Does Lucas Vazquez still have a place in the Real Madrid squad?
By Ben Sundock
Lucas Vazquez is quickly approaching 200 appearances in a Real Madrid uniform. Despite his dedication to the badge, many Madridistas are undecided if the number 17 should remain in the first team squad.
“I have always felt the support of the Bernabéu during these five seasons,” Lucas Vazquez told the press earlier this week. “I always notice when the crowd shows me affection, I’m very happy with that. We know that we’re at Real Madrid and that we are exposed to people’s opinions, you have to be calm.”
Vazquez has been praised by the Madrid faithful on multiple occasions, most recently when he had a fantastic run of form during the back half of the 2017/2018 season.
However, since that stretch, the Galician forward has seen less playing time and some harsh criticism from the media and fans. In the match against Club Brugge just over a week ago, Vazquez was noticeably struggling to maintain possession or inject himself into the match in any way.
I, like many Real Madrid fans, was incredibly frustrated seeing Lucas lose possession while trying to dribble past defenders on October 1 in the Champions League draw with Club Brugge.
I'm all honesty, I just can't believe that Vinicius, Brahim and Rodrygo are all behind Lucas Vázquez in the rotation right now.
— Lucas Navarrete (@LucasNavarreteM) October 1, 2019
I just can't.
After making six appearances in La Liga and getting some time in both UCL matches, the question remains, should Lucas Vazquez still be a regular in Zinedine Zidane’s squad?
It truly is frustrating to see players like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Brahim Diaz be left out of the squad or on the bench so Vazquez can start or come in as a substitute. Don’t get me wrong, Lucas is a good utility player, but that doesn’t mean he should be chosen for every single match squad.
And part of me believes that the reason Vazquez receives so much playing time is because of the strong personal connection he and Zidane have. It’s clear from the way they interact on the training ground and on the bench that the two are good friends and that favoritism bleeds into the team sheet.
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I’m not trying to be overly dramatic here, but this is a make or break stretch for the Real Madrid number 17. He is now 28 and there are several young players right on his heels.
Once Martin Odegaard comes back from loan in 2021, there will be three or four quality young players who could start on the right wing. Lucas is at best a super sub.
He should not be a regular starter and does not scare opponents when they see him in the team sheet.