The Future of Real Madrid
The performance shown by Barcelona in 2008/2009, which led them to make history and win the treble for the first time, compelled the owners of Real Madrid to act quickly and reshuffle their squad. A lot of good players were sold and superstars were bought as Madrid went on a spending spree. Christiano Ronaldo was the first player who left Manchester United after a record transfer deal. Kaka also joined Real Madrid from AC Milan, while Xabi Alonso left Liverpool for Madrid. Karim Benzema also joined the strike force of Madrid and the preparations were complete for the season.
The performance of Madrid, however, was not good enough during the season, as they ended up without any trophy. They went out of the Champions League, which was their major target, after losing easily from Lyon. In the Copa del Ray (The King’s Cup) they lost against a team from a lower division; a humiliating defeat for a team comprising of major players from the football world. Even in the League, Real Madrid failed to beat their rivals Barcelona, who won both of their fixtures. In many matches during the season, Madrid had to come back from goals down to either level the match or to win it. On each of these occasions, the flair of the superstars, who popped up with important individual goals, helped Madrid save their matches. Throughout the season, except for a few last games, Madrid did not look like a good unit, but it remained a team full of brilliant individual players.
In order to assess the future scenario of Real Madrid, one must understand that winning a Champions League trophy is something that matters to the Madrid Board and it remains a top priority. Therefore, the players to be bought or sold and the change in management must be done in a way that leads them towards their goal. First of all, it would be good for Madrid if they hire a coach that has the experience to lead a successful team into the Champions League. Right now, there cannot be a better option than José Mourinho, who has proven twice that he has the potential to be the leader of champions in Europe. The good thing is that he is a squad maker, but in the case of Madrid, he already has a healthy squad, and a few changes might help him to fulfil the Madrid dream in the next season. A few people may claim that Mourinho’s style of coaching would not be beneficial for Madrid, but he is supposed to be a good tactician, and brilliant at utilizing his squad’s full potential.
The first important thing that is needed is to get rid of Karim Benzema, who has proven to be a failure, scoring only eight goals this season while playing in 27 games. There is no need to replace him, but if Milito agrees to join Mourinho that would be beneficial for the team. Xabi Alonso also failed to shine throughout the season; therefore, it seems that his good days are over. One good thing about Mourinho is that the players love him and they are always ready to join him wherever he goes. Hence, if Schneider decides to come back to his old team, that would be favourable for Madrid. Some other players can be bought as Gerrard and Lampard would be willing to join the Mourinho squad.
One of the most important positions in the team is the Defensive Midfielder, and Lassana Diarra is an average player at best. This position must be strengthened by the Madrid Board, and the likes of Essien and Senna may be bought during the transfer window. In defence, Madrid needs some changes as well, and Lahm would be a good addition to the squad.
In order to fulfil the aim of attaining 10 Champions League titles, Madrid needs a lot of improvement from this season. Mourinho is sure to join the team, and a lot of changes are expected upon his arrival, because he seems to have one mission only, i.e. to win as many trophies as possible. One thing has to be seen though, whether he would be a manager who adapts according to his squad, or who does not fear making changes according to his own suitability. In either case, in the next season Madrid should emerge a stronger unit and a definite favourite in all the competitions.
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