Real Madrid finds itself in a tough position midway through the season. While the team has delivered flashes of 23/24 when they won it all, inconsistency this season has left fans feeling disappointed. Currently sitting second in La Liga behind rivals Barcelona, Madrid’s form has been a mix of great wins and terrible defeats. Players like Kylian Mbappé, who leads the league with 18 goals and 4 assists, are a bright spot this season, delivering when the team needs him most. Players like Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Rodrygo Goes, and some more have also helped the team recently.
Senior Saad Waqas is a big fan of Real Madrid and tunes into games and news daily. “ Vini Jr. is hurting the team right now because he hasn’t scored in 18 games, and he’s also hurting the team morally. But I also think he should get some more time to get back to the player he once was,” Saad Waqas said.
Vini is a great player who was the star of the show before Mbappe came, placing 2nd in the Balon d’Or race just two seasons ago, with many agreeing he was snubbed of first. His recent form has been questionable, though. Not bagging a goal in the last 18 games has hurt his confidence and the club’s confidence in him. This has caused transfer rumors to go around, with critics saying Vini should be sold.
Fans think Real Madrid should sign new defenders. “I think Real Madrid should sign a defender or two like Nico Schlotterbeck from Germany because their defense is losing them games sometimes,” senior David Acamovic said. Real Madrid’s defense has been battling with injuries for the last few years. The addition of Dean Huijsen and Alvero Carreras has helped, but the defense is still missing that solid piece like Nico Schlotterbeck.
Real Madrid has had many standout players in the squad recently. “I think obviously Mbappe, because he has been getting on the scoresheet every game this season. But someone else I really like is also Rodrygo, who has recently gotten the starting job on the right wing. He has 3 goals and 4 assists in his last 5 starts,” junior Adam Kias said. Rodrygo has been getting limited minutes all season. But a month ago, he made his first start in a while in a crucial game against Manchester City in the UCL (Champions League) with the absence of Kylian Mbappe. Even though they lost 2-1, Rodrygo showed flashes of his old self, scoring the goal that game.
After that game, to today, he has started four more times, scoring two more times and assisting three more times. In the most recent game yesterday, Rodrygo scored the second goal to win 2-1 against Atlético Madrid in the semifinal of the Supercopa De España. At the beginning of the season, Real Madrid brought in a new manager following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti. Xabi Alonso is a ex Real Madrid player who retired in 2017. Now, just after seven months of management,t he has left the club.
“I think this really harms Real Madrid. Switching managers this quickly is never good. I feel like the players should’ve put their egos aside and come together to play under Xabi Alonso.” Waqas said. Xabi Alonso left the club on his own after complaining about the players’ lack of respect, ego, and issues with some players like Vini Jr following the 3-2 loss against Barcelona. Xabi Alonso stated the players didn’t follow his instructions, jogged in practice, and never stayed for further weightlifting and exercises unless specifically told to do so. Real Madrid has now brought in Alvero Albeloa, another ex-Real Madrid player who actually played with Xabi Alonso in the early 2010s.
To turn the season around, fans think Real Madrid must address their defense, reignite Vinícius Jr.’s form, and continue relying on their stars. The players are going to have to come together as a team and actually play under Alvero Albeloa. There are still major competitions remaining, like the Copa Del Rey (Spanish Cup), UCL (Champions League), and La Liga (Spanish League Cup).
