Champions League or nothing: Is this how Real Madrid are headed?
Troubled times ahead?
The Champions League is undoubtedly the final frontier for any European football club. It is the ultimate glory, the absolute conquest and it is the cut-off point to qualify for the inevitable debate about the best teams of a particular era. Which is why it comes as no surprise that there have been countless European teams throughout the competition’s history that have almost or completely shunned the domestic competition to pave way for launching a bid for Europe’s elite club competition. We saw that with Chelsea last season, who, under Di Matteo, gave up hope and interest in an already futile league campaign, and switched their complete focus to their European ambitions. This season, Real Madrid have all but lost out on the Liga, trailing by 16 points midway through the season, and look to be treading down a similar path.
There have been a few doubts regarding Jose Mourinho even staying long enough to manage Real for their showdown against Manchester United, a club they’ve always had a cordial relationship with. And this has led to most Chelsea fans aimlessly sauntering around the internet searching for baseless stories about Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge and increasingly annoying smart-a** memes about Mourinho losing and making stupid decisions like resting Casillas in favour of Adan on purpose, in order to get sacked. Not my point, of course. My point is, why are Real going through this slump? Have they really started believing that it’s going to be a tenth European Cup or nothing? Yes, they do still have Copa hopes, but that is irrelevant because in the event that they do win it, Ramos is going to drop the cup anyway.
If they have, in fact, lost all sense of professionalism and started placing all their eggs in the European basket, then Real have officially contracted Mourinho’s psychosis virus. As mentioned, the season is but halfway through, and if not for some needlessly dropped points, Real would have still had a really great chance to set their season back on track and mount pressure on Barcelona. Winning the league seems out of sight now, and so Real are faced with the daunting task of either triumphing in Europe for the tenth time, or preparing themselves to face the ultimate ignominy of finishing behind their city rivals – Atletico Madrid. So let us look at the the Plan, along with its Pros and Cons.
The Plan:
Real Madrid resume their league crusade after a refreshing winter break on the 6th of January against Real Sociedad, at home. They have six games on their itinerary from then up to the first leg of the Champions League clash, with the most evidently challenging one being a game away to Valencia. So the team need not do a lot of chopping and changing every weekend, but they need to make sure that when United travel to Spain, Arbeloa isn’t plonked on a hospital bed. He’s effectively their only right back, and if Nani is fit for United, Real will be subject to torment from both flanks due to the uncanny talent of switching plays in a flash; a talent both Scholes and Cleverley possess.
Manchester United is now synonymous with ‘goal-fest’ across Europe, and it flatters them as much as it doesn’t. This is where Real’s prolific front-line comes into play to take maximum advantage. If Marcelo is fit, he would have to be Real’s first choice as his left-wing partnership with Ronaldo (and I have to fight back the tears saying this) is the best in the world. the Brazilian fracas to follow between him and Rafael would be delectable for the eye.
Too much for United to handle?
However, Real also need to keep in mind the away-goal rule, and must be aware that two or more away goals conceded would mean certain death for them, as United’s defence may not be as leaky then as it is now, going into the second leg, for Vidic is getting back into the groove, and with Smalling fit and Rafael recovering, United are striving to peak at the right time.
So, the mantra for Real is to not only keep Arbeloa, Marcelo and Benzema (because United’s CBs would find it easier to keep Higuain down due to his traditional Centre-forward traits) fit enough; they need them to tweak their playing styles because United and the direct English game is a whole new challenge to Real.
Pros:
Nobody, including Jose Mourinho or the Real Madrid backroom, actually expects Real to win the league title. Besides, the Champions League and Real have this eerie background romance between them, something Real has never had with the La Liga. They have a perfectly logical reason to make Europe their first priority now more than ever, and a victory over Manchester United will make it clear that Real are here to win it, and everyone else might as well step aside.
If they manage to collect maximum points from the next six games, then a win against United will do their morale a world of good, and will effectively rejuvenate their league campaign. It sounds stupid, but I’m actually saying that giving up on the league is going to help their league campaign. Provided everything goes to plan, that is. Otherwise it’s going to be one catastrophic season for Real and especially Mourinho.
Cons:
Nobody, including Jose Mourinho or the Real Madrid backroom, actually expects Real to win the league title. Of course, but gift-wrapping the trophy in Red and Blue paper and speed mailing it to Cataluña as a belated Christmas present is an entirely different issue. No one wants the most successful European and Spanish club to go down without a fight. Not least the Bernabeu faithful. Sacking Mourinho after failures of this magnitude is a trifle too obvious and inevitable, but the manner of their fiasco will decide the gate revenue and not least the merchandise sales the following season.
So yes, Real are going to go easy on domestic commitments and focus mainly – if not only – on the job at hand in Europe. There is no guaranteeing that Real will win the Champions League if they beat United, but they will still have hope enough left for some silverware at the end of May, provided Ramos keeps distance. And if not anything, Real get to keep their dignity and save some face, which is a whole lot better than ending up empty-handed and red-faced with angry fans pelting stones at you and uttering hilarious Spanish cuss words.
I promise I’m not going to drop it this time!
To quote an appropriate internet meme: “Not sure if it’s Hala Madrid, or Haha Madrid”.
This is exactly what Real wouldn’t want.