Source
r/realmadrid•
Varon9519

Karim Benzema now has 12 goals in 29 appearences (all comps) this year...compared to Europe's other top strikers, that's pretty garbage

I love Karim Benzema and deem him a Real Madrid legend. However, I don't think it can be denied that he doesn't make us a better team anymore. Every time Benzema has a game with no goal, the idea of us buying Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is all the more appealing to me, a player with a significantly better goal to game ratio, and has overall just been a machine the last couple of years. Paulo Dybala would probably be even better but the main difference is that Dybala doesn't find a move necessary the way Aubameyang does. Dybala is already in a perfect situation for himself at Juventus. Dybala also doesn't offer an immediate replacement to any player on our squad, but Aubameyang does. Dybala is basically just intoxicating talent

I know a lot of people are going to tell me "Benzema's value has never been goals. He's more of a complete striker", and that's absolutely true, but it has three flaws

1.) Yes Benzema is a complete striker, but he's still a striker, it's still his responsibility to score goals. If he's not producing goals, he becomes more expendable

2.) Benzema's overall work rate is bad too, outside of the goalscoring. He's overall a very lethargic player now. His passing is still great but his positioning, running, chasing, etc. has all become bad

3.) Even if Benzema is a complete striker, don't you think it would actually be a good idea for us to shift away from that to land goalscoring machines? For example, Luis Suarez. Suarez has had a slight decline this year but even when he's not in form he is still a threat to score every time he laces up his boots (and really he's a severely underrated playmaker too). I'm just jealous of Suarez types of players honestly. There's not one at Madrid

I know this post sounds like I hate Karim Benzema, but I absolutely do not. I would even go as far as saying in an ideal world, we actually extend Benzema and it inspires him to get his situation sorted. But as of right now, my opinion still stands that Aubameyang would be a brilliant transfer for this club. Thoughts?

EDIT: appearances*

Posted Feb 12, 2017, 12:40 PM UTC · edited

3627
LaundryMann•

How are you gonna make a post like this and not comment on his lackluster playmaking ability, which was his best asset to us for years, hm? Both Benz and Ronaldo are declining at the same time and it has become incredibly clear that we need to immediately replace Benz and push Ronaldo to the center, pair him with Morata, and pick up a LW who can run.

Auba is what? 28? We shouldn't want him. We need to go younger. The man's style is based on explosive speed and he won't have that in 2 years. I think we should go for Dybala or maybe even Lukaku. I don't particularly like Lukaku's attitude, but that can be worked on.

Furthermore, I think it's prudent we pick up a new winger, and soon. If we could snag Hazard, that would be a major, major coup. He loves Zidane, has expressed his admiration for Real in the past, and would be an automatic starter in the LW position.

If we want to keep Ronaldo, wonderful. Move him to the middle where he plays all game anyway. Benz should be immediately relaxed by Morata, with a 4-4-2 formation. We should prepare for life after Ronnie and move for Hazard. Give Morata a chance to be our starting striker. If it doesn't work out, go for Dybala.

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Shanal183•

Thing is, statistically, he's not being that good of a play maker either compared to other strikers who actually play centrally. Suarez and Costa both have more chances created in just liga/EPL than Benz has in all comps... And considerably more goals, too.

Benz's pass accuracy, take on stat, and overall goal scoring stats are very subpar, including the ratios.

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LosBlancosSR4Ramos•

Agreed. I've noticed that we have a difficult time carrying the ball forward from half. Usually our fullbacks have to bring it up. We need someone like Bale (speed, explosiveness) on the left to start our attacks

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WalidfromMorocco•

I agree with all you said. Although I think it's unlikely chelsea and juve would sell their star players to us.

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Kylorambe•

I agree with you, I would love for us to get Martial or Dembele for the long run as both are really promising

0†
Short_Bus_Zidane•

Martial no, Ousmane Dembélé yes.

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BlackDante•

Wow you guys are tearing into Benzema lately. I agree that he's been way out of form but last season he scored 24 league goals in 27 appearanced (28 in 36 total). But this is that knee-jerk stuff that kinda irritates me with Real Madrid and it's fan-base. I love this club, but the minute someone plays poorly it's "he's garbage! Get rid of him!" Shit, like two years ago this sub was talking about selling Cristiano to PSG and getting Hazard, because Cris wasn't playing up to par. I like Zidane as manager a lot but this is the same attitude that had Ancelotti leave.

Benzema is playing poorly this season, but he's a very good player. Personally I'd say if this year he's poor and next year he's poor then maybe move onto a new striker.

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xSenseiLa Undecima•

Something that's really been annoying me this season, Remember when Benzema would have a few bad games a few seasons ago, and then the fans would demand a 2nd striker "to make Benzema work harder, don't take your starting position for granted!!" Welp.

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just_fappin_about•

I feel you. This sub can be real reactionary sometimes

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hadesflamesReal Madrid•

I still think Ancelotti leaving was the right call. Don't regret that at all.

