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One of the most exciting things about football is how quickly things can change.
In a month which has already seen Sepp Blatter announce his plan to retire as head of FIFA in the coming months as well as playing host to the theatre of fresh revelations concerning bribe-taking and further corruption within the core of the game, never has there been a more apt time to witness just how malleable it can all be.
Whether or not it cracks under the strain of its own duplicity, however, remains to be seen.
Real Madrid, too, has itself shown just how turbulent their own world can be. Carlo Ancelotti has now been swapped for Rafael Benitez and with transfer speculation rife, left, right and centre, it’s clear all is not well within the confines of the world-famous Santiago Bernabeu.
In particular, the future of long-standing goalkeeper Iker Casillas is also up in the air, and it’s possible that their no.1 custodian could soon find himself out in the cold in double-quick time with certain high-profile signings reportedly targeted.
But should Casillas stay and fight for his place? Is he still good enough?
Benitez’s reputation for tinkering could taint Casillas’ honour
Now that ex-Napoli boss Benitez has come on board to take the reins at Madrid, there ought to be a raft of big changes made in the coming weeks and months.
In the past, the 55-year-old manager has earned himself a reputation for tinkering playfully with sensitive squads and starting XIs, particularly during his time in the Premier League with Liverpool on Merseyside.
Although that brought him a Champions League title in 2005, it also brought him a great deal of criticism from far and wide. Often, he brought dismay to the fans, particularly during their disheartening league campaigns, with the way he left big name players out in key games.
Too often back then, he took calculated risks that simply did not work – and he attempted to do the same in the Serie A, though perhaps his capacity to do so here was not as well documented. In truth, it seems that while Benitez can sometimes be one of the top minds in European football, he often struggles to get the most out of his squad and is saddled with his own inconsistency.
Indeed, his rotation policy is unlikely to sit well with Casillas should he choose to stay. For example, Mariano Andujar and Rafael Cabral – the two Partenopei shot-stoppers – shared 52 appearances relatively evenly with the former enjoying 23 and the latter 29.
In stark contrast to this, Los Blancos, quite simply kept their no.1 as their main ‘keeper – and it saw him keep Keylor Navas out of the starting XI for all but eight matches in all competitions, per WhoScored. In truth, it’s difficult to imagine just how “The Saint” would cope with sitting on the sidelines for anywhere near even 30 percent of Madrid’s matches.
It would be a jolt to the system he might not even want to experience.
De Gea’s potential move hints at a changing of guard
How many times has a big-money move been purportedly set in stone only for it to fall to pieces a few days later? More than we care to remember, it has to be said.
Not that this one will, mind – but it’s always a possibility until the player in question can be seen holding his jersey aloft in front of a crowded press room, camera flash bolts popping by the second. Until that moment, everything is speculation and mystery. That said, with a new manager in town, anything could happen.
Watching the 24-year-old De Gea in action this season for Manchester United, it’s true that he excelled with a number of fantastic performances, despite being forced to due to an unfamiliar and discordant backline in front of him.
Against Liverpool in December 2014, he made a string of brilliant stops – his point blank denial of Mario Balotelli a particularly prominent example of just how many of his team-mates’ blushes were spared by him. Undoubtedly yet more brilliant than this was his superbly agile reflexes to keep out a fantastic late Bryan Oviedo effort from long-range when the Red Devils met Everton in the league.
Frequently, he saved shots, valuable points and kept out goals, but talk continues to swirl around about a potential move away from Old Trafford. According to Spanish publication AS, De Gea remains coy about his future, something that will only serve to unsettle Casillas the longer it remains unresolved.
Famously, Casillas is said to have quipped the following about De Gea’s incredible talent as far back in 2010: “One day he will retire us all.”
Still only 34, perhaps retirement is still a tad early for the long-serving Madridista, but if United’s net-minder is to move to Spain’s capital, it would likely fast-track a changing of the guard in between the Bernabeu goal-posts.
Casillas is wanted elsewhere and can still win silverware
Between La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League appearances in the most recent campaign, the Los Blancos star didn’t concede in a total of 18 matches – quite an impressive number when you think about it. Nevertheless, he still came under fire when things went wrong. Indeed, that was sort of the story of their season – if things weren’t perfect, the fans, and Florentino Perez, just didn’t want to know.
Should they continue to chase perfection, they’re likely to be upset a lot more often than they’re content, because it’s a slippery slope that not many teams can climb consistently. There’s always obstacles along the way and if players continue to be lambasted the way Casillas and Gareth Bale were at times last season, morale will drop, tensions will rise and they’ll find it difficult to cope.
True, the captain the night Madrid lost against Schalke 04 was at fault for a number of the goals the German outfit netted, but he was let down by his defence at times, too, and was simply out-gunned by a terrific offensive performances from an opponent hungry to cause a massive upset in the Champions League.
Simply put, the treatment he received was harsh in light of what he has done for the club down through the years, and it certainly didn’t help his confidence.
Now, the proverbial vultures are already starting to circle.
Despite reportedly turning down Valencia’s offer to join their ranks citing his lack of desire to play for another Spanish team, as relayed by El Partido de las 12, a popular radio show in Spain, the signs are there that though Los Merengues might not still recognise his fantastic talent, other big teams do and they are more than willing to go after him.
Indeed, though Spanish team-mate Cesc Fabregas has warned Casillas of the dangers of moving abroad like he did, per The International Business Times, it’s possible the Madrid legend could do that, too.
Truth be told, England offers plenty of opportunities to win silverware – and after a season without any medals to show for his efforts, despite going so close on so many fronts, he might just be tempted.
