The sacking of Rafael Benitez, which brought an end to his turbulent reign, followed by the decision to appoint Zinedine Zidane as manager seemed to paper over the cracks that looked to sink Real Madrid’s season.
However, Los Blancos’ recent 1-0 defeat in the Madrid derby vs Atletico has seen talks of a crisis resurface, as blame is already being tossed around over this season’s shortcomings.
According to Marca, the finger is being pointed at two players: James Rodriguez and Isco. Both were present in the loss to Lo Rojiblancos, and both were taken off after a lackluster performance.
As written in the report, the Colombian and Spanish midfielders have both come under scrutiny due to their disappointing displays, with the players’ “commitment” being questioned instead of their undeniable “abilities”.
Les Merengues are all but out of the Liga BBVA race; even manager Zinedine Zidane conceded the title race. Having been disqualified from the Copa del Rey, the Champions League remains as Real Madrid’s only shot at silverware this campaign.
Should they fail to win European club football’s lucrative competition, players will probably be offloaded, with James and Isco underlined as most likely to leave.
With 13 to a possible 18 games remaining in the 2015/16 season, Isco and Rodriguez have been handed the last three months of this campaign to prove their worth and fight for their Santiago Bernabeu future.
Should they fail to impress, Marca claim that Real Madrid will cash in on the former Monaco and Malaga stars, with the English Premier League their likely destinations.
The Spanish publication tip Man United to swoop for James, Arsenal for Isco, though it will cost the English sides €80m for the Colombian and €45m for the Spaniard.
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