The FC panel answer your tweets on Real Madrid’s needs, Bayern Munich’s UCL expectations and whether Higuain or Ronaldo will score more this season.
Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui may have publicly expressed “total faith” in the players he has at his disposal before a routine victory over Getafe but there is good reason why Valencia striker Rodrigo Moreno is being linked with a move to the Bernabeu.
During Sunday’s 2-0 win, Lopetegui’s team lacked a focal point to the extent that Opta stats from the game showed that no side in Primera Division attacked less frequently through the middle on the opening weekend of La Liga.
In total, just 17.48 percent of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio’s attempts to thread their way through Getafe’s back four took place from a central position, with more than 50 percent of Real’s attacks staged from the left. Asensio naturally drifts towards that flank while Benzema also tends to move out wide to pull opposition defences out of shape, all of which is fine if there is somebody in the area to profit from their efforts. Somebody like Cristiano Ronaldo, for example.
Ronaldo’s gradual shift towards the penalty spot played in perfect harmony with the strengths of his attacking partners. In his final two seasons at Madrid, the frequency of Ronaldo’s shots from outside the area halved in comparison to 2013-15 while shots taken from inside the six-yard box reached their highest level both domestically and in Europe during his final campaign. Replacing Ronaldo is an impossible task but Lopetegui must swiftly find a way to compensate for his absence in the box.
The most obvious answer is to buy a No.9 but Real seem to have exhausted all options on that front. Long-term target Robert Lewandowski will remain at Bayern and although a last-ditch attempt to persuade Chelsea to part with Eden Hazard cannot be ruled out, it is unlikely to prosper with the Premier League window already shut.
If Real don’t make any signings in the next week, Julen Lopetegui is going to have to figure out who can play centre-forward after Cristiano Ronaldo.
That is where Rodrigo comes in. Lopetegui is a firm admirer of a player he guided through the Spain youth ranks to the senior squad but Valencia have pointed to his €120 million release clause and will not sell for a euro less. Florentino Perez is not shy about spending money but even he will feel hesitation about forking out nine figures for a 27-year-old with nine international caps and limited marketing clout.
“Right now we’re focusing on getting the best out of the squad we have which is a squad we love, we have a lot of talent and we’re going to work with it,” Lopetegui added on the subject of signings but that sentiment apparently does not extend to Raul de Tomas. The 23-year-old hasn’t had a sniff of first-team action under Lopetegui and has been loaned to Rayo again after plundering 24 goals in Vallecas last season. Borja Mayoral will be handed more opportunities on Lopetegui’s watch than he was under Zinedine Zidane, but he didn’t get off the bench against Getafe. The Real boss’ only change in attack last Sunday was throwing on Lucas Vazquez, another wide man.
There has been speculation that Kylian Mbappe may become available before the transfer window closes but basing strategy for the season on the vagaries of the Financial Fair Play system — or PSG’s ability to circumvent it — is hardly a risk-averse approach.
None of Real’s four summer recruits have yet made a competitive appearance for the club and Madrid fans are becoming restless. A poll run by AS returned an 88-percent affirmative response to the question: “Do Madrid need to sign?” Atletico and Barca have both spent north of €120m on new players this summer and the odds on Madrid finishing last in another three-horse race are not long. Those concerns will not be assuaged simply by stumping up a similar amount for Rodrigo, either.
If Real do not add to the squad before Aug. 31, Lopetegui will be expected to earn his coin by finding a response among the players he already has. Perhaps the most worrying sign for Madridistas has been his reluctance to use Vinicius Junior in official competition. The Brazilian enjoyed an eye-catching preseason and could have provided some impetus in the European Super Cup with his direct running at defenders. He could also be the answer to Real’s lack of presence in the box operating just behind Benzema, a role Isco is more than comfortable to play.
The issue there is that Lopetegui would be forced to shed one of his starting midfield triumvirate, something Zidane was always loath to do. When possession becomes sterile, a Plan B is required.
The No.7 shirt vacated by Ronaldo will remain on hold until the window closes but in the meantime Lopetegui has to address his lack of an out-and-out No.9. The Real boss has said he is confident he has the resources at his disposal to make this season a success. Sunday’s game at Girona will provide another chance for the board and Madrid fans alike to offer further assessment.
Be the first to comment