The loss yesterday by Real Madrid away to Sevilla FC is a Football event that is always possible in high level competition & when the opposition team simply played better. What has made the "alarm bells" sound at Real Madrid is the form of star Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo. The forward is not himself, looks unmotivated & out of place. There is not doubt that Ronaldo is trying his best to score & to help his team onto victory, but he is certainty out of groove, & some say possibly already far away.
Firstly, we have been spoiled silly for the past 6 seasons witnessing goalscoring rates of between 50 - 70 goals per season. It was until Cristiano Ronaldo arrived (with exception of Lionel Messi) not humanly possible. Thus seeing how Ronaldo does not score in his latest games seems a complete let down.
Secondly, all of us, even for the "superhuman" Cristiano Ronaldo, must succumb to the effects of age. CR7 will some reach his 31 st Birthday next February, & like it or not, pace declines & the reflexes stall even if we are only talking of fraction of seconds or more. It may well be the moment to change how one plays or "evolve" towards a more optimal manner of Football which may sacrifice the goalscoring numbers but heighten the cooperative aspects of his & team play.
Said this, there could other factors which helps explain the current "absence" of Cristiano Ronaldo both on the field & off the field:
- the absence of Karim Benzema not only lessens the effectiveness of the whole team but puts out of synchronicity Cristiano Ronaldo & his Football. The understanding between Frenchman & Portuguese is almost perfect & has given CR7 a high percentage of his goals,
- some insiders suggest that another reason for the drop in form by Cristiano Ronaldo is that he is not playing in his preferred position. Cristiano likes the left flank but Coach Benitez has preferred to place him as Centre Forward, more so with the absence of Benzema,
- this follows that the connection between Cristiano Ronaldo & his Coach Rafael Benitez is commented to be not as fluid as with ex-Coach Ancelotti. Perhaps its the tactical insistence that Benitez imposes on all his players, the differences in Football philosophy which diverges or that personally there is no "feeling",
- Perhaps it is just that Cristiano Ronaldo is physically exhausted. The player is a starter in all the matches, & few Coaches past or present have had the personality to substitute CR7.
These factors may be playing a part, but the reason that some observers are already citing as a prime motive is that Cristiano Ronaldo is perhaps planning his exit from Real Madrid. The idea of Cristiano Ronaldo far from Real Madrid is gaining strength after the player himself has made ambiguous statements to International Press thus opening the possibility of an exit. Public gestures that consciously attract the TV cameras like whispering to the ear of Paris St Germain Coach Blanc & patting the back of Paris St Germain owner, are seen as orchestrated & strategically planned.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez may well see all this with good eyes the selling of his star for 100-150M€ next season to Paris St Germain & could be in "the plan" with CR7 & his team of advisors to lessen the blow & possible fan base backlash.
As you can read there are many ideas floating around at the moment many of which are just speculation & perhaps without any base. However the obvious is that Cristiano Ronaldo is not 100%, neither with his Football nor mentally & this is attracting attention from specialists & fans.
I conclude that the Portuguese will bounce back soon to tantalize us all again with his goalscoring prowess & have us forget this current slump & out pour of rumours. Although I do also comment that we will be back here to analyse further in the future the strongest of all predictions doing the rounds at the moment, that the future of Cristiano Ronaldo may well be far from Real Madrid.
Stay tuned!
