5 Things Learned from Real Madrid's 2014/15 La Liga Season
Real Madrid started the 2014-15 season brightly, but their campaign faded over time and they eventually ended up empty-handed in the competitions that matter.
They were eliminated from the Copa del Rey by city rivals Atletico Madrid, finished second in La Liga to Barcelona and were beaten by Juventus in the semi-final of the Champions League.
The season ended with coach Carlo Ancelotti being shown the door by president Florentino Perez.
Here are five things we learned from Real Madrid's 2014-15 campaign.
Florentino Perez Has Too Much Power
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Florentino Perez has run unopposed in the last two elections for the presidency of Real Madrid—after, as per Reuters, modifying the statutes to make it much harder for alternative candidates to challenge him on the second occasion—and currently enjoys an absolute power that is unhealthy for the club.
The latest manifestation of that power was his decision to sack Carlo Ancelotti, despite the Italian enjoying the support of key members of the dressing room, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos.
Perez was unable to offer a satisfactory explanation for the change of coach at the press conference at which the decision was announced.
“I’m not going to go into details because it’s not an opportune moment,” he said, as per Marca.
In his 12 years as president—between 2000 and 2006, and from 2009 to the present day—Madrid have won two Champions League trophies and just three league titles. In those same years, Barcelona have matched their Champions League haul (and could better it if they defeat Juventus in this year’s final) while winning La Liga twice as often.
Perez is, however, always reluctant to take the blame, as Alfredo Relano of AS noted in his column for the paper on Tuesday.
“It’s always somebody else’s fault—the person who is closest at hand. And this time, it was Ancelotti.”
That cycle is likely to continue for as long as Perez remains president.
Real Madrid Lack a Defensive Organiser in Midfield
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It was painfully clear at certain key junctures of the season that Madrid were lacking an experienced defensive midfielder to hold things together in front of the back four.
Xabi Alonso had his faults, and his age has shown at times at Bayern Munich this season, but his late-summer departure left the club short of someone to fulfil this role.
Asier Illarramendi was never that kind of player to start with. His best performances at Real Sociedad came alongside the more defensively minded Markel Bergara, and he struggled to add much defensive vigour when called upon.
January signing Lucas Silva could be in the future, but it was always asking too much for him to step straight off the plane from Brazil and instantly perform to a high standard in European football.
And Toni Kroos, despite his best efforts, lacked sufficient game time in the position prior to his move to Madrid to have a clear handle on his defensive responsibilities.
It was not a regular concern for Carlo Ancelotti and his team. The relatively low quality of the majority of their domestic opponents meant that they were rarely punished fully when holes did open up in front of their defence.
But the fact that the Italian was forced to move Sergio Ramos forward into midfield for a Champions League semi-final says much for his lack of options in the position.
Bringing in an accomplished defensive midfielder should be among Madrid’s priorities this summer.
Madrid Need a New Sporting Director
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Real Madrid sacked sporting director Miguel Pardeza last summer, as per R.Gomez and P. Polo of Marca, and are still yet to appoint a replacement.
In the meantime, Florentino Perez appears to have taken on some of the responsibility himself, with mixed results.
James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos were both success stories. Keylor Navas was solid when called upon, while Javier Hernandez showed well when given opportunities towards the end of the season.
There was, however, a clear imbalance in midfield. When Madrid needed a defensive-midfield reinforcement in January, they didn’t sign the experienced, first-team-ready player required. Instead, they paid €13 million for Lucas Silva, who was always going to need time to settle into the rhythm of European football.
When it came to the crunch matches of the campaign, Carlo Ancelotti was therefore forced to use Sergio Ramos in midfield.
The decision to sell Alvaro Morata to Juventus (albeit with a buy-back clause) and to loan out Casemiro only to then sign another player of a similar type in Silva half-way through the season could also be questioned.
Madrid need a new sporting director, “someone who knows how to design and confect a squad properly, without the caprices of an amateur,” as Alfredo Relano wrote in AS on Tuesday.
No team who has, as per TransferMarkt, spent upwards of €300 million over the last two seasons should find themselves in the position of having to push a defender into midfield.
It Is Difficult to Get the Best from Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale
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Gareth Bale enjoyed an impressive debut season at Real Madrid.
Per WhoScored.com, he scored 21 goals and provided 16 assists in league and Champions League play. He also scored the go-ahead goals in their Copa del Rey and Champions League final successes.
But the Welshman struggled to maintain that kind of output during his second season at the Bernabeu, leading to criticism from supporters and the local media alike.
While some of his performances have been below-par, there is also a degree to which the 25-year-old is hamstrung by the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo alongside him.
Ronaldo is provided with the same freedoms Bale enjoyed in his prolific final season at Tottenham Hotspur. He has earned that right with his astonishing goal return during his time in Madrid.
It does, however, make life difficult for Bale, who is expected to produce a comparable final-third output while also taking on more defensive responsibilities than the Portuguese forward.
Ruben Jimenez of Marca reported earlier this month that Florentino Perez still views Bale as a viable replacement for Ronaldo when the 30-year-old decides to leave the Bernabeu.
Bale is capable of doing better next season, but the explosive and consistently influential player of his Spurs days is unlikely to been seen for as long as Ronaldo remains at the club.
James Rodriguez Has a Long Future Ahead of Him at Real Madrid
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There were some eyebrows raised when Real Madrid paid €80 million to sign James Rodriguez from Monaco on the back of his excellent World Cup with Colombia.
While his talent should not have been in question—he had performed well in both Portugal and France prior to the move—it was legitimate to ask whether he was capable of fulfilling the central-midfield role that Carlo Ancelotti had marked out for him.
But Rodriguez rose to the challenge admirably, and after an uncertain start, he soon began to bed in and perform to a high standard in his new role.
Ancelotti, for one, was highly impressed, as he made clear in his press conference prior to the win over Almeria last month.
"He is a hugely talented player and he also possesses a durable physique not often found in great talents," he explained. "He has gotten used to playing in a deeper role which requires him to cover more ground. That is what has surprised me most."
Per WhoScored, the 23-year-old finished the campaign with an impressive 14 goals and 15 assists in league and Champions League play.
His ability to play as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder or wide forward should serve him well regardless of the identity of Ancelotti’s successor.
And it should also guarantee him a long-term future at the Bernabeu.
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