Real Madrid: Addressing Isco’s confidence comments
After starting in Real Madrid’s 3-0 win in Turin, Isco’s comments over the international break look vindicated. Here’s why that is wrong.
Following Spain’s 6-1 demolition of Argentina, Isco made some comments about a lack of continuity at Real Madrid, suggesting the national team give him more “confidence”.
It seems, having impressed in Madrid’s 3-0 win over Juventus on Tuesday that Isco was right to call out Zidane on his lack of playing time. However, the numbers in the lead up to this game suggest quite a different story.
Isco’s Minutes
According to Whoscored, Isco has been Zidane’s most utilized squad player in terms of starts and minutes this season. Isco’s 18 starts and seven appearances off the bench mean he sits just behind Lucas Vazquez this season in terms of appearances in La Liga.
In the Champions League, he has made the third most appearances behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro, with seven starts and just a single sub appearance.
In terms of purely matches started, Isco has the 12th most league starts in the squad, with Casemiro and Ronaldo topping the appearance charts with over 20 and both Luka Modric (19) and Toni Kroos (21) just narrowly overtaking Isco’s 18.
Zidane’s favored midfield trio of Casemiro, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos all have started more games than Isco this season and have more minutes than 25-year-old, however, that doesn’t mean that Isco is by any means a second choice for Los Blancos.
In terms of minutes in all competitions this season, he has the 11th most minutes in the squad this season, more than Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
When you compare Isco’s appearances and minutes to that of Mateo Kovacic and Marco Asensio, he is clearly Zidane’s favored option. Over the last three seasons, Isco has started 76 matches, compiling nearly 7,000 minutes in appearances in La Liga and the Champions League.
In comparison, Kovacic has started just 41 and Asensio 29 (having played a season less than the other two). In this season alone, Isco has started 24 games in La Liga and the Champions League while Kovacic has managed nine starts and Asensio has managed 17. From these numbers, the last person to be complaining about a lack of continuity is Isco.
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Isco’s performances this season
On the pitch, Isco is given the freedom to roam from his starting position, often at the tip of a midfield diamond, similar to his role for the national team, however, unlike for the national team, he hasn’t been nearly as productive as he has been for Spain.
His assist to Ronaldo against Juventus on Tuesday was his first since the beginning of March.
Isco has been involved in just seven goals (3 goals, 4 assists) in all competitions since last November (28 games in all competitions). In that same period, he was only started as a substitute in 10 of those games and he was injured for two of them, meaning he started 18 games of the 26 he was available for.
Now, Isco isn’t all to blame for his performances, however he must shoulder some of the responsibly especially since he is now demanding more minutes despite not impressing in a large portions of the appearances he has been handed since the new year.
Conclusions
It is difficult to understand where Isco is coming from.
All the statistics suggest that he is either a starter at Madrid or at least Madrid’s fourth choice midfielder. Outside of hard numbers, Real Madrid sold James Rodriguez, a direct competitor to Isco, so the Spanaird would have more minutes.
Real Madrid hasn’t been ideal for Isco this season, but, the last thing that Zidane is guilty of is not showing Isco confidence. One could argue that it is the other way around.
It’s even more infuriating that Isco seems to constantly go to the media when things aren’t going his way.
Next: Real Madrid transfer rumor: Manchester City will not pursue Isco
In conclusion, what one should be focusing on from these statement is the second half of it where Isco states “Maybe the problem is me, I haven’t been able to win him over with the great players there are in the squad. I want to show him (Zidane) what I am capable of.”
If Isco is indeed second choice for Zidane (the numbers say otherwise) then he is there based on his performances on the pitch, not because of a lack of confidence or continuity.
Hopeful his showing against Juventus will allow him to reboot his season and help Madrid close the season out well.