LaLiga 2018-19: 5 'real' reasons why Real Madrid are struggling

The ‘champions’ of Europe, Real Madrid, are languishing and how.

It is almost pitiful to see the record-holding team in such a sorry state. “This team is in ruins”, said one Marca cover; AS called it a “total write-off”. The only club to win more than 10 (13) UEFA Champions League trophies in the history of the game are now finding themselves struggling against big as well as small teams.

Real Madrid created a historic moment by winning UCL title three times on the trot. Within months of that feat though, and with the departure of their most successful manager in the club’s history, the club saw two managers take over in quick succession.

Here are five reasons which might help decode Madrid’s current miseries:

#1 A nightmare of a campaign for Julen Lopetegui

For Lopetegui, the chance to manage the Spanish national team at the World Cup will possibly never come again. But instead, he chose another of the rare opportunities: managing Madrid.

He must have thought of it as a more lucrative opportunity. He knew the risk, but still accepted the offer. But who would have thought that within 140 days of that announcement, he would actually be packing his bags?

His very first big match, the UEFA Super Cup final, proved to be catastrophic as Real lost to Atletico 4-2. Even though he started the LaLiga campaign on a bright note, winning the first three matches comprehensively, the chasms opened wide after that.

Lopetegui made some obvious errors and some shocking decisions, such as the exclusion of Vinicius Junior, the rotation of Keylor Navas and Thibaus Courtois, not starting with Bale, Kroos and Benzema against Levante, and so on. In the background of all this chaos, the result of the Clasico was somewhat inevitable, but the 5-1 thrashing, despite the absence of Messi, was an epilogue to his managerial career at Madrid.

#2 The run of losses

AS Roma v Real Madrid - UEFA Champions League Group G

Even though Madrid have some of the biggest names at their disposal, all of them a part of the history-making team, they haven't look threatening at all after the first month. They have created an unwanted club record by overhauling their previous worst run of remaining goalless, which was 464 minutes in all competitions in 1984. In the Levante game, the streak reached 481 minutes, until Marcelo pulled one back for the visitors.

Real Madrid were winless in their last five games until that point. It was also their worst start to a season since 2001.

The club lost four of the five matches in all competitions – a draw against Atletico Madrid, and losses to Alaves, Levante and Sevilla, not to forget the 1-0 slump to CSKA in Moscow in the Champions League.

Their winless run continued when after the Levante game, they traveled to Camp Nou, only to be humiliated with a 5-1 scoreline.

#3 The ‘best’ not at his best

The FIFA Best player winner Luka Modric looks out of sorts. Having delivered a memorable performance at the World Cup, Modric came with fresh vigour, but that has not translated into results.

He did not start on a couple of occasions, and was replaced in almost every game, barring a few. He was not named in the starting XI in the loss to CSKA, and eventually came on as a substitute.

So far, the best player in the world and the Golden Ball winner has not been able to weave that magic which he so regularly and effortlessly did for the Los Blancos in the past.

#4 The elephant in the room - Ronaldo's exit

The void created by the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo is too huge for words. He has been Real’s all-time highest scorer, netting 450 times in 438 appearances. And the club are feeling the heat now that they are missing such a prolific goal scorer.

Their conventional number 9 has been a disappointment, and they surely need to find a replacement for Benzema. Even though Real Madrid seem to be in denial, Ronaldo’s exit has had a colossal impact; now they do not possess a Mr. Dependable anymore.

Ronaldo’s absence was certainly felt when they were run ragged for 465 goalless minutes. It is almost impossible to match what Ronaldo did for Madrid, but a replacement even half as good as him will do the job.

#5 The Bale issue

Since Ronaldo’s departure, it was almost certain that Bale was going to be his successor at Real Madrid, and that he would finally achieve the purpose for which he was brought in 2013. Bale started the season positively for Real, and it seemed like he would now be able to carry the mantle of Los Blancos and lead the club to domestic success.

But after failing to find the net in Real Madrid's home win against Valencia, Bale is now on a dismal goal drought in LaLiga. He has been unable to score in 10 consecutive La Liga appearances, his worst ever run.

All that said, this still isn’t the worst Real Madrid of all time. Solari is slowly but steadily trying to put things together and assemble a team which needs some stability to start with. It is now for the players to decide how to approach the situations as and when they come.