Real still not clicking into gear

Real Madrid beat Espanyol 3-0 on Tuesday night in La Liga. The result sounds convincing but having watched most of the game it really wasn’t.

The visitors finished the game with nine men and Real only scored their second goal in the 78^th minute through Gonzalo Higuain.

Fans

With the score 1-0 at half-time the Bernabeu was strangely quiet as the players walked off the pitch.

The fans wasn’t quite booing their side off but you could tell that they wasn’t completed convinced by their sides performance.

The style of play isn’t exactly exhilarating at the moment. Real Madrid fans expect fast attacking football but so far the team haven’t produced much of that this season. The performances have been more geared to Jose Mourinho’s more pragmatic style of play.

Confidence

Real Madrid players don’t tend to lack confidence. In fact just being a Real Madrid player usually makes a player slightly over-confident. Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first club goal since May in Tuesday’s game and he looked a relieved man.

The former-Manchester United star never seems to lack confidence and has been accused of being big headed and arrogant in the past. Yet this season he has struggled to find his top form. Maybe the goal from the penalty spot on Tuesday will reinstall his trademark confidence.

Team

Real Madrid have always struck me as a team of individuals who just happen to be in a team. If Real Madrid are to be successful then they need to start playing as a team, rather than a team of individuals.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Kaka to name just a few are talented players. Yet they are not always the best team players. All the individual talents need to be moulded into a team by new boss Jose Mourinho.

Rivals

The difference between Madrid and their main domestic rivals Barcelona is that Barca are a well drilled team. There is also a continuity that is lacking in the club from the capital. Barcelona doesn’t make wholesale changes in their squad or coaching staff.

Real Madrid sign more players every summer. That means that the club never have continuity and players always need time to settle. Players aren’t given much time to settle at Real, as the club demand instant success. This is not helping Real to achieve success.

Manager

Jose Mourinho is a ‘Galactico’ boss to go with a squad full of ‘Galactico’ players. Mourinho is one of the best football bosses in the game but he likes to play his football a certain way. That way is completely different from that of Madrid’s usual flamboyant style of play.

Mourinho will make Real successful but at what cost to the style of play I don’t know. As I watched last night’s game I felt like the team just wasn’t entertaining to watch. From what I have seen this season it wasn’t a one-off performance either.

Second Best

Even though Barca are behind Real Madrid in La Liga, I still believe that Real are way behind their hated rivals. Even with their new signings, new high-profile boss and big egos Real still need to find a settled team and that could take some time.