I mean for me the biggest problem here is Tony Cruz not being there anymore really I don't think he would solve everything but certainly he will bring so much balance to this team Tony Cruz was the glue holding Real Madrid's Midfield together and without him the cracks are starting to show his retirement has left a gaping hole proving impossible to fill at least for now but here's the kicker Madrid struggles might have a solution waiting in the January transfer window the question is who's the player that can step in and bring balance back to the
burn Bell well watch to the end to find out Real Madrid this season they've been anything but the Champions which they showed last season I mean let's start with the big elephant in the room mbappe the man who was supposed to be the face of the new galactico era is out here looking M like where's the mbappe magic we all signed up for and then there's Jude Bellingham He Came Out Swinging at the start of his time at Real Madrid had everyone saying he's the second coming in Zan and now but he's practically a ghost
but you know what it's not just about them this isn't a let's blame the big name situation the problem is deeper everyone's so caught up pointing fingers at mbappe's mischances or judee's disappearance that they're missing the real issue it's not just about the Stars it's about what's happening or not happening right in the middle of the park and that's where we've got to dig deeper because Real Madrid's issues this season aren't just surface level it's like looking at a leaky roof and ignoring the fact that the entire Foundation is grumbling yeah it's that serious and
this raises a big question of whether the Midfield is the biggest issue or if they're just missing Tony Cruz even anchel knows how good he is Tony Cross is a legend he's doing really well he's still great condition physically mentally I think uh as he said last year season he would like to finish his career at Real Madrid and I'm sure he will finish his career at Real Madrid me last season Real Madrid had a master class season and remember how they played they played Without a starting Striker up front and yet they were Unstoppable
they went ahead to win La Liga and the Champions League with a bench Striker like it was no big deal I'm not saying hoso was a bad Striker but he didn't really play that much and if they played that well without a proper Striker last season and are also now playing without a proper Striker this season then why are they falling short well it's because of a genius they had in the Midfield Tony Cru look the man didn't just play football he ran the show he was like that guy in your friend group who keeps
everyone in check when chaos is about to break loose Under Pressure Cru was calm need a kill a pass to unlock a defense Cru had it covered honestly he made playing without a striker look like a tactical Flex not limitation and here's the wild part they build that entire system around his ability to control the game from Deep Cru wasn't just a midfielder he was the brain the heart and the backbone all rolled into one and now Madrid is struggling because they never really planned for life without him it's like they thought he'd just keep
playing forever and that's not how it works the real kicker Madrid knew they had a world class talent in Midfield but none could do what Cruz did they didn't have a backup plan and now they're paying the price I mean let's talk about their Midfield because on paper it's stacked you've got Bellingham hinger Chu manyi and and Valverde all absolute Ballers right but here's the thing being a baller doesn't mean your Cru take true many for example the guy's a defensive Beast breaking up play like a pro but when it comes to dictating the game
from Deep they have not his Vibe then there's kinger super versatile and can play almost anywhere but he thrives further at the pitch where he can drive the ball forward and Bellingham don't get me started these are James Bond midfielders flashy and dangerous but he's all about attacking Brilliance not sitting deep and controlling the tempo and Valverde he's got the engine of a Formula 1 car but his style is more about Relentless energy and box-to-box action than that calm calculated Cru likee orchestration see where I'm going with this Madrid's midfielders are all incredible but none
of them are deep lying Playmakers who can pull the strings stay cool under pressure and turn chaos into order Cru was like a cheat code for Madrid's Midfield need to escape a press Cru had you covered once a perfectly waited pass to split the defense Cru delivered and now without him it's like Madrid is trying to run the same Playbook with the wrong players it's not that they're bad it's just they're not Cru and honestly that's a big glaring problem I mean you might not understand how good Tony was until you watch him alone before
we talk about how good Tony Cru is please take a moment to subscribe to the channel as this would help us get our goal of 15,000 subscribers before the end of the year thank you and now back to the video whether it's holding the Midfield together orchestrating attacks or even stepping into defensive rolls when things get messy Cruz had it covered and that versatility that's exactly what made him so special and so impossible to replace let's break it down in a 433 he'd usually slot in as a left midfielder right but switch that to a
442 and suddenly Cruz was the second holding midfielder playing just a little more advanced than his partner and when Madrid was chasing a game yesu took on full offensive responsibility yeah Cru the man could flip between roles like it was nothing giving the team an insane level of tactical flexibility but it wasn't just his adaptability Cruz was a true Master of the basics the fundamentals of the game and I'm not talking about the boring stuff I mean the essential stuff that wins matches his game reading Next Level he dropped deep acting like a false left
back when the center backs were struggling under pressure and Bo Bo he's starting attack with one of those trademark laser accurate passes seriously it's like he had a sixth sense of where the ball needed to go who is the better passer Tony Cruz or or de brono Tony Cruz is more the passes Defender and the Boran is more the passes assist for the goal it's little bit different both in the team was perfect because you have more offensive with the Brer and cross but the B he do with the feet what he can do the
basketball with the hands the the feeling is who Cruz both both both of us and let's talk about his passing for a second Cru wasn't just good he was ridiculous he could ping the ball across the pitch switch play effortlessly and pick out spaces no one else saw he was the guy who could turn a boring possession face into a dangerous attack with just one pass teams knew it was coming but couldn't do anything about it that's how good he was but you know what made him truly unique his control over the tempo of the
