Real Madrid: Santiago Solari will take the hit, but hes not to blame for their demise
Santiago Solari first started working with Real Madrid almost two decades ago, so he knows how this story goes.As head coach the Argentinian will be the first person held responsible for Los Blancos exit from the Champions League, a disastrous finish to a six-day period in which they have ‘lost’ three trophies assuming 12 points is an insurmountable gap in La Liga.
3Real Madrid manager Santiago SolariBut the biggest contributing factors to losing out on that silverware predate the former Madrid midfielder. The writing has been on the wall for some time, and Zinedine Zidanes departure last summer has now proven to be impeccably timed.The three-time European Cup winning coach felt sufficiently convinced to make that decision to leave before the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo had even occurred. Zidane had already seen enough. That provides some perspective on what Solari had to work with.Unlike the coach who started the current campaign, Julen Lopetegui, Solari didnt even have a pre-season with which to try and implement his ideas. Working with little time, with someone elses squad, he was asked to try and keep a sinking ship afloat. A veteran would have struggled under those conditions, let alone someone with the Argentines limited experience. The limits of his tired squad were exposed for the world to see on Tuesday. Madrids resistance lasted all of about five minutes: Ajaxs first goal saw the home team make amateur mistakes and sliced open with alarming ease, Hakim Ziyech completely unmarked as he fired home after receiving from Duan Tadi, who had all the time in the world to pick him out.In the barrage that followed Madrid repeatedly lost 50-50 battles, gave the ball away straight after recovering possession, and made positional errors that a well-drilled, hungry Ajax delighted in taking advantage of. Casemiro being turned inside out, Zidane-style, by Tadi in the build-up to the second away goal of four spoke volumes about the confidence the Dutch visitors had in their plan.Ajaxs historic win was a victory for exactly that combination planning and hunger. Precisely what Madrid have lacked. Their failure to restructure following the loss of Ronaldo remains baffling, and it is now evident that the pride of a supremely talented but worn squad that has conquered everything in front of them in recent years is not sufficiently strong to paper over the cracks when it really matters.
3Cristiano Ronaldo lifts the last of his four Champion League trophies with Real Madrid.Solari has tried everything at his disposal to shake things up and has made brave calls that others with less spine may not have risked. Calls like relegating veterans he feels are no longer up to scratch from the starting eleven or even the squad, or throwing his weight behind unglamorous youngsters like Sergio Reguiln. And even if Vincius Jnior was a more natural finisher than the wildly inaccurate player he is at the moment, he was never going to replace the circa 50 goals a season that were guaranteed from a finished article and all-time great like Ronaldo.To top it all off, even luck, a factor Madrid have been able to fall back on in the past on occasion, hasnt been on their side as of late. Vincius and Lucas Vzquez getting injured early on against Ajax meant Solaris game plan quickly went out the window, while even substitute Gareth Bale picked up an injury. Of no little inconvenience to the manager too was Sergio Ramos absence: needlessly suspended, the defenders ability from set-pieces and leadership would have helped Madrids cause, but instead he worsened matters for his coach.
3Ramos’ suspension cost Real Madrid against Ajax.In the final stretch of Tuesdays Round of 16 clash, a youthful, energetic Ajax stroked the ball around to the sound of ‘ols’ in Madrids back yard. That said it all. A humiliating end to a fourth consecutive loss at the Bernabu. The last nail in the coffin of a glorious era of European dominance, and one that must be followed by the careful first steps of a new period, if Los Blancos are to regenerate effectively.That will surely mean new players in the summer, as well as the departure of some old ones, several of whom have looked worn-out and past their best this season. It will also mean a new coach. Even if the timing wasnt ideal, no one can begrudge Solari from doing what anyone who cared about Real Madrid would have done by taking the opportunity to step up from the B team, and there is no doubt that he gave everything he was capable of.The decision over who follows next will be pivotal. A fresh direction and springboard for new success, or a further step backwards.
Real have now lost four matches in a row at home and in one week their chances of winning any silverware have vanished. The pressure is now on head coach Santiago Solari, who has only been in the job since October after Julen Lopetegui was sacked. Speaking after the Ajax debacle on Tuesday night, Argentina Solari insisted he would not quit.
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