Real Madrid have a big problem. It's something that has been there for years, and people have gotten so fed up of it by now that they have stopped even trying to highlight it.
There are no leaders on this team, and the players who were supposed to take the mantle from the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, have disappointed everyone in the process.
Fede Valverde is a brilliant example of just that. He was supposed to be the leader of this team. He was one of the few players who, a few years ago, Real Madrid fans wouldn't dare criticise, because he always gave everything to help the team win.
He was one of the most consistent players on the roster, and it was at a point where his skillset was working amazingly well with Toni Kroos, Aurelien Tchouameni and others. However, that player is no longer there anymore - and if he is, he only comes out in spurts.
This is the right time to be worried about Fede Valverde's performances
Real Madrid simply need more from Valverde. In removing Kroos from the team, they also removed a part of Valverde because the Uruguayan used to rely on Kroos, just like the rest of the team, to control the play and pass the ball around.
Now, it is seemingly impossible for Real Madrid to do so. Valverde's performances this season have been abhorrent for the most part - apart from the one game they had against Inter - and it is coming down to a point that people are more disappointed in him than they are in Eduardo Camavinga.
With the Frenchman, you have less hopes. There isn't a lot of expectations to begin with, as he is not as good as Valverde, and is not a starter for this team. He has been disappointing in the last few years, but he is at least trying to improve a little bit this season.
With Valverde, it is the opposite. When Real Madrid needed him most, after Kroos and Modric's departures, with the growing need of a leader, Valverde simply chose to hide. You see him sulking around on the pitch, not really making himself available for the ball. All of these things were on full display against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
There would be so many moments where you'd think that the Fede of old would be much more available, energised and mentally strong to handle situations like this better, but instead, Real Madrid find themselves in a rut, and that has a lot to do with Valverde's inability to control the game, and get out of his comfort zone.
Last season had some good moments, but in the grand scheme of things, Valverde had many disappointing performances, too. It seems like there is an uptick this season, which no one was expecting.
Valverde is not providing Real Madrid with a lot. He feels useless with possession in so many occasions. His defensive effort has reduced. It does not feel like he has the same hunger he used to have, and these are the most concerning things about a player everyone used to love.
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