Real Madrid Must Focus on Aiding Cristiano Ronaldo's Form, Not Worry He'll Leave
Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated plenty of column inches and headlines over the last week or so. But this time it hasn't been for scintillating performances and goalscoring exploits, instead regarding the possibility of a move away from Real Madrid to one of the game's other richest teams.
Following an interview with German publication Kicker, in which Ronaldo seemingly offered the answer "why not?" when asked if he could leave Real Madrid (via Marca), club president Florentino Perez had to have a few words with his star player before the clash with Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.
The potential Ronaldo transfer has been something of a backdrop to Real Madrid's season so far, but the club instead needs to turn its attention toward making sure the forward resumes his best form and finds consistency, two aspects of his game he hasn't yet managed in 2015-16.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Fuelling the Rumour Mill
It's a fact of football, at Real Madrid as with at every other club, that club legends leave. They may remain in place for years, but sooner or later, through injury or decline, retirement or a wish to pursue a career elsewhere, everybody departs the Santiago Bernabeu the same way.
Only this summer, one of Real's finest players was ushered out, as Iker Casillas packed his bags and moved to FC Porto. Raul left a handful of seasons ago and was overtaken as top scorer only a few weeks ago, while heading back in time, the likes of Fernando Hierro, Roberto Carlos and Zinedine Zidane all had their Real careers ended in different ways for different reasons.
Now, the focus is on Ronaldo.
He isn't gone yet—far from it—but eventually he will, though it's impossible to tell at this stage whether the Portugal international wants to go or just enjoys the hype, the panic and the speculation surrounding his name in the media ahead of big games.
The full quote in Kicker (via Marca) says Ronaldo answered a question about his future as follows: "Leave Real? Why not? For the moment I play for Real Madrid, but you never know. You need to do what makes you happy, and nobody knows what'll happen tomorrow."
The Marca report also indicated he told Perez those were not his words—but it hasn't stopped the rumours beginning to circulate again. The Guardian noted the interest of Paris Saint-Germain, while ESPN FC reported on Ronaldo and PSG manager Laurent Blanc exchanging "whispered words" after the match. The Mirror highlighted Ronaldo winking and smiling at PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
All of that means precisely nothing, of course, yet it could still mean absolutely everything.
Season Form
The entire point is that Ronaldo is making headlines for words and transfer rumours, fictitious or otherwise in both cases, instead of doing so for his scoring exploits. Yes, sure, he has broken another couple of records this term, but they were happening regardless of how well he played, such had been his form in previous seasons.
Looking at the raw numbers tells you he's playing well: 10 Liga matches played, eight goals and two assists. In all competitions, it's 13 goals in 14 games. He has only actually scored in six different fixtures, though, grabbing five against Espanyol early on in the season, a hat-trick against Shakhtar, two in Malmo and one in each of his last three Liga outings.
This recent run is more what we've come to expect from Ronaldo—inexorably finding the back of the net in every game rather than lots in one game and not at all for three or four thereafter—but the all-round performances alongside the strikes have been extremely poor by the No. 7's ridiculously high standards.
Against PSG, he looked ineffective to the point of being disinterested; Toni Kroos was frequently the furthest-forward player in the second half as he made the sprints from deep, chased down defenders or sought to stretch the French team's back line, while Ronaldo himself wandered around without having an impact on the game or looking capable of doing so.
The fixture against Las Palmas last time out in the league was a complete stroll in the park for Real. But whereas we might previously have seen Ronaldo sense that sort of malaise and poor opposition level as an opportunity to slaughter them senseless with a dozen or more shots raining in, he this time let them off the hook with just the one goal scored.
Thereafter, he was a peripheral figure again, frustrated at times with his team-mates or the referee but rarely doing much to suggest he could explode a hat-trick past Javi Varas in goal.
It has been a similar theme for a few games running, and not once this season—even in scoring five against Espanyol—has Ronaldo genuinely looked like the aggressive, determined, indestructible and predictable winning machine of last season.
That isn't to say he has been poor all year. The last few weeks haven't been anything to write home about, but early on there was effort, desire, creation of chances. But all of that comes as standard to good players. What makes Ronaldo great, what makes him stand out above all others bar one, is his relentlessness.
That is what is missing at present. That is what Real must focus on recapturing while they still have him, not worrying about when or whether they might lose him.
Tactics, Injuries, Personnel
What is causing Ronaldo's slump to a mere 0.93 goals-a-game average? OK, ignore the goals-scored column for a moment. There's so much more to come from his game that Real aren't getting it right now. And there are several potential reasons why.
At the start of the season, the formation and way of playing for Real Madrid was clear: a fluid front four comprised of Ronaldo on the left, Gareth Bale centrally and James Rodriguez (in theory, at least; in practice, it has more often been Isco) on the right behind Karim Benzema up front. Movement, positional interchanges and pace in attack meant many occasions when Ronaldo popped up unmarked centrally or remained as the furthest upfield player, but those were the general starting roles.
Unfortunately for Real, aside from Ronaldo, all of the others have been largely unavailable in recent weeks. Jese has managed a mini revival of late, Lucas Vazquez has found form and favour under Rafa Benitez—and with Ronaldo too, with Vazquez setting up three Ronaldo goals so far—and the midfield alignment has also changed, with Casemiro providing cover and playing in a three instead of a double pivot.
Those factors can affect the quality and consistency of chances being created for Ronaldo and the speed at which the team attacks—but not his disinterest and lack of effectiveness on the ball.
Is the forward unhappy with being played as a No. 9 in Benzema's absence? Is he unhappy the coach is making decisions to not base the entire team around Ronaldo's own preferences and ability?
Ballon d'Or?
Perhaps there are off-field issues surrounding Ronaldo at present. He is likely on the verge of giving up his Ballon d'Or to Lionel Messi, with the Barcelona forward the favourite to win 2015's award.
El Clasico On Nov. 21 might be a less-than-fitting end to the year for the star duo to showcase their talents in: Ronaldo is way off his best form, and Messi is fighting to even be fit for inclusion after missing the last few weeks with injury.
Ronaldo recently admitted, reported by El Pais (via AS), he hated going to the Ballon d'Or galas when Messi was winning consistently, so the last two—both won by the Real Madrid man—have been good times indeed. Is the prospect of giving up the crown, possessed by the official No. 1 in the world, having an effect on a man who has to win?
"Perhaps for you, Messi is the best; in my head, I am the best."
Those were Ronaldo's words, and they are not so different to when he spoke with CNN back in 2012: "Some people say I'm better. Other people say it's him. ... At the moment...I think it is me."
Realistic Expectation
Ultimately, Real Madrid's season must, of course, be about the team overall, not Ronaldo or any other individual—it's simply that when Ronaldo is flying, the team's chances of success are vastly improved.
Getting the likes of Bale and James back to full fitness will be key to whether Real can challenge for the Champions League and Liga titles this year; they have rolled on admirably without them so far, but beating Levante, Granada and Las Palmas without them (or Malmo and Shakhtar) is a different prospect to doing so against upcoming opponents Sevilla, Barcelona and Villarreal (or perhaps some time in 2016, Bayern Munich and Juventus).
Whatever the key is to focusing Ronaldo again, whatever the trigger mechanism for ensuring the already legendary No. 7 clicks back into gear—not just lashing in a goal and then switching off, but playing at full tilt for 90 minutes at a time—Real have to find it quickly.
A half-interested Ronaldo with one eye on the future can still be a match-winner, but a fully integrated Ronaldo, a relentless, full-throttle, unstoppable force of nature Ronaldo is a title-winner.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
