Casillas, the badge and examples

It was a strange match at Anoeta, which began with Madrid scoring freely while Real Sociedad imploded, and ended with the home side in the pink and reconciled with their fans. Recent defeats to Eibar and Krasnodar have been consigned to memory after the sensational comeback mounted in Anoeta against a Madrid team that once again needs to reinvent itself. Even without Cristiano, Madrid started the match well, taking advantage of the affliction surrounding Sociedad to score to early goals. Two subsequent defensive lapses allowed la Real to level the affair before the break, which renewed the bonds between team and fans and gave the players a new lease of life. The second half belonged to them.

Madrid can point to the absence of Cristiano, which is always a delicate matter, but also the loss of cohesion that has resulted from the exits of Xabi Alonso and Ángel di María. The players that have come in are very good, but Ancelotti has to again find a way to make his team function that has been lost. And that is not going to be easy. He has many exquisite players but ones who are constantly looking upfield and are not disposed to track back. And players with too much skill and too high a price tag for Ancelotti to leave two or three of them on the bench. The Italian has to rethink his team. For now, three points have gone begging.

Why did Alonso and Di María leave? Because of Florentino Pérez's compulsive passion for making big and loud signings, in this instance Toni Kroos and James Rodríguez. But because money is not infinite, Di María was sold for a huge fee and Alonso also, for less money but an amount that still soothed the outlays a little. Sami Khedira had been earmarked for the exit door, but he resisted. In their places, two wonderful new players, but with the team's machinery broken down; too many violinists without the desire to roll their sleeves up in defence. Iker Casillas complained, and with good reason: this badge is too big to offer certain examples to the watching world.

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1rIQh1Q

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