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There is a famous saying within the fanbase of most football clubs that ‘no player is bigger than the club’. Indeed, players cannot be bigger than clubs, but there can be no denying of the fact that clubs are sometimes dependent on some players.
Right now, that is the conundrum that Real Madrid are finding out, albeit the hard way. Los Blancos have started each of the last three seasons as favourites in Europe, but that was with Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks.
The departure of the Portuguese superstar in the summer to Juventus appears to have stung the life out of the Spanish giants, and the club is currently struggling. Ronaldo was not the only star player at Real Madrid. The 33-year-old was one of many galacticos – but he was a special galactico.
Real Madrid can deny all they want, but for a player who scored 450 goals in nine years, his impact can never be downplayed. The recent struggles of Los Blancos, though, is a testament to the fact that the club is missing the goals that Ronaldo used to provide willfully.
Below are three key statistics that prove Real Madrid have regressed without Ronaldo:
#3 Madrid’s failure to score in the last 4 games
Real Madrid started the season on a fine note, prompting talks that the club has moved on superbly from the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo. However, such thoughts now look premature at best. One of the damning stats about the club’s recent slump is the unwanted record-breaking goal drought.
Los Blancos have failed to score in four consecutive games in all competitions – a run which stretches to almost 400 minutes without scoring a goal. According to Opta, this is Real Madrid’s worst ever run since the club went five matches without a goal in 1985.
With Ronaldo, never for once did the club even go three games without getting on the scoresheet. From this stat, it is obvious that the vacuum left by the Portuguese is yet to be filled and Real Madrid are currently bearing the brunt.
#2 The team has not won in 4 games
Can you imagine a team with Cristiano Ronaldo going four games without a win? Never! And more so when that club is Real Madrid. The 33-year-old and Los Blancos were a perfect match for nine years but his departure has exposed certain frailties in the team.
Many claimed that with Ronaldo gone, the likes of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema would be liberated. Whatever that meant, it is now obvious that both players are not in the league of the Portuguese, let alone his level.
It’s now been four games and Real Madrid are yet to win even one. The poor run began with a 3-0 loss to Sevilla; then a dull 0-0 draw with rivals Atletico Madrid; before successive 1-0 defeats to CSKA Moscow and Deportivo Alaves followed in the UEFA Champions League and LaLiga respectively.
It is not as if Madrid failed to create chances in all these games. Actually, they did, but they just lacked the firepower in attack to score the goals. With Ronaldo, surely some of these chances would have ended at the back of the net. Without him, this poor run smacks of regression for Los Blancos.
#1 Madrid less-effective without Ronaldo
It is one thing not to be in good form, but it is an entirely different thing when a club is less effective. In the case of Real Madrid, the club has simply lost its effectiveness since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus.
After eight LaLiga games without the Portuguese, Los Blancos have won just four and scored 12 goals. At this stage last season – with Ronaldo in their ranks – Madrid had scored 15 goals and won an impressive five league games from eight. That was effective.
There are those who believe that Ronaldo is all about the goals but, in truth, he was more than just that in the Real Madrid team. The 33-year-old was a leader and his winning mentality rubbed off all his teammates. The team currently lacks that.
Real Madrid still boasts a lot of talented players, but without the effectiveness that Ronaldo brings, there is bound to be a regression as we’ve all seen in these past weeks.
