iSporter Praneet Mhatre makes his debut with a damning analysis of Real's new signing who he thinks have failed to live up to the billing of the Galacticos. He shares his views on why Madrid are still lagging far behind Barcelona after spending a fortune in the summer.
Last summer gave me a sense of déjà vu. It was another transfer season and we had the Merengues signing players left, right and centre; well… not actually! Majority of the whopping 252 million pounds were spent on strengthening their attack and that left me wondering if 2009-10 was going to be another season of frustration and underachievement. Real’s Catalan rivals, on the other hand, made no significant changes to their squad except for the Ibrahimovic-Eto’o swap and here we are at the halfway mark of the season, with Barcelona leading Real by 5 points and boasting a much healthier goal difference.
The star trio of Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema hasn’t really lived up to the expectations that came as a natural consequence of the exorbitant price that they came at. The team has relied too much on the less fancied Gonzalo Higuain and his last gasp rescue acts. The Whites are perfect at home and even their away form has not been the worst. But if they expect to go anywhere close to emulating what their arch rivals achieved last season, the team desperately needs to show some urgency.
Everyone was stunned by the breathtaking display put on by Barcelona’s ‘artists’ last season. The Catalans were spearheaded by FIFA’s World Player of The Year and Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and the masterful work of Xavi and Iniesta. They have picked up where they left off last season. This time around, they also have the services of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is the second leading scorer in the league behind teammate Messi! The Catalan fans could not have asked for more and their team is showing no signs of slowing down.
The question then remains – What is it that the Galacticos need to do in order to avoid another disappointing season? In the short term, coach Pellegrini needs to get his act together and improve the team’s performance away from home. The defense needs to remain solid and Casillas simply cannot afford any slip-ups now. But most important of all, the big guns need to step forward and justify their price tag! Ronaldo will have to conjure a trick or two in every game for Real to have any hope of getting past the likes of Chelsea and the resurgent Milan in Europe. And as clichéd as it may sound, the Galacticos need to stop relying on individuals and start playing as a cohesive unit.
Having said that, you can never expect Real Madrid to adopt a workmanlike approach to their football, a la Chelsea. Santiago Bernabeu Yeste had a dream when he brought Alfredo Di Stefano to the club and that legacy has, since then, been carried forward by all the subsequent chairmen including Senor Perez. The very reason why most people start following this great club is because it attracts the best talents in the world. One should never ask why Real Madrid goes on a buying spree every summer and if there is a rationale behind that. But with modern football changing so quickly, the Merengues ought to make certain changes as well. Silverware is the only measure of a club’s greatness and the biggest challenge staring in the eyes of this illustrious football club is to keep up with the changes without losing their characteristic flair.
Manuel Pellegrini faces a herculean task this new year, which includes bridging the gap between Barcelona and his team and bringing European glory back to the Bernabeu. This weekend’s tie against Malaga will be key for his team following the defeat by Athletic Bilbao. Madridistas around the globe have been very patient during their team’s slump and expect things to change for the better. Considering the rate at which managers have arrived and disappeared from the Bernabeu, time is running out for the coach. Unless the Galacticos stage a miraculous turnaround in whatever is left of this season, Pellegrini looks set to become the 7th consecutive manager to last less than a year at the Bernabeu!
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... Superb man! m/.. A very nice report.. I completely agree on the team chemistry point. They definitely need to play as a team rather than individuals. All the big ones who moved to Madrid this year were the heroes of their teams. The strategies were decided so as to suit their playing styles. Unfortunately here its not possible to do that. All of them cant be the heroes of a single team. They need to bind as a team. Its all up to the coach. How long can he keep all of them happy under one hood? |
a guest
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... Very nice article, summarizes everything wrong with Real. I think they need a manager to really stamp his authority on the club and get the 'Galacticos' playing together as a team. Now they are playing with a mentality of 'which of the stars will save Real tonight' rather than 'lets win for Real tonight'. If a manager can get every player getting to play for the team and inspire the players, they can then start to compete with their catalan rivals. Keep the articles coming man.... m/ Best of Luck. |
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