Real Madrid have managed to clear out their treatment room in the nick of time for the business end of the season.
The result is that there are some pretty big doubts about the first-choice line-up. The bulk of the debate revolves around two men, Isco and James, who - if Carlo Ancelotti's decisions over the course of the campaign are anything to go by - are vying for one place in the side.
The BBC, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos would appear to be shoo-ins.
With James fit and firing again, the time has come for Ancelotti to put his cards on the table.
He has barely had to contend with such a selection headache all season, though it must be said that the coach is hardly unhappy to have to deal with it now. After all, he knows that whoever ends up on the bench will be a fantastic option to bring on when things aren't going so well.
A high-profile case in point would be last year's Champions League final against Atlético in Lisbon, where Isco's introduction in the second half was instrumental in Real Madrid's turnaround. This ability to shake things up with his substitutions is something the coach has been missing this term.
The pecking order should become clear for the first big game of this crunch period of the campaign: when Real Madrid visit the Calderón for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, in a week's time. Past events would seem to suggest that James is in pole position.
In fact, if Isco's starting place became "non-negotiable" - in Ancelotti's own words - that was because of injuries to Bale, Modric and James in that order. In almost every league match in which the Italian has had a full pack to choose from in midfield and attack, it was Isco who was sacrificed. What's more, the pair have only started 12 matches together, most of which came during the first half of the season, with ten ending in victory and two in defeat.
Statistically speaking, the Colombian has the upper hand. In 34 appearances (2,461 minutes), he has registered 12 goals and 11 assists, compared to 5 and 6 respectively for Isco in 41 games (2,951 minutes). However, the former Málaga starlet is a firm fan favourite and stepped up to earn his spot when he got his chance. Who will get the nod? Watch this space…
No comments:
Post a Comment