Forrest Gump is one of the most celebrated movies of all time. Tom Hanks’ brilliant portrayal of the lead character earned him far-wide recognition and respect. One of the most memorable moments of the movie is when Gump shares the philosophy of his mother.
“Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you will get.”
The thing about chocolates is that they come in wrappings. There are times when the wrapping is beautiful, but the chocolate itself is dark and bitter. While at other times, the covering might not be the most inviting, but the candy pleases every single taste bud.
For La Liga giants, Real Madrid, facing a transfer ban could be the chocolate of the latter kind.
Strength in depth
As the Madrid club have been barred from signing any player for the next two windows, many were left surprised by the club’s lack of activity in the transfer market. However, a good look at their squad would actually make one realise as to why the Galacticos refused to make any big-name signings.
Also Read: Barcelona have spent more on transfers than Real Madrid since 2014
With two players for each position—and world class ones at that too—Real Madrid have a perfectly balanced squad. Some might claim that having only Casemiro for the holding role makes them short in that department.
However, given that they don’t encounter many big teams over the course of the season, it could be counter-argued that having one true defensive-minded midfielder is enough for Real.
Despite that, the strength in depth the Madrid club possess is both incredible and scary. While most clubs would spend a fortune on the likes of Isco, James, Lucas Vazquez, Alvaro Morata, Marco Asensio and Mateo Kovacic to be a part of their starting XI, they are merely benchwarmers at Real Madrid.
An injury or suspension to a first-team player wouldn’t really bring a drop in quality to the Blancos as the replacement is a world class player in his own right.
Focus on youth
Another thing with the transfer ban and lack of activity is that it shows the direction in which the club wants to move. Over the years, Real Madrid have been labelled as a club that doesn’t a give chance to the youth, preferring to sign players from outside instead.
With the transfer ban in place, Real have absolutely no choice but to turn to their youth players should the need arise. La Fabrica, Real’s youth academy, is a fabled one as it has produced some fine footballers over the years and still boasts some highly talented prospects in their ranks.
The inability to sign players for two windows means that Zidane will have to rely on the youth teamers should the need arise. One advantage is that the Frenchman knows them really well from his time at Castilla and, hence, would know which players fit the bill of his requirement.
At this point of time, Dani Carvajal is the best right-back in the world whereas Alvaro Morata was highly coveted in the transfer window, with Chelsea even making a €75million bid for him. This is a testament to the quality of Real Madrid products and the club might just unearth players like them—and this time without having to send them out.
Stability
The one thing that Madrid have always lacked is stability. Over the last decade, Real Madrid have had numerous managerial changes, resulting in somewhat of a chaotic instability within the club. The changing and chopping wasn’t confined to the managers only as many players were bought and sold without much concern about the tactical system.
With the impending transfer ban, Real Madrid wouldn’t be able to sign any players if it is confirmed; which all but makes it concrete that the Blancos won’t be selling players for a year and a half at least.
This is the squad that won the Galacticos its 11th Champions League title. Alvaro Morata and Marco Asensio are the only additions to it, making it a much stronger squad than it was before. With so much strength in depth and stability, Zidane and his men could now win the title that has eluded them for quite a while: La Liga.
To win La Liga, stability is the most important aspect. The fact that Barcelona have won it so many times works as a perfect authentication about the earlier statement.
As Los Blancos wait for a decision, a part of them would—or, perhaps, should—be hoping that they actually get banned; for it could be the best thing to happen to them in recent history.
