Real Madrid: Time, Not Transfers, Will Improve Jose Mourinho's Side

According to the age old saying (possibly uttered by Shaun Alexander), "Time heals all wounds, unless you pick at them."

When thinking about this inspirational adage, I cannot help but to think that it perfectly describes the current Real Madrid side.

After hiring legendary Manager Jose Mourinho and bolstering an already loaded roster with a fresh batch of rising stars, Los Merengues appeared ready to unseat arch rival FC Barcelona as the top team in both Spanish and European football.

After overcoming the Catalonians in an epic Copa del Rey final, it appeared that balance of power had shifted.  Los Madrileños would inevitably defeat Barcelona in the Champions' League semifinals while continuing to wreak havoc in La Liga.

By the end of the season, no one would have been surprised when Madrid emerged as treble winners.

But their plans ultimately went horribly wrong.

Thanks to an unfortunate red card and a pinch of "Messianic" brilliance, Madrid fell 2-0 at home in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Barcelona.

Unable to overcome the massive deficit in the return leg against an inspired Barca side, Madrid disappointingly crashed out of the Champions League.

Roughly a week later, Barcelona denied Madrid the La Liga crown for the third consecutive season.

As Barcelona proceeded to dominate Manchester United, Real fans eagerly awaited the opening of the 2011 summer transfer window. 

Another slew of high-profile transfers would hoist Real above their hated rivals, right?

Wrong.

In his first season as manager, Jose Mourinho transformed Real Madrid from a bunch of underachieving losers into the second best team in the world.

Could he not oversee even greater improvements in his second season?

With such a special class of players, I certainly think so.

Starting in goal for nearly a decade, Iker Casillas has clearly established himself as arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho form a superb central defense capable of stonewalling just about everyone not named Lionel Messi.

Wing backs Sergio Ramos and Marcelo are similarly stoic in defense but move forward with the pace and technical skill of world-class wingers.

Xabi Alonso along with recently acquired Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Şahin should continue to flourish spraying precision passes from deep in the midfield while Sami Khedira and Şahin's Turkish teammate Hamit Altintop will provide excellent coverage from the bench.

With new 2010 additions Ángel Di María and Mesut Özil combining for 16 goals and 38 assists seasons this season, Madrid does not need any improvements on the flanks.  Assuming Kaká remains healthy and receives regular playing time, he will also be a menace for opposing defenses.

Though heavily criticized, strikers Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuaín combined for a hearty 39 goals in all competitions.  Assuming Higuain remains healthy this season, he should reach a return closer to the 29 he collected in the 2009-2010 season.

Oh, I almost forgot that Cristiano Ronaldo scored 53 goals this season playing as a wing, a second striker, and a center forward.  How silly of me...

Quite frankly, I don't see how manager Jose Mourinho could even improve this side. Sure, Neymar, Fábio Coentrão, and even Cesc Fabregas are great, but could any of them even crack the starting 11?

Why try to fix something that isn't broken?

While Real fans seem to angrily grumble that Barcelona has won the Champions League twice in the past three years, they must realize that essentially the same cast of Catalans failed to even qualify for the Champions League Final in 2008 and 2010.

In other words, even the best teams are not invincible.

Madrid did not manage to win either La Liga or the Champions League this past season, but under Mourinho's continued leadership, I expect the current players will continue to develop into a relentless unit capable of transitioning from defense to attack almost instantaneously.

As much as I (along with the rest of the Football World) would hate to see Jose Mourinho and friends hoist the Champions League trophy for Real, I fear this unfortunate moment is ultimately inevitable...as long as "the Special One" can keep his current side intact.