Real Madrid: The Big Questions

Seeing as we all know what has been going down so far in the Spanish capital, I wanted to see people's opinions on how good Madrid's chances of answering the biggest questions they face.

This analysis will be made on the assumption that the rumors of players entering and leaving Madrid are true.

1) Can Madrid win the Champion's League?
2) Will they get a trophy treble this upcoming season?
3) Can a star-studded team work together in Madrid?
4) How will all their pieces fit?

Personally, Madrid, as they currently stand, have to iron out some big issues to meet their targets. Money is definitely not one of them but, more importantly the squad. First of all, what kind of formation will Pelligrini use to accommodate the expanded team? If the rumors are to be trusted, which have so far been right, ribery, raul albiol, xabi alonso, david villa, david silva, and maybe a few other players will come in. How will they accommodate this squad on the pitch? Maybe the best option will be a 4-5-1.

-----------------------Casillas-------------------------------
Sergio Ramos----Pepe----Raul Albiol----Marcelo
-----------------------Alonso---------------------------------
----------------Kaka-------David Silva--------------------
C. Ronaldo--------------------------------Ribery--------
----------------------David Villa----------------------------

This is really an amazing starting 11 however, I don't feel that this quite enough to win them all the silverware this season. Let me explain. Madrid has too many attackers on limited slots. They have Raul, Van Nistelrooy, Higuain, and Huntelaar to fill a single striker role. Although Raul and Higuain can fill as AMC's instead, they have to fight with Sneijder and Van der Vaart for a spot.

The wingers are problems as well. Ribery and Ronaldo would be brutally effective but, their is no one on the bench that can come on and fill their niche roles. With Robben gone(transfer assumption), Drenthe is the only real altrenative and one person to fill two spots is too big a gap. Maybe Madrid will opt for tactics changes to overcome this but, this will affect team play as they have to continually adjust to the constant changes.

On the matter of the center midfield, I think Real has problems to sort out as well. The center for that formation is basically attack minded. However on the Real bench, Gago and Diarra are defensive or holding type midfielders. Meaning tactical changes due to substitution. Having Ruben Dela Red and Sneijder play in the center will also just create more infighting for spots.

Real's biggest problem will probably be on the back line. This is the weakest part of the Madrid line up and conceded 54 goals last season. Far too much. They have too many CB's who aren't really versatile and would compete for just 2 spots. Cannavaro is still a good choice even with age, Metzelder probably won't relish the fact that he has to compete more for a spot, Pepe is becoming a liability in the back line in crucnch moments and Adding Raul Albiol as a starter means decreased experience. Again these four have to compete to create a rock solid back. Another problem for the back line is that only three options naturally fill the full back spot. Marcelo, Sergio Ramos and Miguel Torres. (Heinze is more of left and central defense and so I consider him a multi-role.) I don't think three options for one whole season is adequate especially since Madrid have CL matches.

Bashing aside, I still think that Real have a lot of good points. First of all they have young, developing, talented squad who can flourish into a force in Europe. They have Ronaldo, Gago, Diarra, Ramos, Marcelo, Higuain, Sneijder, and possibly David Silva and Raul Albiol.

To conclude these are only predictions and as such can't really foretell the future. Also I remind everyone that these are my personal opinions and if you believe other alternatives can happen, please do share.

whoaaaaaaaaa!!! hold on a sec there, Ronaldo hasn't signed yet. I still have hope, rather naive but hope none the less, that the deal will fall through. btw Madrid have three DCs because Cannavaro has signed for Juve.

Madrid will look great when their dominating games but unless they sign some defenders when they come up against team who can really defend and keep games tight like Chelsea and Liverpool (and too a lesser extent Man Utd) then they are going to struggle and as the English teams domination of the Champions League shows no signs of abating i just don't see them winning it. But as Queiroz was told "centre backs don't sell shirts"

Good quote there, but I think that Madrid will need to gel for a bit, until they start doing major things, overall they will not be as effective until a couple of years time, when they find a good comination of players.

and ribery probably won't go to Madrid, I think they will get Silva instead, as ribery would be seen as a bit much for what they want in ribery (second place to ronaldo in their eyes).

madrid will fail.
alonso, and albiol aren't joining.
thier defense is horrendous, cannavaro is too old, with no pace or stamina any more. pepe is useless, he makes endless mistakes, marcelo is inconsistent, heinze is booked too many times, and sergio ramos is amazing.

sniejder, van der vaart, van nistelrooy and guti will most likely be leaving.
personally i would like to see united buy nistelrooy back again, guarenteed 10+ goals a season for less than £5m.

perez is making a big mistake, not buying players he needs just big names.

and silva can play out wide so can kaka and marcelo

In my opinion Madrid are making a lot of mistakes, buying Kaka and Ronaldo (nearly a done deal we wont refuse the mega bucks contract) and going after Silva, Ribery and Villa they will end up top heavy (no pun intended) all that attacking class and no defence. Teams will sit back and hit them on the counter attack, as I cant see the likes of Kaka, and Ronaldo chasing back to win the ball.

