Reports: Real Madrid players frustrated with manager Lopetegui after attempts to copy Barcelona

What's the story?

Real Madrid, the defending European champions, have endured a painfully slow start to their 2018-19 season. To exacerbate matters, the Spanish giants currently sit 4th on the LaLiga table and haven't won a single game in their last 4 matches in all competitions.

While it is obvious that the new manager, Julen Lopetegui will be under the scanner of the club's hierarchy, he is also reportedly being scrutinised by the Real Madrid players. According to reports from The Daily Express, Spanish journalist, Eduardo Inda, believes that the dressing room is growing increasingly frustrated with the manager and his tactics.

In case you didn't know...

Former Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, resigned as the club's coach just 5 days after leading the club to their historic third consecutive UEFA Champions League title.

On the other hand, 4 months ago, in June, Julen Lopetegui was also set to coach Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, he was controversially named as Zidane's replacement and it was announced that he would take over after Spain's World Cup campaign.

The timing and manner of the announcement, however, cost Lopetegui his job as Spanish coach as he was terminated the next day. Subsequently, he arrived in Spain and took over the reigns at Real Madrid.

The heart of the matter

According to the aforementioned report, Eduardo Inda believes that Lopetegui's attempts at replicating the tiki-taka style of football played by the Spanish national team and arch-rivals, Barcelona, has frustrated the players, who are understood to want to play a more attacking style.

“The Madrid players are p****d off by the tactics,” Inda said.

"There are some players who are playing for tactics."

"They consider that there has to be less tiki-taka and more rapid transitions, as has been historically Real Madrid, and not imitate Barca.”

According to the same report, LaLiga expert, Guillem Balague, spoke about the possibility of Lopetegui being shown the door.

"Lopetegui has until the Clasico against Barcelona, which is three games, to show that he is the man for the job," he said.

"Meanwhile, they are looking around at people such as Antonio Conte to see if his contract situation at Chelsea has been completely resolved.

"If you doubt that the man in charge should be continuing, that is what Real Madrid do. There is nobody from within, like previously when Zinedine Zidane was the solution.

"Lopetegui and some of the players feel it is just a blip and they can come out of it. The board is not so sure."

One thing is for certain, Julen Lopetegui will have to pluck a rabbit out of his hat if he's to change things at Madrid and take control of the club's future, as well as his own.

What's next?

As Balague said, the upcoming Clasico against Barcelona at the end of the month could be the deciding factor. If Madrid can win, it will hand Lopetegui a fresh lease at life. However, a defeat could very well be the end of his short Real Madrid career.