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runner909•

Ancelottie was/ still is a really great trainer with one huge flaw.

The man does. not. rotate.

I loved him at Real but that sacking was his own fault.

Quite sad

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hadesflamesReal Madrid•

He could be one of the best if he worked on that shit.

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st_huck•

He has played 8 years now at Madrid. And maybe only barring last season, every year we had issues with him. Every year in every Madrid forum I've seen and read, the subject of Benzema comes up. Every season he would give us those two months were he does absolutely nothing. It's not a knee jerk reaction, this season is just the cherry on top.

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headgehog55•

Yep, people keep acting like Benzema's bad form is an exception but it happens pretty much every season, there is maybe 2 seasons where he was good throughout the season. The issue I see is that he isn't a good goal scorer, he can score but he doesn't have the attributes that most #9's have, and with Ronaldo getting older we need him to help pick up the slack which he won't ever be able to do.

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headgehog55•

Last season was the rarity, that was only the second time he scored more then 20 goals in the league the last time was 21 goals in the 11/12 season. He isn't a goal scorer he works best when he can play off one, but with Ronaldo starting to drop in form it is going to be more and more pronounced that we won't be able to rely on Benzema to score the goals.

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Java_BeansBenzema•

I'm a Benzema fan and I admit my opinion might be biased but here goes.

Like many people in the team he got injured and returned in bad form, what did the fans do in the stadium? Encourage him? Of course not, they whistled at every single time he touched the ball and this isn't in January, this was in beginning of December.

Same time, Ronaldo started declining a lot, come on let's not hide that. Ronaldo is a scoring machine and like many people (me included say) even on his worse days he's still much dangerous than many, but don't you think one of the reasons is that the whole midfield and attackers all feed him? Benzema, Bale, Lucas, James...etc all looking to give Ronaldo the ball. More chances means more goals.

IMO, yesterday's match was the coming back of Benzema, he's STILL in bad form, no one can deny that but yesterday he was very eager to do something. He was playing midfield, striker, winger, everything. For me, yesterday's match was a huge improvement from the last couple of matches.

To solve the problem, Benzema has to step up and go back to his form. Midfield should be a real midfield that supports attack not sit back and defend like the first 60 min yesterday, Modric was almost camping near Ramos, you cannot blame Benzema for not being a good striker without looking at this stuff. Third, find a proper position for Ronaldo. Him and Benzema are colliding a lot in their area and Benzema being Benzema just sits back and assist Ronaldo even if he KNOWS that Ronaldo is a wrong position and might lose the ball. Bale isn't like this, Bale would go straight himself to the goal and won't try hard to give to Ronaldo when he's not open.

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xSenseiLa Undecima•

I completely agree with you on everything you've said, Benzema's positives have always outnumbered and outweighed the negatives except for this season, A few years ago when Benzema would go on a bad streak of not scoring for a few games, you can always defend him by mentioning his effort on the field and his key passes, and the magnificent job he does in the counter attack, this season, not so much. And when he misses a sitter it's so much worse.

I would just like to add to your post by throwing Alexandre Lacazette's name in there as well. I see potential in the guy (to wear the shirt obviously, not the potential to be a great striker, he already is) And I think his pricetag is realistic unlike Auba's, I'm a big fan of the player and think he would do a phenomenal job in a white shirt but I just think that it's stupid to spend a fortune on a 28 year old player.

Also, how about we give Morata a fucking chance, the guy gets shat on after a bad game by everyone, It's so unfair, I have complete trust in Morata and I feel like he is good enough to carry this team after his superb season in Juve (Not to mention that UCL run). I hate how he's called the "Super Sub". He should be starting even though he hasn't done all that much lately.

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DaveDeeone•

Same people to bash and ask for benz head at the first to say we shouldn't sale him when his form starts coming back I understand he's been having a shitty season but remember everything benz has been going through from losing his daughters custody to the whole sextape scandal. Have faith in our gato he'll bounce back. Also remember that he is exceptional in the champions league.

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PrettyFlakko•

It sounds really good but I think that we ignore a couple of aspects very often when discussing the problems of our front three. Many people say that we should make Cristiano Ronaldo our striker and it's true that he scores a lot of poacher type goals but let's not forget that a world class striker needs to be able to play well with his back to the goal. He needs to be able to hold the ball in tight spaces and to link up well with his mates. Cristiano Ronaldo needs space to run into with or without the ball at his feet. He reads the game very well and knows where to position himself and that's why he would not be a striker in a 4-3-3. He even repeatedly said that he does not like playing as a striker.

As for Benzema, it is true that he has not been playing too well and many people consider Aubameyang a real alternative but I'm not sure about that either. Auba is another player who likes to run into spaces just like Ronnie and Bale! Benzema on the other hand is some kind of playmaking #9 when he plays well. (!) His link up play is ridiculously good. Without that kind of striker a system with Ronaldo and Bale would not work as well as it does. I don't think Cristiano - Auba - Bale would work against tight defenses at all. Imagine these guys running into Atletico's brick wall.

