Real Madrid’s first defeat of the season came earlier this week against Lille in the UEFA Champions League and has understandably triggered a considerable backlash.
Usually, a team’s first defeat of the season is seen as a hiccup that can be recovered from, but the noise around Real Madrid’s setback has more to do with the team’s performance on the field than the result itself.
Given how Los Blancos have been winning unconvincingly without much control over proceedings, it was always only a matter of time before the team faced defeat. Unfortunately, the problem stems far deeper than is visible to the eye.
Spanish journalist rips apart Real Madrid midfielders
While the Merengues’ failure to replicate last season’s level is down to a collection of factors, the struggles in midfield come across as one of the biggest hurdles. After all, the team lost a lot with the departure of Toni Kroos who is not easy to replace.
Now, speaking on Radio MARCA, Spanish journalist Jorge Liano did not hold back in lashing out at Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga and simply called them over-hyped in essence.
“Madrid’s situation is not a physical issue. Zubimendi is a better footballer than Tchouameni and Camavinga. Or maybe Tchouameni and Camavinga are worse footballers than people think,” he added ruthlessly.
While the journalist’s statement must be taken with a pinch of salt as it is over-exaggerated, his point that the French duo cannot replace Toni Kroos is indeed valid.
Tchouameni, while defensively solid, lacks finesse and control of the ball which are essential to dictate the play and orchestrate the buildup in Real Madrid’s counter-attacking style that relies on accurate passes.
Camavinga, meanwhile, lacks consistency and is still a player who has not found his exact niche on the field. He is versatile but the time has come to groom him into an expert in one discipline rather than use him as a trump card.