Real Madrid have lost only two games in all competitions this season. They sit atop their Champions League group (one that includes Paris Saint-Germain) and they’ve plundered 33 goals while conceding only 11. Their combined goal difference in La Liga and the Champions League is a resounding +22.
And yet, such is the nature of the beast in the Santiago Bernabéu, all is certainly not right in Madrid.
Effectively, it boils down to some disjointed displays (read: they didn’t hammer eight goals past Las Palmas) and, more importantly, the six point gap that has been opened between themselves and Barcelona after Saturday's El Clasico.
While it's certainly possible to make up the deficit over the course of the remaining 26 fixtures, there’s something malignant lurking in the current divide that has Madridistas anxiously minding the gap.
You can forgive Real Madrid supporters for concealing quick, covetous glances towards the Camp Nou. The sustained brilliance of Lionel Messi, the unselfish play of Luis Suarez and the blossoming of Neymar into the realest of deals would make any rival envious. For fans of Los Blancos, the hurt is particularly poignant.
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Barcelona's attacking trifecta, based on current form, leaves no room for Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema. While these statistics are certainly affected by injuries and the simple fact that we are only 12 games into the new campaign, it does paint a worrying picture for Real.
As Sid Lowe told Sky Sports, “They both define themselves against each other as well as what they really are.”
While Barcelona seem poised on the attacking end for the foreseeable future, the situation in Madrid is more cloudy. What’s Madrid’s best lineup? When every star performer is fit, does the starting eleven have balance? Is anyone actually behind Rafa Benitez?
Key to answering these questions are Los Blancos two most expensive signings, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
Ronaldo is the club’s talisman and all-time leading scorer. Bale, the club’s most expensive signing and apparent heir to the throne.
With Ronaldo turning 31 in February and Bale, 26, failing to replicate the immaculate heights that Ronaldo reached at the same age, questions are being asked as to how to remedy the situation.
Selling Cristiano Ronaldo Or Gareth Bale: Could It Actually Happen?
Is Bale expendable? Is his progress hindered by Real’s continued reliance on Ronaldo? Could they really sell one of these two players, undoubtedly two of the biggest talents in the game?
The answer to that final question is, resoundingly, yes. That’s the nature of the game. Players come and go, and there’s no room for sympathy or sentimentality at the game’s highest bastion – which is what Real Madrid is.
10 Champions League trophies don’t lie. Neither does Madrid’s track record in this regard:
Angel Di María was sold to Manchester United for £59.7 million in 2014 after playing a crucial role in capturing La Decima.
Mesut Ozil was sold to Arsenal for £42.4 million in 2013. This was a player who’d formed a vital relationship with Ronaldo, assisting on 27 of the Portuguese’s goals, while widely being considered the most skillful player in the squad.
Gonzalo Higuaín went to Napoli for £34.5 million in 2013 and Arjen Robben to Bayern Munich for £22 million in 2009.
While casual supporters of Los Merengues may find this unfathomable, history shows that it’s almost certain to happen sooner rather than later. In a few years time, new names will emerge and they’ll be touted as the world’s next greats. Real Madrid will be touted as their destination and someone will need to make way for their impending arrival, ad infinitum.
The Case For Selling Cristiano Ronaldo
Anyone should be reluctant to countenance age as a reason for selling Ronaldo, but it’s unavoidable. He’ll turn 31 in February. Typically, this is the age at which we can throw around old cliches of a player no longer being at his athletic peak, and at which pace and power start to perceptibly fade.
Ronaldo, however, is atypical. While aging players like Kaka, Ronaldinho, Andriy Shevchennko and the OG Ronaldo may have struggled to reach the heights of their mid-20s later in their careers, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down.
His 61 goals from 54 games last year, as well as 13 from 16 this year, indicate no obvious downward trend in performance. Basically, there’s no one to compare him with because he’s such an anomaly.
