Karim Benzema’s Position at Real Madrid Under Jose Mourinho
Things have changed at Bernabeu after the arrival of Jose Mourinho as the new manager of Real Madrid. Somehow, Mourinho has stuck with most of his squad members, despite their failures in previous seasons. Amongst the major players bought last season, two have not been able to display their game at full potential. The two players are Kaka and Karim Benzema.
Kaka had his troubles due to injuries, but he also failed to develop an understanding with other players. Most of the time a pass was fed to strikers by Kaka, but no one was able to read his move. Benzema, however, had a different set of problems. He was unable to play alongside Raul or Higuain, and Raul was always preferred over the Frenchman because of a better goal scoring history. Also, his first touch let him down throughout the season, due to which he was unable to score from some easy chances.
Benzema’s woes started as soon as he joined Real Madrid. He never really looked like a part of the team, so he was given only 14 starts in La Liga. Apart from that, he was also brought on as a substitute on 13 occasions. With the lack of exposure, Benzema was able to score only 8 goals in La Liga, as he never got time to get steady. His problems continued, as he failed to make it into French squad for the World Cup in South Africa. This might have been a direct consequence of his lack of form and exposure in the 2009-2010 season.
Mourinho has, nonetheless, made a decision to give the Frenchman another chance. Mourinho does not like to display an all-out attacking football, even against weaker opponents. Hence, a possible 4-3-3 formation will not happen for Madrid. Therefore, it is less likely that Benzema would be able to replace either Cristiano Ronaldo or Gonzalo Higuain for a place in the starting line-up. Mourinho has always praised these two players and they would surely be his first attacking options.
However, Mourinho has suggested that he would not be ignoring Benzema in his next season. He said that the team has to play for the whole season, and it would be impossible to go on with only two strikers. The Frenchman, therefore, will have to work for his place in the starting line-up. In a team like Madrid, there are a lot of options available to a coach, which makes life tough for big players. One slight hiccup might cost a player his position in the squad, as there are others to replace him readily. Therefore, Benzema would be keeping his fingers crossed, while trying to improve his game as well.
Every player has tough times throughout their career, and Benzema is going through a crisis as well. However, he is still a youngster, which makes him more prone to pressure in times like these. However, it is the job of a manager to help his players recover from such situations. Jose Mourinho has the ability to exercise some influence on his players. Therefore, he would need to spend a little extra time with the young striker.
Once the pressure is released, there is no doubt that Benzema has the qualities of a world class player. When he first emerged as a player in Lyon, football pundits looked at him as a possible replacement for Thierry Henry, one of the best strikers in the world. Benzema is strong and energetic, and he has a huge presence in the box. He also has an ability to score goals, even in tough situations. The next season is going to be tough for Madrid, and the presence of Benzema would definitely strengthen their squad.
For now, Benzema should relax and focus hard on his recovery from a bad spell. He has another season to prove his worth to Mourinho. At least a little bit of pressure has been removed from the striker.
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