Real Madrid - A mid-season review

With 21 matches gone in La Liga and 43 points on the league table, most teams would be more than happy with their returns. But then again, Real Madrid is not like most teams, and this season has been a tumultuous one for them. With reports of Ronaldo not being satisfied with life at Madrid, and rifts between Mourinho and squad members being heard all too often, Real Madrid looks like a team struggling more with their own internal matters rather than the problems on the field.

On field, a lot of things have not worked as smoothly or as efficiently as before. The Madrid attack, which was a well-honed machine, has shown signs of weakness during the course of this season. An attack comprising of Ronaldo, Di Maria, Benzema and Higuain should be scaring the living daylights out of the opposition defense, but unfortunately, it has not worked that way. A slight dip in the form of Ronaldo and a major dip in form of the other 3 attackers has caused huge problems. A lack of quality replacements have also hurt Madrid, as the likes of Morata, Callejon and even Kaka are just not good enough to replace the other 4 (though Kaka has shown signs of improvement of late).

The defense has also looked very shaky this season. Real Madrid has conceded 26 goals this season in all competitions. Of these, 11 have come from set pieces converted by the opposing teams. With Sergio Ramos and Mourinho always at loggerheads with each other, the defense has lacked a leader capable of taking charge. Also, after the huge controversy of leaving Casillas on the bench in favor of Adan, the goalkeeping position, which was supposed to be the one position where Madrid had a clear advantage over their rivals Barcelona, has also looked vulnerable.

The midfield has been one area which has not under-performed this season. Khedira and Alonso have been solid if not spectacular, and Ozil has been at his very best, especially during the festive period. Coentrao has also chipped in with some decent performances albeit in a defensive role. However, once again, a lack of bench strength in this area is a worrying factor. With Alonso and co. starting every match, there is no opportunity to provide them a well-deserved break, and Mourinho risks losing players because of burnout. With the very impressive Modric always confined to the bench, Madrid need to rotate their midfield players more often.

The main problem however has been the seeming lack of unity within the squad. Almost all the players look unhappy on the field, and there is a general lack of drive or determination for the players to achieve the astonishing feats they achieved last season. Mourinho loves to win, and his tactics of winning the ugly way has not gone down very well with the fans and players, both openly questioning his authority. Also, Madrid have got stuck to playing in the counter-attacking manner, and teams which are well set up defensively have caused Madrid some huge problems. With Casillas and Pepe out for a crucial run of fixtures, Mourinho has his task cut out.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Los Blancos . Their style of play since the turn of the new year has been encouraging. More squad rotation will see players like Modric and Kaka finally get a chance to prove themselves, and they might just be the much-needed creative spark which Madrid seemed to miss over the first half of the season. The race for the La liga might well be over, but with the Champions League and Copa del Rey still to play for, Mourinho still has time to truly cement his place as “The Special One”.

The club is now at an interesting crossroad. With Florentino Perez backing Mourinho and his squad, the next month, where there will be 3 Classicos and a small matter of a Champions League clash with Manchester United, will decide the fate of Real Madrid. Now in 2013, with Ronaldo having found his scoring boots again and the club putting up a united front, their fans might have reason to cheer again. Who knows, with Mourinho in charge, the Los Blancos’ dreams of a La Decima might yet come true.