The case for the defence: Who to play at right-back?

Real Madrid has historically been an attack-minded team. With superstars like Di Stefano, Puskas, Sanchez, Ronaldo( Brazilian), Raul , Gento , Cristiano and many others featuring/having featured in attack, it becomes easy to forget about the defence. Great teams are always built on a solid defence to complement a potent attacking force.

Ancelotti’s Madrid recently has been a delight to watch. High scoring matches with an attacking trident of Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo have truly entertained. However, this flamboyant attack is shifting focus away from a serious concern which is the defence. Let’s analyze the issues in defence.

The defence here refers to the back four and the central holding midfielder(s). Ancelotti has top class defenders at his disposal and yet Madrid struggle to keep a clean sheet and hold out at the back even against some struggling La Liga teams. I believe this is down to two reasons.

First is the lack of continuity or regularity. Ancelotti has continuously used different back 4’s and a different CDM. This has been due to injuries/suspension and part of a process of finding the right balance and the first 11 players. In the left back slot, Marcelo is the undisputed favourite with Coentrao only coming in if he has been injured.  In my opinion, the best centre back pairing is Varane –Ramos. Pepe is experienced and can be a top class replacement. Ancelotti has been unable to play this centre back pairing often until now due to Varane’s injury at the end of last season for which the recovery period extended into the new season.

The CDM position(s) has seen a lot of shuffling with Illara, Alonso, Khedira and even Modric playing there. I think Ancelotti had at last settled on a 3 man midfield of Modric, Khedira and Alonso before Khedira’s injury. What will be done now? Ill talk about that later in this article.

And finally the right back slot. So far it has been the weak link of the defence. First let us consider what is expected from a fullback these days. A solid defensive contribution supplemented with runs down the wing to contribute to attack as well. Perfect embodiments of a fullback are Phillip Lahm, Maicon in his prime, Ashley Cole and Dani Alves of 2009.

What options do we have in the rightback position? Carvajal, Arbeloa and Ramos.

Arbeloa. He is a player who cannot catch a break. Everyone is waiting to scrutinize his mistakes which sadly this season have become frequent. Arbeloa of 2011-2012 title winning campaign was a solid fullback. He provided a good shield down the left wing with the rare foray into the final third. The cracks in his game are beginning to show now. His lack of pace is being exploited by quick wingers. Every time he is beaten, he resorts to petulant fouls which can hurt Madrid. Last year’s Champions League quarter final against Galatasaray comes to mind. With Madrid struggling to hold down a lead, Arbeloa got himself sent off with two yellows in quick succession leaving us even more exposed at the back. This isn’t to say that this is the end of Arbeloa. He still has a lot to offer and has put in some solid performances this season.

Carvajal. To the delight of the Madridistas who love to see one of their own take the field, he was brought back from Leverkusen and many thought he would immediately replace Arebloa who ended last season badly. It is easy to see why he is so highly rated. It would be fair to say he is an extremely raw and rough version of Lahm. They have the same build and both contribute a lot at both ends of the pitch although Lahm is still on a much higher level. Carvajal has had some good games and some really bad ones. Most people believe he is the first choice right back and rightly so looking at his performances last season and some of them this season. The Bernabeu can be an intimidating place for young players who are unfairly expected to immediately perform to high standards. Perhaps a better judgment can be made on Carvajal by the end of the season.

Ramos. There is absolutely no doubt that right now his best position is centre back. His positioning and aggression make him an incredible asset in the middle. He did win the World Cup and the Euro 2008 at rightback but it is clear for everyone to see that he is better at CB. Why play him at RB when he have two good options there?

The defence is an issue at the moment but once the back 4 becomes set and the right balance is achieved in midfield, it will be sorted out.

Speaking of balance, Khedira’s injury seriously affects the balance that we have had recently in midfield. He is often underrated and his pressing and short passes help in ball retention and in winning back the ball. Ancelotti seemed to have found his three man midfield and now he has to reshuffle the pack again.

The two options available would be to replace Khedira with Illara/Casemiro. Casemiro is quite similar to Khedira in terms of his role and physicality but may lack the temperament and experience required to seamlessly slot into this team. Playing Illara on the other hand creates a problem. Illara and Alonso are extremely similar and thereby there would be two deep lying defensive playmakers in addition to another playmaker, Modric slightly forward. Playing Illara would increase the defensive burden on Alonso thereby stifling the true nature of his play which is so vital for Madrid.

The other option would be to play Isco and change the formation to a 4231. This option would be the most favourable in my opinion. Isco’s case is curious. After making a blistering start to the campaign, he has faded a bit and now is on the bench. Isco is world class and playing 4231 would be a good option since almost every player is quite familiar with the system from Mourinho’s era. This might be the time for Isco to get an extended run in the side since Khedira is out for at least six months.

It would be an injustice to not talk about the man on fire, CR7. His performance against Sweden in the second leg of the playoff was incredible.We are quickly running out of superlatives for Ronaldo. He has been white hot since September and has scored 13 goals in six games since the Blatter incident. Perhaps this year the Balon D’Or should be his.

A final word to Khedira. Good wishes to him. All of us Madridistas hope he recovers in time for the end of the season and for Brazil. Animo Khedira.