Real Madrid and Atletico Have Much to Work on as La Liga Season Progresses

Before the start of the season, Real Madrid were the bookies’ and pundits’ favourites to regain La Liga and retain the Champions League. Now, with just two league games played, they seem to be regarded by some as a “work in progress.”

So what’s happened? Carlo Ancelotti is right when he describes Real Madrid as a diesel rather that a sports car, per Reuters (via The Guardian), that takes a while to reach its top speed and peak performance.

"I will find the right solution for Madrid," said Ancelotti. "All the signings and transfers have been given the green light from the coach."

I too am convinced they will get there in the end, but in truth they haven’t been helped by key changes in two positions.

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The absence of Xabi Alonso will be felt deeply as the season progresses. Real will now look to a new process that will need Toni Kroos to grasp the nettle and fill the gap left by Alonso and take on a new role as leader of the side and central midfielder in front of the defence.

Ironically, this is where he played for Germany this week, although it is not his natural position, and he is going to have to get used to using his energies better and lasting out the full 90 minutes.

He is also going to have to establish for himself the authority in the Real Madrid hierarchy that will permit him the luxury of being able to "crack the whip" at the likes of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo when he urges them to track back.

That is a right he is going to have to earn and is something that is easier said than done.

James Rodriguez is also an interesting situation. Of course he will play, but probably, at least while Ronaldo is fit, on the left-hand side of midfield, which is far from ideal because that also is not his natural position.

James is, however, a class act and as such will adapt and undoubtedly get better. Zinedine Zidane also played there for Real.

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Across the city at the Vicente Calderon there seems to be a teensy-weensy bit of cooling off with regards to the almost universal adoration enjoyed by Atletico’s manager, Diego Simeone.

The unconditional love showered onto the prickly Argentine came about, not least, because of his side’s breaking of the Barcelona-Real Madrid La Liga duopoly that saw Atletico become the first side for 10 years other than Los Blancos or Los Cules to win the title last season.

Quite where his star would have been propelled to, had his side managed to hold on to the one-goal lead they held against his neighbours in the Champions League final for another two minutes doesn’t bear thinking about.

Now it would seem that perhaps his behaviour and manner while on the bench need to be addressed and that his excesses and theatrics may well affect his team.

While Atletico don’t quite seem to show the same intensity when he is not on the bench, basically the club’s main problem would seem to be football rather than personality related.

Financially they are undoubtedly the poorer relation of the three, but before we get our hankies out we should perhaps remember that this is a club that managed to spend in the region of €100 million this summer on new players.

But their attack this season is not as potent as it was last. This is a side that still isn’t sure—post Diego Costa—what the best options are, and it could prove to be the biggest coaching challenge that Simeone has ever had to face.

Mario Mandzukic, Raul Jimenez, Alessio Cerci and Antoine Griezmann are all top-quality players. The question is will Simeone be able to galvanise them into a collective unit with Atletico?

It’s going to be fascinating to see how everything pans out, starting with the Madrid derby on Saturday.