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2017 was bitter-sweet for Real Madrid. They had a bashing year, marching ahead ruthlessly, grabbing almost every cup, every trophy and adding more and more accolades in their hall of fame. The rivals and critics were spellbound by the club's shining form but alas!
Since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, clouds of uncertainty have been looming over the Spanish giants. Right now, they stand at a difficult place.
With Zidane and his men currently under scrutiny and hardships, let's take a dive into 5 reasons why Madridistas can still be positive about their club's campaign:
#5 Gareth Bale's return
The club's most expensive player, Gareth Bale, has spent a majority of his time warming the bench. The injury-prone Welshman couldn't contribute much to his club due to his lack of fitness throughout the season.
Since his arrival at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid's attacking has looked top-notch, as he has been an important element in the gruesome B-B-C trio. The Real Madrid no.11 became a crucial figure recently, by coming off the bench to turn the tides in Madrid's favour quite often (Yes, of course, his goal against Al-Jazira in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final would've crossed your mind).
With Zizou's positive announcement regarding his fitness confirming that he is likely to start the game against Celta Vigo on 8th of January, fans around the globe can rightfully see a ray of hope! Who knows, he might even fuel up Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema's form and bring back BBC into action again
#4 January transfer window
The winter transfer window has always been interesting. Football enthusiasts are always keen on knowing how well the new-arrivals can influence the play and also the on-going game strategies.
While Zidane and Florentino Perez have been passive regarding transfers in recent times, it won't be the case at present as the club is under immense pressure and the management is expected to brush up their team and rope in some new faces into the squad. Lack of form of some big names adds to the list of reasons for the same.
Keylor Navas, despite performing well, is most likely to be replaced soon. Athletic Bilbao's keeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga is reportedly under the Los Blancos gaffer's radar, especially since the 23-year-old keeper's contract with his current club is set to expire this summer.
Also, with talks over David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois reaching nowhere, it makes Kepa a possible pick for Real in this transfer window.
Another big name that the club is eyeing is Chelsea's main man Eden Hazard for whom the Galacticos are allegedly preparing to bid £120 million.
Further, Los Blancos have also been strongly linked to Tottenham Hotspur's star striker Harry Kane in recent times. Fans are on the edge of their seats to see what will the manager provide them with during this January transfer window.
#3 Real Madrid learn from their mistakes
Even though form and brilliant gameplay were the club's pillars, Real Madrid have stumbled quite a few times because of their lapse in concentration, poor game strategies, or a casual approach.
Back-to-back home draws against Valencia (2-2) and Levante (1-1) during the initial days of La Liga were shocking for the Galacticos. Moreover, losing to Real Betis (0-1) and Alaves (1-2) shook the morale of the mighty Los Blancos.
What followed was further humiliation in the UEFA Champions League against English club Tottenham Hotspur, where the Spanish giants drew 1-1 at home and lost 3-1 on away turf before losing to Girona (2-1) in La Liga.
Since then, Zidane and his men have been on their toes to try not to replicate their errors and slip further places in the league table but a whack from bitter rivals Barcelona in the recent El Clasico clash at the Bernabeu left Madrid shell-shocked.
But that's what Real Madrid do, don't they? Brush up all the dirt and get up on their feet again. Learning from their mistakes and ready to fight again!
#2 Talented youngsters
Having a bagful of talented youngsters is a boon for the current La Liga holders. The club's management might just want to revise their plans and give more playing time to their young guns.
With Karim Benzema struggling to find his form and the back of the net, including Marco Asensio in the starting XI would be something that Zidane must have on the cards.
With the likes of Isco and Lucas Vázquez, the Frenchman might not even have to stress about Bale's inclusion in the team until his full recovery and him getting the hang of the game again after a brief interval.
Dani Ceballos, Borja Mayoral, Achraf Hakimi, Theo Hernández, the list goes on like this. With such young calibres and high-quality bench strength, it's not too late for Real to try out various combinations and knit together new strategies.
#1 Trust the man himself: Zinedine Zidane
The Frenchman is one of few to have had a shining career as a player and as a manager. Though his managerial career is going through a harsh passage at the moment, Real Madrid can't be losing trust upon their boss who has given them too many trophies within a short span of time.
As it is said, if you cheer their achievements, you should be beside them during their hardships too. This very thing should be the mantra of every Madridista right now.
After being appointed as the head coach two years ago, Zizou has helped Real Madrid lay their hands upon 2 UEFA Champions Leagues trophies, 1 La Liga (Oh boy! They had been waiting since forever to dethrone Barca), 2 x FIFA Club World Clubs, 2 x UEFA Supercups, 1 x Spanish Supercup.
Isn't that enough silverware to earn enough trust and confidence of the club's supporters and authorities? Well, it surely should be.
For all these reasons and several others, Madridistas can still have their hopes held high, and rightfully so!