The only formation that I can see Madrid using and to have a balanced team is 4-2-3-1
Depending on players arriving the possible formation could be –

Iker Casillas
Sergio Ramos
Pele
Ezequiel Garay / Raul Albiol
Marcelo
Gago / Alonso
Diarra
Ronaldo
Kaka
Silva/Ribery
Villa

But then what will happen to the international players such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mahamadou Diarra, Rafael van der Vaart, Christoph Metzelder, Gonzalo Higuain, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ruben de la Red, Gabriel Heinze, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Guti, Royston Drenthe and Raul.

I can’t see all of them happy with a place on the bench especially as it is a world cup year I wont be surprised if half of that list goes (except Raul he will never leave).

By singing a new “World Super 11” they are destroying a squad so what will happen in November for example when they have assembled a super staring 11 and 5-6 of them are injured or suspended and they have sold half if not all the above list and have no back up players? They will struggle and fall on their face.

What do you think?

Ryan

Godman : In my opinion Madrid are making a lot of mistakes, buying Kaka and Ronaldo (nearly a done deal we wont refuse the mega bucks contract) and going after Silva, Ribery and Villa they will end up top heavy (no pun intended) all that attacking class and no defence. Teams will sit back and hit them on the counter attack, as I cant see the likes of Kaka, and Ronaldo chasing back to win the ball.

The only formation that I can see Madrid using and to have a balanced team is 4-2-3-1
Depending on players arriving the possible formation could be –

Iker Casillas
Sergio Ramos
Pele
Ezequiel Garay / Raul Albiol
Marcelo
Gago / Alonso
Diarra
Ronaldo
Kaka
Silva/Ribery
Villa

But then what will happen to the international players such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mahamadou Diarra, Rafael van der Vaart, Christoph Metzelder, Gonzalo Higuain, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ruben de la Red, Gabriel Heinze, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Guti, Royston Drenthe and Raul.

I can’t see all of them happy with a place on the bench especially as it is a world cup year I wont be surprised if half of that list goes (except Raul he will never leave).

By singing a new “World Super 11” they are destroying a squad so what will happen in November for example when they have assembled a super staring 11 and 5-6 of them are injured or suspended and they have sold half if not all the above list and have no back up players? They will struggle and fall on their face.

What do you think?

Ryan

I forgot to mention Ronaldo Nike contract, I bet that has gone now as he will be in a addidas team.

If you think about it, Ronaldo for 80mill at first glance can be seen as a complete waste of money and no where near the value. But in a different aspect, the comercial and financial one, they will get sales from ronaldo shirts, they will get more and more finance because of ronaldo. So it is worth it in my opinion in 3/4 years ronaldo will have paid his 80mill back to Madrid.

I also would love to see Van Nistelrooy come back to united as he is my fav player although I don't see it happening because, One of his major reason he left if because of not being in the first team, the same situation at united at the moment with Berbatov, Tevez, Rooney, and up and comings. Although he would be a success still.

I would like to see united get, a quality LW, but that would still be not relevant as United have someone like Park, who can step up and perform, with someone like Valencia/Nani/Fletcher on the RW

ronaldo will earn real madrid around £300m in 5 years, thanks to merchandise, and them taking a cut of his advertising contracts, like with beckham.

so really £80m is a bargain, same with kaka

madrid will win nothing next season, look at their team compared to barcelona, okay madrid are now good going forward but the defence is a shambles as explained by The Red Devil and it will take them at least another season to match barca

also out of interest, how many more people do you think will be going them on FM10??

I agree that Madrid need to gel together first before they win together but, they will still give Barca a run for their money. They probably won't win the CL though. Barca are also strengthening their side this transfer season and I think they will still come out top of Real unless Pellegrini pulls off something ingenious.

if they keep buying players like they are then they will have alot of similar players who cant play together like gerrard and lampard they cant play together

hopefully pepe will go i would sell him for what he did in the R.Madrid Vs Getafe match

what pepe did was sickening, i don't understand how the police aren't involved because that was an assult

what did he do?
get a youtube thumbnail on this thread.

There you go

brizzles_finest : There you go

cant see it that well so here