurs.

While at the North London club, Modric played in a central-midfield role where he was the conductor of the orchestra. The adjacent graphic has been sourced from Four Four Two's Stats Zone, detailing where Modric made his passes in a Premier League match against Stoke City at White Hart Lane (blue / red arrows mean successful / unsuccessful passes)

As per the graphic, Harry Redknapp effectively gave Modric the freedom of North London to ply his trade—where the Croatian was at his best.

According to Marca, Carlo Ancelotti has made it abundantly clear, and rightly so, how highly he rates Modric. "Modric is an outstanding player and, in my opinion, one of the best midfielders in the world right now, because he can play in more than one position".

Ever present during preseason, this diagram shows the Croat's general positioning as a deep-lying playmaker during the recent friendly win against Chelsea, justifying Ancelotti's point that he can play across the midfield.

While Modric's headline statistics appear to be poor, it is worth noting that he created more goal-scoring opportunities (56) in La Liga than any Barcelona player and was only trumped by Mesut Oezil and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real.

In addition, Madridistas will tell you that (notwithstanding Nani's red card), Modric's introduction against Manchester United at Old Trafford during last season's Champions League tie changed the game and quite rightly, he earned the fans' respect following his breathtaking equaliser.

Furthermore, and arguably critical to Modric's success, Real's chief quarterback Xabi Alonso is injured as reported by Reuters. With no return date in place, Modric has effectively been given the keys to the Bernabeu engine room. Being the focal point of the midfield will help the Croatian greatly, and this season could be a significant one for both him and Real Madrid.