Real Madrid News
Real Madrid believe more than half the squad members not at their best level – report
Real Madrid’s start to the new year has been quite underwhelming, to say the very least. While it did start with a 1-0 win over Cacereno, the team has ended up on the losing side in two of their last three outings and this involves the recent 1-3 defeat against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Interestingly enough, Spanish publication MARCA points out that the club believe that as many as 13 players are responsible for the dip in form. There is a feeling that more than half the squad members are not at their best level, which has resulted in the mid-season decline.
It is either down to the fact that they played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup or they are injured and lastly, are not in Carlo Ancelotti’s plan altogether.
The likes of Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Federico Valverde, Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga have suffered the most from the world event. A certain Ferland Mendy is yet to get to his usual best while David Alaba, Lucas Vazquez and Aurelien Tchouameni are out injured.
On the other hand, Eden Hazard, Alvaro Odriozola, Jesus Vallejo, and Mariano Diaz are simply unnoticeable.
Among those who went to Qatar, Carvajal was demoted to the bench by his national team manager and upon returning to Madrid, suffered from physical issues. Rudiger, meanwhile, hasn’t been his usual self since arriving from Chelsea.
In fact, the only reason he is getting regular minutes is that Alaba is unavailable for selection because in reality, he has not given Madrid enough sense of security that was expected.
As far as Modric and Camavinga are concerned, while the former looks extremely tired, the latter did not get enough minutes under Didier Deschamps and whenever he was picked, the manager placed him on the left side.
Looking at the issues at hand, it is rather easy to point out those who have been closest to being their best version. This includes Thibaut Courtois, Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Rodrygo and Eder Militao.
But even among the aforementioned, club captain Benzema has struggled for fitness and without a strong defensive partner, Militao is virtually helpless. So for now, the only thing that the team can do is wait for the players to get back to their previous best.
Jose Felix Diaz has reported via MARCA that Real Madrid want a major change in the Spanish refereeing system.
The reporter writes that the team from the Spanish capital has taken the issue as their top priority mostly because of what happened in the recent derby defeat against Atletico Madrid.
Los Blancos are determined to relentlessly steer a significant overhaul of the refereeing structure, and they have no intention of resting in their pursuit.
Their discontent comes not only from recent events, particularly the contentious derby match but also from a deep-seated frustration with the state of refereeing itself.
Real Madrid not hiding their discontent
The journalist mentions that Real Madrid are unapologetic about their continuous criticism of the refereeing community, firmly believing that a transformation is of utmost importance.
Even prior to the emergence of the Negreira case, the Merengues had been vocal about their dissatisfaction with those responsible for overseeing the refereeing unit.
For what it is worth, the revelation of the former vice president of the CTA’s financial ties to Barcelona only solidified Real Madrid’s resolve to advocate for a complete overhaul in referee management.
Real Madrid are suspicious
Real Madrid firmly assert that any influence from Negreira’s historical decisions in certain key positions raises suspicions about the fairness of the competition.
For that, the management will do everything in its power to achieve a certain level of transparency within the organization that it believes is currently overshadowed by historical baggage.
As of today, Real Madrid continue to voice their concerns through their official channels.
Right now their ultimate goal is to eliminate the involvement of Clos Gomez in VAR decisions, marking the beginning of a long-standing battle they are fighting.
Pat Grey
January 17, 2023 at 3:19 pm
There is no time to wait for some of the players to get back to their previous forms. That wait might take forever. Recruit new players as soon as the January window, if Real Madrid is going to survive in whatever form for the rest of this season. Meanwhile, the Madrid hierarchy should start looking for a more vibrant and inspiring coach, as the old man is now lacking dynamism and creativity.