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The 2018/19 season has been nothing short of a disaster for Real Madrid. Julen Lopetegui has failed to inspire his troops this season, after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure to Juventus in the summer transfer window.
Moreover, Real Madrid have lost that aggression, confidence and decisiveness in their gameplay and have looked nothing more than dull. Their Champions League campaign has been unimpressive as well, against expectations, they lost to CSKA Moscow and claimed a narrow win against Viktoria Plzeň.
So for now, let us have a look at the steps that Real Madrid can implement to resurrect their season.
#1. Replace Lopetegui
It is pretty safe to say that Julen Lopetegui's tenure as a Real Madrid manager has been nothing short of a nightmare.
Lopetegui has failed to instil the aggression, desire and decisiveness into the squad. Since Ronaldo and Zidane's departure, Real Madrid have lacked intensity in their performances (most recently highlighted by their 5-1 demolition by Barcelona).
Julen Lopetegui and Rafa Benitez have one thing in common - They are brilliant tacticians but lack the leadership and oratory skills to manage the dressing room, much opposed to Zidane's management.
Moreover, Lopetegui was successful with the Spanish national team because they had players who were much more comfortable on the ball and favoured Lopetegui's free-flowing possession-based attacking football.
However, Real Madrid has a squad consisting of players like Varane, Casemiro and Gareth Bale who are more efficient under a counter-attacking style of football.
For instance, let us take the case of two defensive midfielders: Casemiro (Real Madrid) and Busquets (Spanish national team). While Casemiro is more efficient as a midfield destroyer and only focuses on breaking up play and shielding the defence, Busquets is more of a deep-lying playmaker who understands Lopetegui's style better.
In short, Lopetegui maybe a good manager, but isn't fit for Real Madrid's style of play. Thus, a manager who can utilise the talent available at Real Madrid will be much more effective for the club.
#2. Give more minutes to young players
It's fair to say that Real Madrid's midfield and defence have looked out of sorts this season. While Toni Kroos has still not recovered from his forgetful World Cup campaign, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane haven't looked good either.
Moreover, last night's performance against Barcelona was a clear indication that these players are devoid of confidence and intensity at the moment. Right now, it is important that they get adequate rest.
In such a situation, players like Ceballos, Nacho, Vallejo, Vazquez, Odriozola, etc. can rise to the occasion and prove their worth to the Real Madrid faithful.
For instance, Ceballos was a rare spark for Real Madrid in their 2-4 defeat against Atletico Madrid at the UEFA Super Cup and can prove to be a pretty useful asset for Real Madrid this season.
#3. Sign a new Galactico
Real Madrid have struggled this season and one of the major reasons is the departure of their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus. Their attack has looked toothless and the signing of Mariano has not helped the cause either.
Right now, Real Madrid are in desperate need of a goalscorer who can guarantee them at least 30-40 goals every season and it is too much of an ask for the likes of Asensio, Mariano and Vinicius Junior to fill in Ronaldo's shoes straight away.
The absence of such a prolific goalscorer has depleted the team’s confidence which has affected their performances. With players like Harry Kane, Icardi, Neymar, Hazard, Mbappe being consistently linked to Real Madrid, it is important that Real Madrid sign at least one of them to reach a respectable position on the league table and perform well in the Champions League.
