7 players who are the cause of Real Madrid's struggles and Lopetegui's impending sacking

After guiding Real Madrid to her worst ever start to a La Liga season, it came as no surprise when Julen Lopetegui could very well be fired from the job barely four months after accepting it.

Results have been pathetic under the Basque native, as the club has struggled for form and goals under his watch. There have been a host of unwanted records set by Los Blancos in La Liga this season, and this is the first time the club finds itself 9th on the table after 10 matches.

Earlier on, the club embarked on its worst run in front of goal for over 30 years when it went 465 minutes (almost eight hours) without scoring a goal, in the midst of a five match winless run in all competitions.

Julen Lopetegui accepted the Madrid job in acrimonious circumstances just two days to the start of the World Cup, which led to his firing from the national team.

There were a lot of factors out of his control which meant that Lopetegui was destined to struggle in the Real dugout, and while most of the blame for the club’s poor performances have been laid at his feet (as it usually is), the club’s crises have much deeper prognosis than just the incompetence of the manager.

Boardroom decisions, the curious decision to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, and most importantly, the players failing to step up in the absence of the legendary Portuguese all contributed to the malaise experienced by Real Madrid. Here are seven players on whom the responsibility lays for the struggles at the club.

#7 Marco Asensio

The 22-year-old exploded onto the scene at the start of the 2017/2018 season, scoring a couple of stunners particularly in the Super Cup triumph over Barcelona, and he was earmarked as one of the players to lead the club into the future.

He had earlier shown brilliance, and scored the final goal in the 4-1 demolition of Juventus in the 2017 UCL final, but found playing time hard to come by due to the presence of more established players in the dressing room.

Asensio predominantly plays on the left side of attack, and for as long as Ronaldo was present in the team, he was always bound to be on the bench, as there is no player anywhere in the world today apart from Messi and only a tiny handful throughout history who can start ahead of Real Madrid’s record goalscorer.

After Ronaldo completed his transfer to Real Madrid, Asensio got the opportunity he had been craving, as a starting spot was now all but guaranteed for him, and many believed that this would be the season where he would truly explode and become a genuine world beater.

However, four months on, and Asensio is yet to truly prove his worth to the Madrid cause. He had a plethora of opportunities to stamp his authority at the start of the season, but struggled to make any impact, and was one of the players criticized the most for his role in Real Madrid’s goalless run.

He has since been stripped off his starting spot, and even when he is brought on, he still does little more than complete proceedings as a passenger which is hardly what Real Madrid fans expected at the start of the season.

So far this campaign, he has scored just one goal in 14 matches in all competitions, and this is a poor return from someone whom so much more was expected.

Asensio was expected to play a big part at the start of the season, and in that regard, he has done so, but not just in the positive way that was expected, and a large part of Real Madrid’s struggles are undeniably down to his poor performances.

#6 Isco

The 26-year-old Spanish international was named the Golden Boy of 2012, which meant that he was adjudged to be the best player in the world under the age of 21 for that given year. It therefore came as no surprise when Real Madrid swooped in for his signature in a €30m deal with Malaga in 2013.

The move has proved to be highly beneficial to Isco on a professional level, as multiple titles have been won, and he can boast of having four Champions League medals in his cabinet, which only six clubs in all of Europe can lay claim to.

However, on a personal level, it has not been as rewarding, as five years on, and the jury is still out on Isco, as he has yet to truly show his abilities and fulfill his enormous potential, with the large belief among many being that he has just been a member rather than an integral part of Real Madrid’s successes.

Isco is very capable of two extremes, either influencing proceedings with his mesmerizing skills, or being exasperating with his need for unnecessary flicks and killing attacks by holding onto the ball for too long. Another criticized aspect of his game is that he is not productive enough in the final third, as he lacks the precision required to play in a teammate into a scoring position.

So far this season, he has shown more of his weaknesses than strengths, and even though he had a spell on the sidelines due to an operation, it must be noted that he has not done too much to control proceedings in midfield since his return, as he alongside his fellow midfielders have failed to stamp their authority in the middle like it was in the past.

Isco was one of the most vocal members of the squad following Ronaldo’s departure, stating that it was more about the team, and taking a thinly veiled swipe at Ronaldo that the club couldn’t afford to cry over a player who didn’t want to really be there, but four months on from Ronaldo’s departure and he has still failed to step up and be counted.

#5 Toni Kroos

Kroos is a multiple time league and Champions League winner, and was also an integral member of the triumphant Germany squad in 2014; hence his status as a world class midfielder is not in doubt.

His ability to control the tempo of a game with his calm distribution is second to none, and Real Madrid has undoubtedly been a better club since his addition to the squad in 2014.

This season, however, has seen a sharp drop in form by the 28-year-old German, as he has been uncharacteristically sloppy in his passing, giving possession away too cheaply, and failing to provide cover for the fragile defense by being a bystander as the Real Madrid midfield is overrun time and again by opposition teams.

The midfield is an integral part of any team’s success, as it provides the effective link between defense and attack, and any team with a strong midfield has a large of matches, and an ideal midfielder is one who can discharge his duties effectively.

