Real Madrid May Be Struggling but Don't Write off Champions League Holders

You don’t have to be a genius to realise the departures of Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso have affected the work of Carlo Ancelotti and the performances of the current Real Madrid side.

Just three games in and Los Blancos already find themselves six points adrift of an unbeaten Barcelona, and four points behind their neighbours and reigning champions, Atletico.

Generally, the feeling is this squad is poorer than last season’s, without the same intensity and a side struggling to find the way they want to play.

But while it is convenient to put the blame fairly and squarely onto the shoulders of the decision-makers at the club, the truth is it is not—as it rarely is—as simple as that.

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There is no question that Di Maria wanted to stay at the Bernabeu. The problem occurred with the disparity on what he and his people thought he was worth and what Real Madrid were prepared to pay him.

From the start, the player got the impression Real were not prepared to go the extra mile to keep him at a club which was giving out the vibe he thought suggested they could take him or leave him.

What they were saying, in effect, is, while they would be happy enough for him to stay, they would not be unhappy to see him go. From that moment, the die was cast.

With the arrival of James Rodriguez, they were not prepared to give an improved contract and a lot more money to a player who would spend most of the time sat on the bench.

From a footballing point of view, it obviously made sense to keep him, but on this occasion the club decided otherwise.

In the case of Xabi Alonso, it was the player himself who wanted to go. He told the club and Ancelotti he wanted out, surprising everybody after he had said the opposite weeks earlier, so it would be wrong to assume the club were in anyway to blame for his departure.

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What the club would have thought once the decision had been made, is that at least it would now give them the opportunity to aid the development and progression of players like Toni Kroos and Asier Illarramendi, whose advancement could have been limited had Xabi stayed.

Will Illarramendi become the new Xabi Alonso? Personally, I don’t think so, but that’s a long way from saying it’s Madrid’s fault Alonso left.

What is certain is that Real are trying to change the way they play with more pressure high up the pitch and more play between the lines to suit the style of Kroos, Luka Modric and James.

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That’s fine when they have the ball, but can prove costly when they don’t, as Arda Turan proved when he hit Atletico’s winner against them and all three of the players—to a man—failed to do their jobs.

While many are claiming James and Kroos are being played out of position, it is worth remembering the Colombian is no stranger to the left-sided midfield role having played there earlier in his career with some success, before switching to his favoured No. 10 role.

Kroos never played in his present position in holding midfield for Bayern Munich but nonetheless, now finds himself there when playing for Germany, which would suggest if he’s good enough to do it for the world champions, he should be good enough to do it for his club.

What Kroos needs now more than anything else is to win his place in the Madrid group dynamic—his rightful slot in the Bernabeu hierarchy by which the team runs—not to mention the experience and know-how to shine in that position. He can do it with honours.

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After winning a Champions League, there can be a tendency for a team to lose that one or two per cent of intensity in the way you do things, which could also go some way to explaining why no one club has ever regained the trophy.

That said, this is still a very good side and it could well be a season where—if they start to be left behind in the title race—Real Madrid might well concentrate most of their efforts into the Champions League again.

Cristiano Ronaldo is going to have to take a long hard look at his fitness. He had a brief rest, but I don’t believe his knee problems are completely sorted, which is probably why Javier Hernandez has been brought in on a season’s loan—not to replace Karim Benzema, but to add a different dimension to the attack when Ronaldo isn’t 100 percent.

Mind you, this is a Chicharito who played just six times last season in what was generally regarded as a pretty mediocre Manchester United side, so don’t hold your breath.

In the Champions League, though, this is a side which tends to transform itself. Write them off at your peril.