Have James Rodriguez, Isco, Danilo and Raphael Varane failed at Real Madrid?
James Rodriguez, Isco, Danilo and Raphael Varane endured a difficult campaign this season, writes EDUARDO ALVAREZ at ESPN.
With Real Madrid failed to stop Barcelona from lifting back to back La-Liga title, their season rests on Champions League final and if Los Blancos failed to triumph in Milan, they will go trophy-less for two years.
Have James Rodriguez, Isco, Danilo and Raphael Varane failed at Real Madrid?
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“James Rodriguez deserves the prize as the biggest disenchantment of the season with a fair amount of distance over the runner-up. One of the main stars of the Carlo Ancelotti side that won 22 matches in a row at the end of 2014, the Colombian looked like a young star that could become a top-five world player in the very near future. His left foot crossed or shot with an impressive combination of power and accuracy, and even though Ancelotti’s system demanded quite a lot from him in the defensive side of the game, James’ work rate left no room for complaints.
“In truth, James never really got going this season. If his numbers still look decent, it’s because his unquestionable offensive talent allows him to hide below par performances with a goal or a couple of pinpointed passes. In fact, he’s Real Madrid’s fourth best scorer this season, right behind the BBC (Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo), having started only in 26 matches.
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“Isco has continued to make a remarkable effort playing as a midfielder, but with every passing match, his playing out of position becomes more and more useless to the squad.
“He can’t change the outcome of matches when he has so much pitch to cover, and he’s no N’Kolo Kante defensively, so his career now moves along in a very frustrating limbo. It’s now painfully evident that he won’t shine much unless he recovers his free role behind the striker, and that will not happen with Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo playing up front.
“Another sizeable disappointment — a €30 million one — is Danilo Silva. The Brazilian full-back, an intimidating specimen that often looks the part when he has the ball, started strong under Benitez, but an injury led Daniel Carvajal to recover his place in the line-up. After that, Danilo never looked able to compete with the Spaniard.
“Finally, the last and arguably minor disappointment goes by the name of Raphael. French centre-back Varane started the season as Sergio Ramos’ partner at the heart of the defence, but was unable to maintain that status as the season progressed. Especially at the end, when Pepe reminded many of his 2012 version, the Frenchman seemed to accept his position as a secondary option.”