So I don't know what's going to happen and how these things will develop but I really hope we do well this season before changes take place.

2
-fcoan-•

I appreciate all he's done for us but at this point, I'm kind of had it with Benzema as a regular starter. The guy may have a great game every now and then (like the second Dortmund match) but those good matches or moments of brilliance are far outweighed by the amount of matches where he's invisible or a hindrance to our offense. Take yesterday for an example, even though Isco fixed the situation, Benzema had a great chance and did his best to fuck it up by dribbling into Osasuna's defense and losing the ball.

I'd welcome Auba with open arms this summer. He's got a great passion for Madrid and you can rest assure that he would do his absolute best to make it a memorable run with us if he gets bought. We need someone consistent and with Ronaldo declining, we don't need a lethargic Benzema handicapped our attack by lazy performances on top of Ronaldo reworking his role into a poacher with the speed and dribbling ability gone. Even if Auba only has 2-3 good years in him, it's an investment that I'm fully convinced would be worth the price.

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sidhantsv•

I think it's time I make another Benzema post

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met5abelZidane•

Benzy socring 2 today, place your bets boys!
Edit: WHAT?
Edit 2: There is the first 1!

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frkCaRLSIUUUUUUUUU•

People need to calm down with these buy players thing, or at least give some real possibilities; Chelsea is not Tottenham. You can't just get there, throw 100M at them and they will sell their most valuable player when they've (I'm counting this season btw) won 2 out of last 3 PL. They don't need money.

Auba is already 28 years old. We gonna get to BVB and splash 100M (less probably, but still) at them for a dude whose athletic ability basically makes or break him as a player ? We're buying what ? 3 - 4 years of prime football bar injuries ? I don't think that really worth it.

Paulo Dybala: Ideal buy, but there's no way in hell Juve would let him go. They just got 105M and are winning their NL every year. They are gunning for that CL and the Argentinian is basically the central part of their project.

0
LaundryMann•

Juve didn't just pocket that money. They spent it. All of it and more. They can sure as hell use the money. Also, you're right. Chelsea doesn't need the money. And they are going to win the league. But it's not just about what the team wants. The player's desires matter. And Hazard admires Zidane, and has stated he likes Real. Also, it's clear to everyone except maybe Chelsea fans that Real is a step up. Chelsea is a fantastic team, and would definitely give Madrid a run for its money this season, but they aren't a team of the same stature. There are only 3 teams on that level in the world right now, and none are English. It's not a stretch. Sure, he'd be expensive, and sure, it'd be difficult, but it's not nearly as impossible as you're trying to make it out to be.

As for Auba, Dortmund already said he'd cost roughly 70m. In this market, for a player of his quality, that's a steal. Sure, he only has a few years left in the speed tank, but they'd be valuable years when we're transitioning to a post-Ronaldo era.

We need some fresh blood. On the wing, and likely the striker position. I'd like to give Morata a chance as our starter for a long run before the end of the season to see if he can handle it. See if we need to get a new striker or just keep Benz as a backup/actually rotate them properly. Either way, we need a new winger. Ronaldo is pretty rapidly declining, and even though we all love him for all he's done for the club, we can't keep him as our starting winger for years and years if we want to still compete for trophies. Honoring him is wonderful. But losing trophies to appease him (and fans that aren't ready to let go) isn't.

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torkiazMarcelo•

Benzema is and always will be the favored scapegoat for the fickle fans of Real Madrid.

In this season, the team has lost 2 games, back to back. That week alone caused fans to panic and think the apocalypse is near and are looking for ways to make sure that never happens again..

We have been spoiled with a team that rarely loses. We have been spoiled with a team who performs above average week in, week out. We have been spoiled with a team that has scored in every game since the 0-0 draw at Man City on April 26th.

To put things in perspective, we have scored 7 goals less than Barcelona with 2 games in hand, without Bale, without the usual form of both Ronaldo or Benzema, and we haven't had a healthy, consistent, starting XI this whole season.

Benzema doesn't take many shots, he averages less than 1 shot a game. Why? Because almost everybody else on that pitch can score, and Cristiano is and always will be the primary goal scorer, so Benzema's priority isn't to score like other strikers.

Another thing people are not realizing is that without Bale and James, Benzema is in turn the only play maker on the final third, his job changes. If you look at the last game against Osasuna, he was behind Cristiano most of the game, provided the assist for the first goal with a through pass, a pass almost identical to one he had made earlier.. it was clear this was the role he was asked to play.

If Cristiano does not play, Benzema will score more. It's that simple.

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renegade777Ronaldo•

Benzema is becoming a liability at this point. Low work rate and poor finishing along with low confidence. Maybe it's time to move on. I'd love another lyon prodigy, lacazette. He's carrying that lyon team. Any thoughts on him?

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[deleted]•

[removed]

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