Zidane, pulse with the 'nine'

One game has been enough to reveal that the lack of goal it can be a problem and what there is a lack of harmony between Zidane and the board on this issue. There are now four forwards on the squad: Benzema, Jovic, Mayoral and Mariano. Zidane is only worth the first. And in Anoeta he staged it without shame. With 0-0, used the last two changes to input Marvin and Arribas, and Mariano and Jovic, who traveled, did not even jump to warm up.

Yes Zidane He has shown something since he arrived at Madrid, that he is a man of few words and great gestures. The puslo has not trembled to make decisions and seat sacred cows like Marcelo, Modric or Kroos. But it is not so common for him to send forceful messages to the media. In the preview of the match against Real he did: “Until October 4, everything is possible in terms of entrances and exits.” Thus contradicted the message so many times filtered by the club this summer that there will be no signings.

Zidane has not taken the legs out of the pot many more times. Only two are remembered. The first, of course, was precisely when the club decided to sell to Morata to Chelsea in 2017. “If he leaves, a striker is missing,” he said when the club had made it clear that he would not sign another 9. The second time it was meant contradicting what the club said was in the Kepa case. Madrid had it closed and let him escape after the coach showed his disapproval in public: “I don't need another goalkeeper.”

Now less belligerent, but at least insistent, Zidane was in his request that they bring him to Pogba: “I like him, he's a very good player …”, he stressed in 2016, to remember him in 2019: “If Pogba wants to come, why doesn't he go …?”

The numbers sing.

That Madrid has been left orphaned of goal is obvious. Last season he scored 99 in 51 games (1.9 on average) and the previous 101 in 69 (1.8). Both, without Cristiano in the team. In the previous two seasons (the last with the Portuguese), for example, he scored 170 goals in 60 games (2.8) and 152 in 62 (2.5). The difference says it all: the Portuguese's 50 goals are missing … The first year without Cristiano Madrid was left without the possibility of winning titles in March … The second (last season) Zidane had to return by surprise and shield his Madrid to make it one of the least beaten in history to win a League that, before the coronavirus, seemed very far away.

From the club they try to transmit tranquility and remember that Hazard and Asensio are still missing. But due to injuries or other issues, Hazard was left with one goal last season and Asensio, who is already going to complete his fifth year at Madrid, has never scored more than 11. On the other hand, “with the 4-3-3 or the 4-2-1 that Zidane usually uses, the striker who comes will always be a substitute,” they reason.

Anoeta's draw and what Zidane said has set the entity in motion in search of experienced nines who can come at a bargain price, as happened with Adebayor. One thinks of Dzeko (but Juve is lurking) or Cavani (he charges a lot), Falcao (the president never liked) or Aubameyang (he was free but Arsenal has just renewed him). But if they do not follow the bad results it will hold. In the future plans is Mbappe (2021) and Haaland (2022, when Borussia agreed with Raiola on his departure). But Zidane can't wait.