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

#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.