5 reasons why Real Madrid are struggling

'Struggle' is a very relative word. It has a different meaning for different circumstances. For the financially strong people, ‘struggle’ is losing the WiFi connection for 20 seconds.

Meanwhile, for some others, 'struggle' is not being able to put food on the table. This is the way life is; it just has a way of making one word mean many things.

For low-budget top division clubs, staying up is the be-all and end-all. But when it comes to Real Madrid, being just two points from the top spot after 8 games in the league is a crisis.

They are second in their group in the Champions League, a competition which they have won three times in a row and are currently defending it, and yet, with no goals in the last four games in all competition, the general consensus seems to be that the Galacticos are struggling.

It is all about standards and the way the Blancos have set the bar, it is only natural to claim that they are in a spot of bother – and here are 5 reasons why that is happening…

#5 Ronaldo departure

If one removes a light bulb from a room, it ought to become dark. That is how it is. There could be some light rays travelling inside the room when the sun is up but by the time the darkness of the night shrouds the world, the room will become pitch dark.

So when Real Madrid decided to remove the light from their room by selling Cristiano Ronaldo, it was only a matter of time before the darkness seeped in. After all, this is a man who shattered the scoring records of former Madrid players and ended up becoming the highest ever scorer in the history of the club.

And it took him only 9 seasons to get there. In the process, he helped the Merengues win the Champions League four times and the league two times. His goals were fundamental for the club and with his absence now, the Bernabeu outfit are now going through a scoring-drought of four games.

#4 Underwhelming window

Lopetegui started the season well but the sun had to set and once it did, the darkness crept in. It wouldn’t have mattered if the light bulb was replaced with another one.

But the point is, Florentino Perez didn’t. He didn’t sign a single proven goalscorer to replace the Ronaldo-sized gap in the team. So if he is upset about Madrid’s woes now, it would be like covering his eyes with his own hands and then complaining that the world is dark.

The Galacticos had a very quiet window as the only notable attackers that came in were Vinicius Jr. – whose signing was confirmed a long time ago – and Mariano.

As talented as they might be, they simply don’t have the credentials to fill the void left by the Portuguese superstar. Even then, it might have not mattered and the Merengues might have kept winning if it weren’t for…

#3 Isco reliance

The moment Julen Lopetegui was announced to be the new manager of Real Madrid, it became evident that Isco would play a prime role under him at the Bernabeu. This was a safe assumption to make because, after all, the former Malaga man was the key player in Lopetegui’s system for Spain.

And the exact same happened at Real Madrid. Isco, at his best, is a joy to behold. He not only controls the midfield by connecting the dots, but he is also the link between the midfield and the attack and plays a crucial role in the final third.

While this might be a good thing, it also makes Real Madrid vulnerable since Isco’s absence gives them a major blow. There is no-one that can do the job that he does in Lopetegui’s system and the fact that Madrid haven’t been able to score a single goal since his appendicitis is a testament to the claim.

Three losses, no goals, no wins and five conceded since Isco’s absence. That’s all.

#2 Injuries

This is basically an extension of the earlier point. Isco was ruled out for a month after he got operated. However, he is not the only one who got afflicted by the fangs of injury.

Both of Madrid’s first-choice full-backs, Dani Carvajal and Marcelo, were scathed by injuries. As a result, youngsters Alvaro Odriozola and Sergio Reguilon had to be the full-back pairing against CSKA Moscow.

Meanwhile, Gareth Bale is also currently injured and hasn’t been at his 100% in the last couple of matches. Benzema, too, is addressing a hamstring issue.

As it is, Madrid are already suffering from the departure of Ronaldo and the unavailability of Isco. So these further absentees only just hurt them more.

#1 New coach

In the history of humanity, there have only been a very, very few instances when a change in power of any organization was smooth. Even in a democracy, the transition of power almost often causes hiccups.

So when a new manager takes over from his predecessor – a highly successful one at that – it is only natural for things to be a little erratic in the beginning. Julen Lopetegui’s football system is completely different to that of Zidane.

While the Frenchman brought the best out of an individual player, Lopetegui always tries to implement a system wherein the individual skills of each player produces the best in a collective manner.

From Zidane to Lopetegui, this is actually a big change tactical-wise and it will take at least a season for the Blancos to completely implement what the Spaniard intends to.

Even something as small as a caterpillar takes around three weeks to turn into a butterfly and we are talking about an entire football team here.