It's safe to say this season hasn't gone as Real Madrid fans expected. After a superb start to life under Xabi Alonso, the wheels quickly fell off, leading to Alonso being sacked. The club believed the issues plaguing the team and its performance were down to him, but clearly that is not the case.
Things haven't changed under the new caretaker manager, Alvaro Arbeloa, showing that the coach wasn't the issue in the first place and that the real issue here is the players. Outside of Kylian Mbappe and Thibaut Courtois, none of the players have been at the level needed this season, and they deserve to shoulder more of the blame for the current situation at Real Madrid.
Their egos are through the roof and they are pampered beyond belief and with the club always siding with the players over the manager it makes them feel untouchable which has caused a toxic environment of rebellion within the club, a 'our way or the highway' attitude from the players, which is going to stop any manager from succeeding at the club not just Alonso.
And there's one player in particular who has been at the forefront of the issues at Madrid this season, and it's time the club stops protecting him from criticism and addresses the issues that he has selfishly caused this season.
Real Madrid's biggest issues was on display once again against Benfica
It's clear that Vinicius Jr has been the biggest problem at Real Madrid this season for a number of reasons. His antics and attitude have been out of control, and we can pinpoint the exact moment when his actions alone caused the season to fall apart.
When Vinicius Jr had his spat with Alonso on the touchline following his substitution in El Clasico back in October, Real were seven points clear at the top of La Liga and sat second in the Champions League table. The Brazilian's temper tantrum led to the wheels falling off, signaling the exact moment Alonso lost the dressing room. The players knew they held more power than the manager, completely shifting the dynamic at the club for the worse.
The 25-year-old has been inconsistent this season, very reminiscent of 2018/19 Vinicius, and that was on display once again against Benfica last night. So he has no justification for his attitude and actions. He is also demanding a salary of €30 million per season in his new contract, which, given his form and attitude, is driven by his ego as he is hurt to be second fiddle to Mbappe.
Vini's attitude, ego, and antics have become too big of a distraction and problem at the club, and with his contract expiring next summer, it could a benefit to Los Blancos to let the Brazilian leave, and build the team around Mbappe as he's shown not only this season but last season as well that he is the most important player in the team.