Year in Review

By El Maestro

After a season of much uncertainty, Real Madrid finished the season by accomplishing a double for the first time in almost 20 years, which included the long awaited Décima.

¡SI SI SI, LA DÉCIMA YA ESTA AQUÍ!

Final Recap:

I said before the game if Madrid shows up, they would win. Clearly, that’s not what they did in the 1st half. It took Madrid until the hour mark to finally break through Atletico’s solid defense. I was starting to imagine life in Madrid with Atletico’s victory when Ramos at last used his head for something good to equalize the match in the 93rd minute and send it into extra time. Atletico (fatigued and out of gas) held on until the 110th minute when Di Maria (MVP) sliced through three ‘Colchoneros’ and had his shot stopped by Courtois, only for it to be headed in by Bale to send the white part of Madrid and Xabi Alonso into a frenzy. Then Marcelo walked through Atletico’s tired defense to make it 3-1 and CR7 iced it in the last minute with his penalty and epic celebration to finally bring home la Décima.

2013/2014 Season:

Despite all the success, there is a lot Madrid has to improve on for next season. For starters, there are only a handful of games where Madrid played that beautiful attractive football Ancelotti had promised (Galatasaray, Atletico [Copa], Schalke [1st leg] and Bayern Munich). The rest of them were won either at half speed, not playing until the final whistle or just simply not showing up. The team also showed the lack of discipline I feared at the beginning, which was seen in Dortmund and throughout la Liga. On top of this, Madrid missed the a golden opportunity to win the treble by throwing it away when it was presented on a silver platter. Attitudes that are unacceptable and must be improved by Ancelotti if he wants to take this team to new heights next season.

Signings and Departures: 

It’s also that time of year where all teams look to strengthen their squads for next season. The only players who look certain to leave the club this summer are Jesús Fernández, Casemiro and Morata. Denis Cheryshev, who returns from his loan spell from Sevilla, will more than likely be loaned out again or sold with a buy back option. Other possible departures may include Diego López or Casillas, Pepe, Coentrao, Khedira, Di Maria and/or Benzema. Already, the rumor mill has gone off as usually and several players have been linked to the club. The signings will be important, but Madrid only needs to made 3 or 4, and possibly another if one of the mentioned players leaves over the summer.

Keeper: Although the press has made Diego López’s career at Real Madrid very uncomfortable, it looks like the one who will leave out of the two is Casillas. Many find it unlikely, but the numerous reports that came out after the final in Lisbon about his unhappiness (reported by journalist who have a close relationship with him) makes me believe this could actually happen. A lot of us (including myself) would love to see this drama end and it looks like a keeper has been selected if Casillas leaves.

Kiko Casilla (Espanyol): Had another great season, 1.91 (6’3), came out of La Fabrica (Madrid’s youth system), has a year remaining on his current contract and Madrid has 50% of his rights, which means he can be signed for half price.

However, that dream I had of getting €40 million for Casillas went out the window after his horrific performances in the Champions League Final and the World Cup. Madrid can still sell and get money for his departure, but it may not be even close to €20 million due to his huge decline. Surely someone will express interest, but the questions are who, what league they play in and how much will they offer? Otherwise, we will be dealing with the Diego-Casillas propaganda from the press next season.

Defense: The only position that is well covered and would require someone to leave the club in order for a signing to occur. Mats Hummels and Iñigo Martínez have been linked, but the only players who may depart this summer are Varane or Pepe and Coentrao. If everyone stays, then the defense will be exactly the same as this season.

Midfield: The position that’s probably sparked the rumor mill the most. Players, such as Toni Kroos, Arturo Vidal, Marco Reus and Paul Pogba, have all been mentioned as possible signings. The only midfielder who looks certain to leave is Casemiro, but offers also exist for Khedira and Di Maria. Some teams have been supposedly winning to pay €45 million for Khedira and Di Maria’s stock has sky rocketed after his season was rejuvenated and the MVP performance in Lisbon. Either way, Madrid is going to need another midfielder (or two) with Xabi Alonso turning 33 in November and Illarramendi’s inconsistency this past season.

Forward: The most important position Madrid’s needs to strengthen. CR7, Bale and Benzema had a fantastic season (individually and collectively) and Jese was great until he got hurt in March, but Morata did not cut it. Ancelotti gave it a shot, but it’s clear Morata is not right now the ideal striker for Real Madrid. Jese’s long term injury has also force Madrid to sign another attacking player, such as Griezmann from Real Sociedad.

While this is a possibility, the only question I have circling around my head is what kind of striker should Madrid sign: world class or good second stringer? Luis Suárez, Sergio Agüero and Falcao have popped up, but they would all cost big amounts of money and I don’t know if Ancelotti can juggle four strikers of that magnitude. The other option is to sign a good quality back up that can come off the bench and start when needed. The name that has appeared the most for that role is Fernando Llorente. The upside is that he’s found his feet again at Juventus, scored 16 league goals (18 in total), 1.95 (6’5), knows la Liga and can come at a very good price since the Italian side got him for free and have expressed interest in Morata. The downside is whether he can fit into a quick fast pace system next to ‘La Maquina’ and Bale.

Carletto:

It would be harsh to question Ancelotti, especially after winning us two titles this season. He’s had a grip on this squad and the players seem to get along with him after seven of them interrupted the press conference in Lisbon to celebrate. Regardless, the lack of play this season and the way Madrid threw the league this season shows me that he has not instilled that discipline that every team needs to be successful in the short- and long-term. Also, he might have a better personality than Del Bosque, but he still has the reputation of being a buddy-buddy head coach as his nickname ‘El Pacificador’ given by Marca shows. That style won us la Copa and the Champions League this season, but history has also shown us that these coaches don’t always have the same success in the long-term.

Why?: Because when a coach like this has instant success, players may sometimes not have the same motivation going into the next season and he may fail to find that spark to get his squad to win again. Along with this, players could also get use to not having a coach constantly breathing down their necks, which means they may not train or play to their full potential. Some people think this is not possible, but it does happen and if you don’t believe me, just ask Del Bosque’s 2014 World Cup team.

Hopefully, he’ll prove me wrong and bring us more success next season and for years to come. First thing he has to do is decide what signings Madrid should make to improve the squad for 2014/2015. I don’t think he’ll have to tear his eyes out since he already has the best side in the world, but it’s important he gets it right. Once he does that, his next responsibility will be to make sure this team is hungry and motivated to win it all next year, including la Undécima.