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Real Madrid, or Los Blancos, are not performing as "royally" (so to speak) as they should be. Before the international break, they lost to Alaves 1-0 in LaLiga. Yes, the squad is ageing. And Cristiano has left. Modric, the recent World Player of the Year, is over 30. Marcelo, possibly the world's greatest full-back presently, is ageing too. Benzema, Kroos, Bale, Ramos, etc. have all been together for a while also.
It may be time for renewal at the Bernabeu, given this state of play of their squad. However, whilst they are only a few points off the top (held by Sevilla at the time of writing), it has not been a stellar start for "the whites".
This has been compounded by a Champions League loss against CSKA Moscow, which is concerning given their recent record-breaking run in the competition. They may well qualify for the knockout stage, but it won't be easy from this point.
Is it all down to Ronaldo leaving? Or the ageing but still outstanding players? Or is it the new manager? Lopetegui, despite the furore of the Spain national team in the World Cup, has been appointed as The Whites' new manager this season, and as with any new man in charge, it takes time to bed in.
Real Madrid, however, is not any club, and often the time is short. Even Zidane, who won LaLiga and of course three Champions Leagues in a row with them, left the club. And Zizou is both a playing and a managerial legend with them. Managers of the calibre of Mourinho, Ancelotti, Benitez, etc. have been replaced if things aren't ideal on or off the pitch. Lopetegui, if things continue negatively, may be no different to them ultimately.
What has gone wrong, and is it really a problem? The LaLiga difference can be made up, and their "friends" Barcelona are also in a similar predicament if it counts as valid consolation. A good win against them in the coming El Clasico would do much to lift spirits - or inflame them if they lose.
All the same, Real Madrid need to do something to enhance their league position, despite it being early at present.
#1 Ronaldo leaving not the only issue
Ronaldo is without a doubt one of the best players Los Blancos have ever had, many would argue the greatest player, and given the talent they've had over the years, it's a high accolade to possess.
There was the talk of him and club President, Florentino Perez, having a falling out. If this is true or not, it possibly was time for Cristiano to move on to pastures new. Thus far, the new "grazing ground" at Juve is proving good for him.
That said, his goals would be a loss for them now, but could be compensated by Bale, Benzema, and even Modric in a deeper position.
Is blaming the poor form on Ronaldo going simplistic? Maybe.
As one of the richest clubs on Earth, and the biggest and most prestigious club on the planet to boot, they should have no issues in attracting top talent to replace Cristiano.
If anything, it should be the club hierarchy who are to blame for this, and not Ronaldo departing per se. Bale proved in the CL final win against Liverpool that he can be the main man at the Bernabeu. His overhead kick was world class, and one of the best ever goals in CL history, let alone in a final.
A lack of proactive thinking is the issue here, since losing a player who averages 40-50 goals per season (and has been the instrumental factor in four Champions League wins) should require some foresight and forward thinking in recruitment.
#2 Lopetegui's methods
The current head coach, Julen Lopetegui, joined the Whites under a bit of a cloud, especially as there was a major schism with the manner in which he left the Spain national team.
His tenure as Real Madrid manager thus far hasn't been stellar. And the lifespan of Los Blancos' coaches isn't that long. The great Zizou won three Champions League on the spin, yet he was not allowed to remain.
The loss to Alaves would have provided him added pressure, though the silver lining is that the gap with Sevilla at the top isn't that great. The difference to date is only two points, and this could be overhauled via a decent run of wins.
However, he needs to gain a response soon, or if not, he could be facing the sack. The coming El Clasico is an opportune time to regain some kudos in the club, and also add doubt to Barcelona's season also.
#3 Ageing players
The team that has won four Champions League in 5 years, or at least its core, is ageing now. Modric is 33. Marcelo is 31. Ramos is 32. Ronaldo was 33. Benzema is 30.
Bale is 28, however, as is Kroos. But both are at their peak, and will only be there for a few years to come. Is this part of the reason for their struggles? Is there an inevitable dip to come, as the Whites look to rebuild?
It's possible.
However, if this is the case, maybe this dip would be more painful, considering a new of top players are coming towards the end of their illustrious careers.
Modric won Best Player Award of course, and it's essentially an-all star team as it stands.
All empires rise and fall, and maybe we're coming to the natural end of the current great Real Madrid team.
#4 Transfer policy
Eden Hazard was a much-mooted target in the summer.
He has since done very well for Chelsea, who are performing better than expected in the English Premier League under new manager Maurizio Sarri.
All acknowledge Hazard's talents, and the Whites need renewal. Hazard has stated he wishes to play for Real Madrid, and a move may occur sooner rather than later.
However, the club had the opportunity in the summer to sign him, yet they hesitated and didn't get much business done. At least nowhere near that of recent times. Their most expensive signing was Vinicius Junior from Brazil, and most high profile Hazard's former teammate and compatriot Courtois.
Is it the new stadium plans hampering them? Possibly. But fingers would be pointed at the President, Senor Perez, considering the relative dearth of big names.
#5 Better competition
Sevilla, at the time of writing, tops LaLiga.
They are a big club in their own right, with them achieving recent success under now Arsenal head coach Unai Emery.
Sevilla also knocked Manchester United out of last season's Champions League - so to use a cliche "they're no mugs".
Ben Yedder is an impressive forward for them, who to date has a decent scoring record with them this season, and at his time in Seville overall. He has five goals in six league games, so he's no slouch.
It could be that other clubs are stronger this season, despite the overarching dominance of Real Madrid and Barca.
The re-organisation of LaLiga's TV revenue model is another factor, meaning smaller clubs could eventually begin to afford top players. If this trend continues, Real Madrid won't like it, but it would make it harder to win LaLiga, and provide an overall more entertaining league. LaLiga is not as competitive as the English Premier League, but not as monopolised as Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and many other European leagues.
#6 A combination of factors
It could all of the aforementioned factors causing this slump. But is it really a slump? Real Madrid are only a few points behind Sevilla and have played seven games. So it is really a crisis?
Though let's be frank - the standards at Real Madrid are astronomically high. Many managers, who have attained great things, have been surplus to needs if things have gone bad for whatever reason.
Powerful players, as rumoured with Ronaldo and Ramos, were instrumental in forcing out Mourinho. And despite his current woes at Manchester United, he is no managerial dud.
Real Madrid, given its immense and illustrious history, has a right to its high standards, and it could just be the innate culture of the club coming to the fore. Lopetegui won't be the first manager to be under pressure for a poor start at the club, nor will he be the last.
It could blow over if Los Blancos are top of the table by Christmas (or Navidad) - or defeat the enemy in El Clasico very soon.
However, for now, it's too early to say whether it's a crisis or not.
It could also be the fact that, given the ageing squad, and the departure of a legend in Ronaldo, it seems like a seminal time in the club's history.
The impending Santiago Bernabeu shows rebuilding both on and off for Los Blancos - and it happens to all clubs, including the biggest and grandest of them all.
