5 Real Madrid stars that have been disappointing this season

Before this evening's round of La Liga games started, Real Madrid were just 3 points off the first spot. While this does not look too bad, it does not tell the whole story.

Los Merengues have been horrendous so far this season, especially in league football. That they are still in with a decent shout for the title is a testament to the crazy nature of La Liga this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the team's biggest star before he left. However, it was unclear just how much his presence was covering up a lot of deficiencies until he made the €100m move to Juventus.

The attacking players have been terrible with only 12 goals from players who could be classified as attacking players.

The defending has been abysmal with new goalie, Thibault Courtois drinking goals like it's free beer. These failures cost Julen Lopetegui his second high-profile job in less than 6 months.

It will be easier to mention the players who have performed. This is because almost all the big names; Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Raphael Varane among others have been terrible by their own standards.

Here is a look at 5 of the most disappointing stars this season:

#5 Marco Asensio

Asensio has not adjusted to life in the First XI

So much noise was made about Asensio's substitute role over the last 2 seasons under Zinedine Zidane. He always seemed to deliver whenever he came in, Madridistas called for him to be given more starts to prove himself.

With Ronaldo's departure and Gareth Bale's continuing injury/form issues, Asensio has been given ample game time to prove himself capable of a first-team place.

To put it mildly, he has been a terrible disappointment. The 23-year-old has started fourteen matches across all competitions, in this time, he has scored just once and made one assist.

He has become easy to defend against as defenders seem to have sussed him out. Force Asensio down a cul-de-sac on the flanks or ask him to move the ball with his right foot and he looks confused.

He has cut a sullen figure, unsure of what was expected of him. His comments about not being responsible for the crisis Real Madrid faced under Lopetegui showed him up as a player lacking the mentality needed to be a leader at a club like Real.

#4 Karim Benzema

As expected, Benzema has been poor

Only the most optimistic of Madrid fans ever thought that the Frenchman was an adequate replacement for Ronaldo's goals.

Benzema is a striker who in his 10 years at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, has only had 2 20+ goal seasons. For a striker playing as the arrowhead of a team that creates so many chances, this is an abysmal return.

He started brightly in Lopetegui's first few games but reverted true to type as the season wore on. Missing easy chances, playing a peripheral role especially in the big matches, an inability to play in others these are just a few of what Benzema has served up this season.

His status as Real's 2nd leading goalscorer this season with 5 goals in 20 appearances tells its own story; that of a team struggling badly. With the 30-year-old as its arrowhead, the other attacking players will need to step up as he does not look capable of delivering what Madrid needs.

#3 Isco

Isco is yet to deliver consistently for Real Madrid

What exactly is the point of Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez or Isco as he is more popularly known?

The 26-year-old is a much-beloved player among Real Madrid fans for his silky dribbling skills, close control and smile with which he plays. However, these things hide a fact that is becoming increasingly difficult to not talk about; he is not a very effective player.

For a while under Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and under Zidane in his early tenure, Isco was a bit part player who didn't start matches. Admirably, he never blamed anyone but himself and worked hard to re-invent himself into playing the different roles he was assigned.

With Ronaldo gone and the ineffectiveness of his fellow front players, one would have expected him to stand up to be counted. However, he has been just as disappointing as Asensio. For a player of his quality and occupying a central role in Los Merengues' attacks, he has returned just 2 goals and 2 assists in 13 games.

He seems to have fallen out with new coach Santiago Solari and is rumoured to be on his way out. If this does happen, Isco will be missed more for his aesthetic qualities rather than his delivery.

#2 Luka Modric

Modric has not shown World Footballer of the Year form

When the brilliant Croatian was voted as The Best Player in the World for 2017, more than a few eyebrows were raised. This was because, despite Real Madrid's 13th UEFA Champions League win and Croatia getting to the World Cup final, he played a starring role in only one of these triumphs.

The victory was rightly seen as a result of voters' fatigue over the Ronaldo/Lionel Messi duopoly. It was believed that shorn of Ronaldo at club level and stalwarts like Mario Mandzukic and Danijel Subasic at the national level (both retired after Russia 2018), Modric would have to step up and do more.

This has failed to materialize as he has been one of the worst performers at Real Madrid. Stray passing, being caught in possession, being bypassed by the game's flow, these have been features of the much-loved Croatian's play this season.

The excuse of a World Cup hangover no longer holds water. 4 months into the new season, the 33-year-old has continued to underwhelm. Dani Ceballos has gotten more minutes this season as a result of the ineffectiveness of Madrid's starting midfielders; Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos.

It remains to be seen if he will pick up after the Christmas break but for the acclaimed best player in the world, Modric has had a torrid 2018/2019 season.

#1 Gareth Bale

Expected to lead after Ronaldo left, Bale has disappointed

This was supposed to be Bale's season; the one where he stood up to show what he was made of. Ronaldo's exit was seen as an opportunity for the ponytail-wearing Welshman to show his quality as Real Madrid's leading light.

The signs were good that he could do so. He had a long break over the summer as Wales were not at the World Cup. With no injuries and given a central role by Lopetegui, there was cause for optimism.

However, it has all gone to hell in a basket since then. Despite being given a central role and the freedom to not fall back and defend which Ronaldo had, the 28-year-old has disappointed.

Bale still looks unconfident and unsure of his place. The expected lung-bursting runs, curved shots and go-to-guy attitude he regularly shows for Wales has not been seen in a Madrid shirt.

Instead, it's the same shaky, unconfident, peripheral football which has been a feature of his game since he arrived in Spain. The old injury worries have flared up but not as serious as before.

Bale has failed to stand up and be counted so far, Madridistas will be hoping he changes and fast.