2014 was a perfect year for Real Madrid. They had won the Champions League, Copa del Rey, European Super Cup and the Club World Championship. They ended the year with a European record-breaking 22 match winning streak. They entered 2015 like an unstoppable train that would destroy anything in their track.But then they hit an adamantine wall which took away all the ruthlessness they had possessed. They started the year on a bad note after losing to Valencia. They succumbed to yet another loss in the very next game against Atletico Madrid. Since then, they have won all their games – except against Atleti in the return leg of the Copa del Rey, which ended in a 2-2 draw – but not as convincingly as they had been winning.Real found it really hard to overcome Getafe, even though the scoreline might suggest otherwise, and it was only after a Karim Benzema genius moment that they floodgates opened in that game. Against Cordoba, they were suffocated – so much that star man Cristiano Ronaldo lost his cool and got sent off for vicious conduct.So what has happened to the reigning European Champions? Below are some reasons for the drop in their form.
#1 Fatigue
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Even though Carlo Ancelotti is adamant that all Real Madrid players are fully fit and don’t need rest, it is evident that starting 3 games a week is taking toll on some players.
Toni Kroos hasn’t been at his usual best so far this year. He is the focal point of Los Blancos’ system and him not ticking hinders the flow of their system. Toni Kroos has started in almost every game so far this season and is one of the players to have played the most minutes for his Club this season. With Modric out injured and the Italian tactician’s lack of confidence in Illarramendi, the German doesn’t seem like he will get any rest in the near future either.
James is also another player who hasn’t hit his highs so far this year. He might have provided 2 assists against Getafe, but that was after Cristiano’s opening goal – when Getafe had to attack in order to get back into the game, leaving space in the defense.
The same could be said about Gareth Bale. The Welshman was harshly whistled at against Espanyol, revealing Madrid fans’ frustration. It has been a long time since he was seen running at full speed and taking on a defender – and fatigue could be a cause for that, along with added muscle weight.
#2 Lack of rotations that lead to predictability
Carlo Ancelotti has been fielding the same players week-in and week-out. When Luka Modric was available, a set midfield and attack of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema played every game. With the Croat out injured, Isco has taken up the mantle – and it is the same set of players that play.
The problem, with playing the same XI, is that the opposition figure out the cracks after a while. They know the roles of each every player and how they are going to carry it out. For instance, Kroos is the deepest midfielder – the orchestrator – in the system. Isco can be dubbed as the running midfielder, the role which was Angel di Maria’s last season, and is responsible for bringing out the ball from midfield to attack. James is the most attacking out of the 3 and is seen more in attacking zones.
As their roles get clearer, teams come up with plans to breach the midfield. Atletico Madrid and Valencia have shown that harassing Toni Kroos and Isco and robbing them off both space and time cuts the line of supply. The midfield of these 3 is ultra-fluid, which is great against weaker teams but..
#3 Lacks physicality in midfield
On paper, the midfield of Isco, James and Kroos isn’t supposed to work given the creative and attacking nature of it. However, Isco’s dedication and improvement in defending has made this midfield click. Against teams that don’t devise a physical approach to the game, this midfield cruises and is a joy to watch.
However, against teams like Atletico Madrid – who are known for their robust playing style – this trivote has a problem.
Against physical teams, this midfield gets bullied and overrun – the beauty gets defiled by the beast. As there is not one player among Isco, Kroos and James who can be dubbed as a pure no-holds-barred defensive player, the lack of balance becomes apparent.
Sami Khedira or Asier Illarramendi could add balance to this midfield, but the former’s form has taken a huge slump (or maybe he is just waiting to see out his contract) and the latter isn’t trusted by his coach.
Here is where new signing Lucas Silva could play a role. The Brazilian is an excellent defensive midfielder with bags of talent. He is a superb – and subtle – ball winner and is a great passer of the football and would definitely add balance to the midfield against tough teams.
However, how long it will take for him to settle remains to be seen.
#4 Sergio Ramos awful form coupled with his indispensable status
Sergio Ramos is a Real Madrid icon. Perhaps already a legend. He joined the Club in 2005 and has been a regular feature ever since. His equalizing goal in the Champions League final last season got Real Madrid the trophy they coveted so much. He is the vice-captain and has an indispensable status in the team.
And he is also going through a very rough patch of form.
There has not been a single game in 2015 in which his performance could be labeled solid. Getting dragged out of position easily, making ill-judged tackles and silly errors – it has truly been a horrible year for him thus far. And his immovable status means that the former Milan coach can’t drop him for performance-based decisions.
But it is high time he did.
The team should always come first and a centre-back pairing of Pepe and Varane seems to be the best option. At the time of writing this piece, it has been confirmed that the Portuguese defender is fit to play Real’s next game against Real Sociedad and him along with Raphael Varane seems to be the best way to go now.
The young French defender has always put in solid shifts whenever played. Even though, he is years younger than both Pepe and Ramos, he is much more composed than the two and never seems harried. He will eventually become a starter and this is the best time for it to happen.
Easier said than done, though, as dropping Ramos would create a circus – just like Mourinho dropping the former Sevilla against Dortmund in 2012-13 did – and Ancelotti definitely wouldn’t want that.
#5 Luka Modrics absence
This is apparent. Initially, Ancelotti’s men adapted to the Croat’s absence. However, it is now evident that Real Madrid are missing their midfield magician.
The former Spurs wizard is one of the best players in his position. The way he brings out the ball from the tightest of spaces is exemplary. His divine vision – which allows him to see a pass before anyone else – is being sorely missed, especially against teams that defend very deep.
Another aspect of Modric’s game which is undermined is his defensive positioning. He positions himself so well that he rarely has to make tackles; he marks his zone very well and doesn’t let many attacks go through his marking zone.
And he is out for yet another month.
With the Croatian genius out and the aforementioned reasons, it is time for Carlo Ancelotti to rethink his strategy. Nothing has been lost yet – except for the Copa Del Rey – and there is still time for the former Juventus boss to come up with something vital again.
Good news for him is that he now has Lucas Silva at his disposal – which gives him tactical flexibility – and he might just be able to do what he does best: adapt with the players at his disposal.