game Cruz didn't just play football he conducted it need to slow things down and frustrate the opposition Cruz Was Your Man want to speed things up and hit on the counter again Cruz he was Real Madrid's metronome dictating the Rhythm and flow of every game but here's the problem none of Madrid's current midfielders can do all of that sure they've got talent CH manyi kaminga Valverde and Bellingham are incredible players but they don't have that same tactical versatility or the ability to control the game like Cru did it's like Madrid lost the guy who made
their whole system work and now they're scrambling to figure out plan B and honestly that's why they're struggling so much this season Cru wasn't just another player he was the glue holding everything together and without him Madrid is finding out the hard way just how much they depended on him and this shows that they need a player of his style to come in and perform as a playing maker I mean a perfect fit would have been Alexis mallister the guy's been thriving at Liverpool and you can see why he's got the composure the vision and
that almost as good passing range that Cruz made his trademark plus he's versatile he can drop deep to dictate the game or push forward to link up with the attack but let's be real here Liverpool just signed him and there's no way they're letting go of him any time soon I mean why would they he's the centerpiece of their Midfield rebuild another option would have been Paul Pogba now before you roll your eyes hear me out when pogba's at his best think Juventus Pogba not injured on the bench Pogba he's got the tools Vision check
passing range check ability to control the game double check but let's be honest pogba's only just coming back into football and his consistency has always been a question mark plus there's the whole baggage thing Madrid doesn't need more drama right now so while Pogba could do it he's just not the guy for this moment another who would have been perfect would have been vitina this kid's got something special he's Dynamic technically gifted and can dictate play from Midfield when he's on form his ability to find space and make quick decisions on the ball is impressive
but here's the problem he's still developing and PSG isn't exactly the type to sell their young stars to Madrid without a fight not to mention he's not quite at the Cru level yet he's got potential but Madrid it now not later so that could have been an option but let's face it they're not happening whether it's contracts injuries or just being Untouchable in the market Madrid's not getting their hands on any of them and that leaves us with the big question if not them then who if Real Madrid wants to fix their Midfield before it's
too late they need a proper plan for January and guess what there are players out there who could fill the cruise sized hole in the system and could also be gone easily let me throw three names at you kimich wton and Harry let's start with Joshua kimch if there's anyone who screams Tony Cruz 2.0 it's this guy he's got the vision the passing range and the ability to control the tempo of a game like a true Maestro plus kimage has been bossing it in both defensive and creative roles at Bayern Munich he's a leader he's
consistent and he's ridiculously versatile the downside convincing buying to sell their Midfield General is like trying to take candy from a lion it's just not going to happen easily but with his situation at Bayern I think Madrid can pull it off but man if Madrid could pull this off it'll be a GameChanger now let's talk about Adam Warton this young Talent from Crystal Palace has been making waves in the Premier League don't let his age fo you he's got incredible composure on the ball and a passing range that's well beyond his years wton is the
type of deep line playmaker Madrid could mold into their next Cruise he's not quite the finished article yet but with his potential at Madrid's worldclass setup he could blossom into a Midfield Maestro and the best part he wouldn't break the bank like some of the bigger names and then this Hugo Larson the Swedish Prodigy currently making a name for himself at in Trak Frankfurt this kid is a Workhorse with an eye for a killer pass his ability to read the game and dictate play is remarkable for someone so young Larson is still developing but he's
shown flashes of Brilliance that make you think he could step up to the big stage sooner rather than later plus his versatility in Midfield gives him an edge making him a great long-term investment so here's the deal kimich is the dream while Warton and lson are the future Madrid could go for the big money move or take a chance on nurturing young Talent either way January is going to be huge for that Midfield what do you think go all in for kimage or gamble on the Young Guns but from now till the January transfer window
is still a long time so what should Real Madrid do from now till January and honestly the answer might already be sitting on their bench look I know Modric is pushing 40 but don't let his age fool you he's still got that magic touch Modric in cr's role isn't a perfect fit but if anyone at Madrid understands the art of controlling a game it's him he's got the passing range the football IQ and the leadership to hold things together sure he doesn't have Cruz's car metronomic Vibe but he can still do a solid job Madrid
just needs to ease him into that deeper role without overloading him but relying on Modric alone well that's risky so I think Madrid needs to experiment with formations that don't depend on a single deep line playmaker why not try something like a double pivot pairing Chu manyi and kaminga in a more balanced setup could spread the responsibility around CH manyi can focus on breaking up play while kaminga takes charge of driving the ball forward it's not perfect but it's a way to adapt without putting all the weight on one player or how about shifting Jude
Bellingham into a hybrid Midfield role he's more attacking minded sure but giving him a bit more responsibility in the buildup could bring out a different side of his game add fed Valverde into the mix and suddenly you've got a Midfield full of energy and creativity maybe not Cru level control but enough to keep the team functional until reinforcements arrive mrid have options they might not be perfect and they might not feel like Cru but with a bit of creativity and flexib ability they can keep things afat until January the real question is whether ancelotti is
willing to shake things up and take those risks what do you think does Madrid have it in them to adapt or are we in for a rocky ride until the transfer window opens and what players do you see Manchester United signing well let me know in the comments and when you're done you can watch our video on how bad mbappe is