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When Ronaldo says he can play at the highest level for 5, 6 or 7 more years, we should certainly believe him. The bigger question is, can he continue to be the main man for Madrid for the foreseeable future?
Ronaldo has added fuel to this speculation by declaring his own uncertainty in that regard. He told Jonathan Ross, “In my mind, I want to finish in the top level, I want to finish with dignity so in a good club…I like Manchester United, I love that club, but the future, nobody knows.”
Ronaldo is also purportedly unhappy with Benitez. According to El Confidencial, he told club president Florentino Perez, “We will win nothing with this manager.”
While Real may receive the highest transfer fee for which they could ever hope by selling Ronaldo next summer, the truth of the matter is that Ronaldo is a massive earner for the club. Through marketing, he recoups the cost of his initial transfer in the space of a single season.
It certainly doesn’t seem a financial necessity for Madrid. In that regard, they'd do better to keep him.
The final reason comes back to striking a balance in the Madrid side and here’s the point of contention: getting the most out of Gareth Bale.
While Ronaldo has occasionally found himself up top alone due to the injuries to Benzema, former Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster told AS, “You make things much easier for opponents when you put Cristiano up top alone, because he has less space…he is not so comfortable in tight spaces.”
Ronaldo plays his best when operating off Benzema. Unfortunately, Bale also plays his best soccer when operating off the striker. Something’s got to give, and with Ronaldo certain of his lasting power as the team's main man, don't expect him to make any concessions.
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The Case For Selling Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale took Madrid by storm over the course of the 2013-14 season, going from strength to strength. His goals in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals instantly endeared him to supporters.
Alas, the Welshman’s second season in Madrid was anything but smooth. Rumors of a sour relationship with Ronaldo, a struggle to build camaraderie with the rest of the squad and a difficultly in adapting to life in Madrid circulated throughout Spanish tabloids.
His growth simply wasn’t enough for those who wished to see him push on from his brilliant first season.
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While fans and media love to match up Ronaldo and Messi as the main event, the undercard has become Bale and Neymar. They both arrived prior to the 2013-14 seasons, giving symmetry to an otherwise awkward comparison.
Neymar scored 39 goals in 51 matches last year while Bale hit for 17 in 48. This campaign, Neymar has shown himself to be a worthy successor to the throne in Catalonia, while Bale has struggled for fitness and form.
When fit, Bale remains an undisputed selection for Los Blancos. While his selection is not disputed by supporters, it certainly leads to the makeup of a physical side that looks to score from the counter-attack.
The starting eleven that Benitez seems to prefer may come at the expense of crowd favorites like James Rodriguez. To include both James and Bale in the same starting eleven invites the opposition to attack a vunerable Real midfield, one that lacks sufficient defensive cover.
Barcelona did this to great effect on Saturday.
If the results, and performances, leave anything to be desired, the Bernabéu are going to let Rafa hear it. While the vitriol will be primarily aimed at Benitez, Bale will almost certainly go down with him.
It’s also interesting to see that Bale didn’t receive a place in Benitez’s recently released best XI, the Madrid boss preferring a spot for Eden Hazard in the midfield.
The sale of Bale would allow Real Madrid to keep their most revered asset while retooling their approach. Madrid doesn’t rebuild, they simply reload.
In Conclusion: A Stay Of Execution Until The End Of The Season
This story has gathered steam over the course of the international break, amplified, no doubt, by Madrid’s 3-2 defeat to Sevilla. A defeat that has been overanalyzed and hyperbolized. However, Barcelona's complete dismantling of Madrid in El Clasico 4-0 is cause for greater concern.
If Real Madrid go on a tear, Ronaldo and Bale scoring and assisting at the rates they're capable of, and Barcelona are eventually overtaken, this story will die. It will simply fade along with the millions of words that are transcribed regarding Real Madrid daily.
However, if Barcelona are once again crowned La Liga champions come May, don’t be surprised to see a major Real Madrid overhaul next summer with one of the "untouchables" shown the door.