For so long, Real Madrid has been that team and Kroos that player, unfortunately, this season has been an anomaly for club and country, and the German would have to step up his performances significantly if the club is to experience an upturn in fortunes regardless of the arrival of a new coach.

#4 Sergio Ramos

Ramos has failed to marshall his defence

Ramos would undoubtedly retire as a bonafide Real Madrid legend, as the 32-year-old has given his all to the club since his 2005 transfer from Sevilla as a fresh faced 19-year-old.

Since then, he has morphed from an aesthetic vain seeking right-back into a ruthless no-holds-barred central defender, leading his side into battle every week, and has been integral to all of the club’s successes in recent years, holding aloft the Champions League trophy in each of the last three seasons as captain of the side.

His passion on the field of play is evident for all to see, and while he might not be the best of defenders, he more than makes up for that with his willingness to put his body on the line and sacrifice himself when needed, with his card count ranking as high as goals scored by some strikers.

Real Madrid has long been famed for its porosity at the back, as the club struggled to keep clean sheets even if their life depended on it, and their successes were built on a very potent attack who outscored their opponents no matter how many goals were conceded.

So far this season, the goals have dried up as they were expected to following Ronaldo’s departure, and this has placed a greater emphasis on the Real Madrid backline.

It Is appalling to see the ease with which opposition attacks slice through the Real defense time and again, even those on a much smaller level than Los Blancos, and it is here that Ramos should shoulder some of the blame for Real’s woes, as he has failed to lead by example on the field, and is constantly caught out by rivals, which belies all his years as a top level professional.

Strong attacks win games, while strong defenses win titles, and even though Real Madrid has defied this maxim for so long, Ramos needs to step up considerably and begin marshaling the defense if the club is to get out of this rut.

#3 Luka Modric

Modric is the reigning Best FIFA player of the year

The 32-year-old is the current FIFA and UEFA Best player, and is the forerunner to be crowned the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner after his performances last season in helping Real Madrid wins the Champions League, and Croatia get to the World Cup final.

The former Tottenham man was named the Golden Ball winner as the best player in Russia, and rightly so, as arguably nobody else had a better World Cup campaign than him, but a lot of eyebrows were raised when he was handed the individual accolades, particularly the UEFA award for best player of 2018.

Many believed Modric had been the beneficiary of lowered standards, and the figurehead of the conspiracy to end the decade long strangle-hold of Ronaldo and Messi in the sphere of individual awards.

Since his world best win, Luka has not done too much to dispel those accusations, as he has been a shadow of his former self, the epitome of Real Madrid’s struggles in midfield.

He was slow to be reintegrated back into the team, as he was given a deserved extended break after his exertions with Croatia in the summer, but even after getting back into the team, he has failed to stamp his authority on matches in the way Madrid fans are accustomed to, and this has been a key reason for Real’s struggles.

Luka Modric is the best player in the world, the long awaited player who displaced Ronaldo and Messi from their thrones, and this should serve as extra motivation to propel him into leading Real into the future, unfortunately he has failed to do so, and Real Madrid is worse off for it.

#2 Karim Benzema

Alarm bells were rung at the Bernabeu when the club failed to get a marquee striker after the departure of Ronaldo, instead relying on Benzema to lead the attack.

Despite starting the season in very impressive form, scoring five goals in his opening four matches, the Frenchman has fallen back into old habits and has scored just one in ten matches played since then, and went on a seven game goalless streak which cam concordantly with Real’s drought in front of goal.

Benzema’s numbers in recent seasons have been appalling; he scored just five league goals in 31 La Liga appearances last season, and 11 in 29 the previous season. This are poor numbers for a striker at a mega club like Real Madrid, and is the reason why many believed the club would seek a replacement.

Ronaldo’s departure took with him 45+ guaranteed goals every season, and replacing those figures is almost impossible, and with Benzema leading the attack for Real Madrid, the club’s struggles were inevitable.

#1 Gareth Bale

Bale has been the biggest disappointment for Real Madrid this season

The biggest disappointment for Real Madrid post-Ronaldo. The Welshman was expected to be the player to lead the club into the future, but that has proved not to be the case.

The 29-year-old was signed for a then world record fee of £86m from Tottenham in 2013 after his impressive performances for the London club in the EPL which helped him win two PFA Player and one PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Despite starring in all of the club’s triumphs since then, Bale has not truly won the fans over into his corner, as his world-class performances were to infrequent to truly cement his status, as injuries and loss of form limited his impact.

The presence of Ronaldo meant that Bale could never be the main man in the Real team, as there can’t be two Captains on a ship, and with the Portuguese’ departure, the stage was set for him to showcase his undoubted potential to the world, and minimize the loss of Ronaldo.

Four months on, and Bale is arguably in the worst form of his Real Madrid career, and he has failed to shoulder the burden of responsibility placed in his shoulder following the departure of Ronaldo.

Lopetegui might be the man taking the fall for Real Madrid’s struggles, but the players and in particular Bale should also not be exempted.

Edited by Shambhu Ajith