All these years later, and it may not be hyperbolic to state that Real Madrid miss Karim Benzema most of all the legends who came through and left the club in the 2010s and 2020s. Although Real Madrid were able to scrape by and win the Champions League in 2023/24 with a weaker field, they still did benefit from a veteran presence in Joselu, who was one of the chief reasons for their ability to beat Bayern Munich in the semifinals by the skin of their teeth.
Now in 2024/25 with Kylian Mbappe up top, Real Madrid have been more disjointed and inconsistent as an attack, and, paradoxically, with an embarrassment of riches in terms of attacking talent, Real Madrid are less cohesive because the additional mouth to feed has caused them to fall over the tipping point - the final domino having been pushed by Hansi Flick's appointment as the new Barcelona manager.
After another zero-burger against Arsenal in the Champions League, Real Madrid are staring down potentially another season without a major trophy. Mbappe has the goals but little less to his credit, Vinicius Jr. has become something closer to the 2020/21 version of himself than the one that nearly won a Ballon d'Or, and Rodrygo Goes has been cast to the wayside.
Real Madrid lack attacking leadership
All the while, Real Madrid look less like the Three Musketeers in attack and more like a band of solo artists producing music of clashing styles that leaves the audience bleeding from their ears until they are comatose. Instead of playing the most beautiful football in LaLiga, Real Madrid are often less watchable than even Atletico Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti has to step up. His previous approach of letting the players play worked when he had a squad of veterans supporting the young talent and curbing their most selfish desired. Now, Real Madrid lack accountable leaders, and the only players who seem to fit that bill are Fede Valverde and Luka Modric - and the latter can't play every week.
But the biggest issue is the lack of leadership in the attack. With all due respect to Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr, and Mbappe, none of these players are leaders, and Mbappe's selfish red card against Deportivo Alaves is a harsh reminder that the former PSG star has serious character concerns. Real Madrid fans can't forget the way he abandoned the club even before he ever arrived by going back on his word to Florentino Perez.
Karim Benzema didn't get enough credit
Real Madrid miss having a presence like Karim Benzema. Toni Kroos was rightfully lauded as a coach on the field in the middle of the park, directing traffic and orchestrating plays with his mind and vocally. Benzema, however, did the same as a striker but received a fraction of the credit for being so adept mentally. He, not Ancelotti, was the biggest reason for Vinicius Jr.'s progress as a footballer, because he held the Brazilian's hand and gave him tough love when needed, striking the right balance of these approaches.
Benzema knew exactly when to pass, when to move wide, when to run into the box, when to involve others, and when to make the play himself. He was well aware of how Rodrygo and Vinicius liked to play and what their strengths and weaknessese were, and he always tailored his movements and passing tendencies to what would help the team the most.
Real Madrid don't have that anymore, and they were able to get away with Benzema's absence in 2023/24 because, let's face it, they were never really tested. They scraped by in the Champions League against teams that weren't worthy of facing them, and Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were both very weak in LaLiga. I mean, it says something that Girona, who now face the threat of relegation in 2024/25, were once title contenders in the 2023/24 season.
Carlo Ancelotti has to reign his players in
Because Real Madrid aren't going to bring Benzema back, sign someone like him, or turn a player with Mbappe's Cristiano-seque narcissism into a team leader, Ancelotti is going to have to be more of a manager than a supervisor. Whereas with a Benzema-led attack he could let Karim do his thing and just provide tweaks and encouragement without being too much of a head chef, Ancelotti now has to flex his expertise and even status as a manager and reign in his players.
Now, in order for Real Madrid to survive this season without ending up empty-handed, Ancelotti has to take on a more active role and be strict with his players. There is no Benzema to get on Vinicius Jr. for not pressing or dribbling too much or taking bad shots or switching off mentally with his positioning. Lord knows Mbappe and Vinicius aren't going to do that to each other, and it isn't Jude Bellingham's job to pick fights with teammates who aren't working hard.
Ancelotti has to be the one to do it in lieu of a veteran leader in the attack. Heck, there isn't even a Joselu out there, and, to be honest, Real Madrid miss him a lot more than they want to admit, too. It comes down to Ancelotti to save his young, ambitious players from themselves and tell them that it's his way or the highway. You either put the team first, or you sit on the bench and stew.
Real Madrid are a collection of individuals without any cohesion in the attack, and it shows with how much they are underperforming. Since the players won't recognize their flaws themselves and help get the most out of each other by playing as a collective, Ancelotti has to instill that in them and be more directive with how he tells the players how to play until they figure it out.