by TM Thu Aug 21, 2008 3:43 pm
Bernd Schuster is said to be eager to land another striker before the transfer window closes. Ewan Macdonald agrees with the Madrid coach that Calderón and Mijatovic must move quickly for a forward...
With the Ronaldo saga mercifully dead and buried, the Madrid press need another transfer drama. And with Robinho's own story drawing to a close, it's now all about the striking situation at Real Madrid.
Received wisdom is that coach Bernd Schuster, tiring of having just three/four recognised forwards at his disposal, has asked sporting director Pedja Mijatovic to find him a new forward solution.
But some have controversially suggested that Mijatovic has little intention of sounding out a new addition for this summer. President Ramón Calderón, after all, has declared the market closed after the shrewd acquisition of Rafael van der Vaart, and Mijatovic may thus set his sights towards possible arrivals next summer.
But assuming that Schuster has not been misrepresented, I think that he's spot on to ask his president to reconsider. Let's look at a few reasons.
The Numbers Game
Simply put, Madrid don't have many forwards. In fact last season the evergreen duo of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Raúl comprised the majority of appearances: Raúl played all but one Liga game, while Ruud managed half in the league and more in Europe.
Of course there is nothing wrong with that - quite the opposite. It shows stability in the line-up, and as long as the partnership worked - and it generally did - then there was little need to tinker. What's more, it's testament to the pair's longevity that they could manage such rigours despite being on the wrong side of thirty.
But when Ruud was out, problems arose in that there was no replacement in whom Schuster could place his trust. Soldado, sickened on the sidelines, was clearly regarded as a sort of kid brother to the squad despite being told in summer that he was eligible for selection. (He's since left for Getafe.) Javier Saviola, meanwhile, started just five Liga games all season, and Gonzalo Higuaín a mere seven.
When we look at Higuaín we find the crux of the issue: when Schuster didn't have his regular two forwards available, often he wouldn't use two forwards at all. Instead he'd revert to a 4-2-3-1, pushing Higuaín out to the right, or a 4-3-3 with just one forward.
Such an approach worked on several occasions - the 4-2-3-1 was employed with especial success away from home - but one wonders if Schuster would have used it at home had he a top-class forward whom he could trust on the bench. That Saviola seems not to fit the bill is a shame for el Conejo, but for the time being it remains reality.
Imbalance
Following on from the above, having another forward would help repair the squad imbalance. Counting Javi García as a defender - for that is where Schuster has used him, despite his midfield credentials - the blancos have nine stoppers in their squad of 25. This is one too many: a fine rule of thumb is two for each of the four defensive positions, bearing in mind that some, such as Sergio Ramos and Gabriel Heinze, can play in more than one place. Should an injury crisis take place, young players from the B team are eligible to be used at a higher level.
When examining the defence one name sticks out in particular: Michel Salgado. It's pretty much a fact of life that he is now third choice right-back behind Ramos and Miguel Torres, and while some of the scapegoat treatment dealt out his way has been pretty shameful he remains very much a bit-part player. Why he wasn't put out to pasture last summer like, say, Emerson, is a matter of great mystery. Notice that he, unlike Guti and Raúl, were not given the contract-for-life, red-carpet treatment. So why is he still around? Removing him from the squad of 25 via loan or into the reserves, while harsh, would allow Schuster to balance his squad more effectively.
Even in midfield there are too many options for certain positions. If we treat Javi García as a defensive midfielder then there are no fewer four men able to fill what may end up being a single space. The only position in which there is insufficient cover, then, is up front, and if casualties have to be made elsewhere in roder to rectify that then it's a sacrifice worth making.
Everybody Loves A Little Competition
Then there's competition. Last season, little was needed: when Ruud wasn't injured he did well, and when Raúl played - which was always - he did so in style. But short memories could cost Madrid. Remember that Raúl started 06-07 pretty badly, i.e. within the past 18 months there have been serious and concerted calls to drop Raúl. Should this happen again then Saviola would doubtless inherit the second-striker role. If he doesn't play well, Raúl comes back in. But if neither plays well, there are simply no options.
Again this comes down to the numbers game, but with a particular emphasis on Schuster's selection prospects without referring to injuries. In every other place he can mix and match basically at will, but up front even dropping for dropping's sake becomes a dire situation. Put it this way: if Fernando Gago has a couple of poor games a ready replacement can be found. If Ruud does? Higuaín is thrown to the lions in a position that, let us remember, he has only flourished in for a bare handful of games in Spain.
Plus - and this point is key - it would allow Schuster to assert his primacy in the dressing room if he could show every single squad member that none were infallible or untouchable. If the likes of Arjen Robben can start from the bench then the default forward pairing most certainly should be able to do so as well.
Tactical Concerns
Going back to look at the formations from earlier, the 4-2-3-1 option takes some considering, too. Raúl played at the head of such a system on occasion last season, and to good effect: remember the 4-1 win over Barcelona in May? That was Raúl up front, Guti behind, and Sneijder and Robben coming in from the flanks.
But that relies on a certain interpretation of the 4-2-3-1, and one that isn't matched, say, in Europe or away from home if the wing players need to drop further back. In such cases it may make sense to find a strong, imposing '9' who can hold the ball up as well as find the net. I'm sure you, the reader, can think of several candidates (beyond Ruud van Nistelrooy.)
To put it simply, Schuster has done enough at Madrid to be trusted with having a key input in building a squad, and if he feels that another striker is needed then he's most likely correct. And, as above, there are plenty of solid reasons for Madrid doing so.
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