Real Madrid must oversee a complete overhaul of their squad if they are to compete for the Champions League once again, says Steve McManaman.
Real Madrid is a long way from competing for the Champions League and must make a number of changes to their squad, says McManaman.
Los Blancos lifted the La Liga title last year and that in a way compensated for their round of 16 exit in the Champions League. That fate has been the same on the continental front for the past two seasons.
However, Real Madrid have proven to be inconsistent this term. They have already lost three La Liga games which is the same number of games they lost last season. Their most recent defeat came at the hands of Alaves last weekend.
McManaman says the Los Blancos stars are lucky fans are not in stadiums at the moment or they would have faced the heat from all over.
“They are struggling,” he said as quoted by Goal.
“They’ve struggled in the Champions League and La Liga. The performance against Shakhtar [Donetsk, in the Champions League] was appalling.”
“They lost to Alaves at home and it is good the fans aren’t there. If they were there then they would be getting all kinds of abuse and the white handkerchiefs would be out.”
In the Champions League, a win Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night could see Madrid clinch a spot in the Round of 16 of the competition.
The ex-Liverpool man doesn’t see Zidane and company as one of the favorites this term and claims they must make massive changes to regain recent success they have seen in the competition.
“The pandemic affected them badly like all Spanish teams without the same broadcast deal we have in England so the finances are not as good as they would like to be to bring players in,” McManaman added.
“They have an ageing squad, [Eden] Hazard can’t get fit and when he does he gets injured. They are in a predicament with these old players and they are struggling.”
“I wouldn’t back Real Madrid to win it (Champions League) when I look at them. Anything can happen in January but in their current form, against Gladbach and Shakhtar, they are nowhere near the English teams and Bayern Munich.”
“If they want to be successful, where they once were, they need to do something in the transfer market. [Luka] Modric is 35, Sergio Ramos is 34 nearly 35, [Karim] Benzema and Toni Kroos are getting to the age where they will not improve and if anything will get worse.”
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