Ronaldo did not want to play as a No.9 against Sporting Gijon
Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez is already beginning to suffer the consequences of having a squad full of egos. In the imposition of having to put Gareth Bale central in a bid to get the best out of him, he's now upset Cristiano Ronaldo by asking him to play as a No.9. When he planned for the Sporting Gijon match, Ronaldo was included as a central striker, with Jese Rodriguez alongside him. It was a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield, with Bale at the tip. However, Ronaldo made it clear he wanted to begin on the left in a 4-2-3-1, which is what Benitez started with, according to COPE.
Ronaldo is not impressed with all the tactical attention being placed on Bale and suspects that eventually he may end up on 'his' left side, while the Portuguese is moved up top. A change was made, though, despite Benitez's usual insistence on being very firm with his tactics. Prior to the game, Benitez said: "Cristiano can start on the left, but he ends up in the area, where he scores a lot of goals. He has the freedom to move around and express his talent. He can play as a striker, rather than on the left, that is where I like him," he said, although that didn't prove the case against Sporting.
Cristiano is not ready to step aside for Bale and feels the plan to recycle his position is a strategy from the club to leave the left forward position free for the Welshman. But that is not why he wants to stay on the left; it is because that is where he feels most comfortable and where he has had a lot of success for Madrid. As a striker, he does not feel as comfortbale and does not want to play there.
He understands that playing in the middle could be more profitable, but his stance remains the same. He prefers to arrive from deeper, from wide, and to take advantage of his power. Last season, 64 percent of his 61 goals came in the position of a striker, data which continues to lean towards him eventually moving inside and remaining an effective player. But is now the time?
Benitez, worried about the balance of the team, has detected that when Real Madrid are without the ball, Ronald has a passive attitude towards defending. Tactically, for Rafa, he is a disaster. It's rare that he helps Marcelo, a job which is usually left to someone like Kroos, James or Isco when Madrid are attacked down their left flank. Benitez feels the solution is to play Ronaldo as a striker, a solution which he feels would benefit the team. Defending starts in attack, at least at Madrid.
