After a rocky start to the 2020/21 season, Zinedine Zidane has got his Real Madrid back fighting, and are now unbeaten in their last seven league matches. Whilst things have no doubt picked up since Los Blancos nearly found themselves making a premature exit from the Champions League, major questions remain concerning the future of the club.
Three Key Points for Zidane and Real Madrid to Bring the Good Times Back
Fan Pressure – Madrid Are a Big Club
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and there may be no club where such a saying carries more relevance than with Real Madrid. One factor that will never fade is the monumental pressure put on a manager to deliver, and the relatively small amount of patience that comes with it.
Such a statement may seem odd given Zidane’s managerial success at the club, boasting two La Liga titles (the most recent being last season) and three consecutive Champions Leagues, but it should not be downplayed. Concerns are stemming from dropping unexpected points in the league, and namely around the fact that Real Madrid are simply not seen as the threat that they used to be in the Champions League.
A factor as fickle as this is unlikely to ever disappear, but it may be a useful weathervane for the coming year. Real Madrid fans certainly know how to make their feelings known, and the club would be remiss to ignore pressure if it does come to boiling point.
Squad Building – Zidane Needs to Address the Squad Dynamic
Madrid truly are a tale of two squads. In one camp you have the group of seasoned veterans – players such as Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Marcelo – pillars of the club’s modern history.
In the other, are the hopes for the future, namely Vinicius Junior, Martin Odegaard, and Rodrygo. Not quite there yet, but very easy to be excited about.
The problem lies somewhere in the middle. Ideally, in a team aiming for glory you would have a healthy crop of players in the sweet spot of the mid to late 20s. A fine example would be the Real Madrid team of the early 2010s, with its front four of Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil, Benzema himself, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The current Madrid squad has the issue of being both top and bottom heavy. The problem that this presents is that it creates two vulnerabilities. One is the vulnerability to the older crop either leaving or facing a decline in ability. The other is the inverse, the younger players may simply never reach the height of their potential.
If Real are to secure their future, they must address this gaping hole in the squad.
Smart Recruitment – Both Zidane and Real Madrid Need Stronger Recruitment
Poor squad composition brings about the final point quite nicely. If Real Madrid are to avoid a decline, they have to fix their approach to recruitment.
Looking at the recent ins and outs of the club, there is quite simply a lot to question.
One element of concern is the lack of targeting with respect to which players are bought. Eden Hazard was no doubt purchased as a marquee name, but the funds could arguably have been better used. There is no real backup for Casemiro, for example, and it could easily be argued that Hazard has failed to justify the price tag in his own right.
Furthermore, Los Blancos seem to have an issue where, before they know it, they have stockpiled a mountain of players that they do not want. Over the last two seasons, they have managed to amass 25 outgoing loan deals. The implications of this are staggering, Real Madrid simultaneously have more players than they can handle and several holes in their squad.
A problem like this will not go away without reviewing how transfer business is done. The club must address this before it is too late.
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