If there were any doubts before, then Real Madrid’s frustrating 0-0 draw with Deportivo La Coruna might just have been the confirmation of what many around the Santiago Bernabeu have been whispering for some time now: Karim Benzema’s continued presence in the Spanish capital looks uncertain beyond this summer.
To drop the entire blame on the Frenchman for failing to hit the back of Deportivo’s net would be unjust, as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka nor Mesut Ozil had managed to create a single threat to Daniel Aranzubia’s goal before the half-time mark. Real Madrid had to wait for the introduction of Emmanuel Adebayor and Angel di Maria in the second half in order to start pummelling the Deportivo goalkeeper with all kinds of shots. Just why Jose Mourinho opted to confine these two usual starters to the bench remains a troubling mystery.
Cristiano Ronaldo might just be forgiven for having failed to hit the target for his team. The Portuguese megastar was everywhere for Los Blancos, working non-stop as he tried to make best use of the chances that were given to him on the evening. The same goes for Mesut Ozil, who has been a true wizard in midfield for some time now, dropping to the right with ease and linking up well with Sergio Ramos.
The same however, could not be said for Benzema. The former Olympique Lyonnais starlet seemed so obsessed with the idea of scoring that he has displayed great moments of selfishness at times. One particular situation involved wanting to beat three defenders near the box when Ronaldo was free all by himself a few metres away. He would go on to miss two sitters in front of goal; strikes that would have definitely ended the match in his team’s favour.
For the last few months the thoughts of Los Blancos fans have drifted back to July 2009, when Real Madrid believed they had acquired an established superstar in the form of Benzema. Having established himself as a regular goal-getter in Ligue 1, the Frenchman – and his supporters – soon came to realise that the Real Madrid number 9 remains far from being the finished article. After just a few months at his new home, the striker was quickly relegated to the bench as Gonzalo Higuain became the team’s spearhead. Had it not been for the Argentine’s near term-ending injury this season – Higuain has set his sights on a return in time for April’s league and cup double header against Barcelona– Benzema wouldn’t have seen much action under Mourinho to begin with.
The truth remains that Real Madrid’s Portuguese boss did not have bundles of faith in Benzema right from the start. Ever since the coach took over last May after a treble-winning season with Internazionale, Mourinho constantly pleaded with his superiors for the addition of a third striker. The former Chelsea manager has been very vocal about Benzema’s work ethic, both during training and matches. Speaking after the draw with the striker’s former club Lyon in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg, Mourinho stated his support for Benzema, all while stressing that he expects a lot more from his forward: “Everyone knows his potential, which is impressive. But everyone knows, and he himself knows it, because he is an intelligent boy, that during matches he still needs to improve certain aspects. He is working to improve. He is going in the right direction."
Having scored the vital goal against the French, it was not a stretch to believe that this crucial strike would be the one to truly set Benzema on the path to becoming a reliable striker for his team. And that, in many ways, was why his lacklustre performance against Deportivo just days later, was greeted with such disappointment.
In fact, the period of two games served perfectly as a microcosm of Benzema’s life in Madrid: Ups and downs. On certain occasions, the Frenchman can wow La Liga’s match-going fans with hat-tricks, while at other times; he looks disinterested and far from accomplished in front of goal. Indeed, it is a poor reflection on the striker that the 60 minute mark in games has often been his cue to shuffle down the tunnel, making way for a fresh option up front.
What should be even more frightening for Benzema’s backers however is that the arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor as his main competitor for Mourinho’s favoured lone forward role did not spur him to work even harder, producing a series of performances which symbolised a shrug of the shoulders at the arriving alternative. Certainly, the Frenchman scored 40 seconds after coming off the bench against Lyon, but Adebayor so nearly replicated this feat – although not in the same time interval – and after poking the ball past Aranzubia against Deportivo, was on his way to celebrate what he thought was a goal, only to stop in disbelief as the ball went for a corner, after rebounding off the post and the goalkeeper’s head.
Adebayor’s direct threat for Benzema’s spot doesn’t seem to have scared the ex-Lyon man into slipping on his shooting boots and starting to come up with the spoils on a more consistent basis for Los Blancos. But while the Togolese forward knows very well that his stay in the Spanish capital is only intended to last for a six-month period, his French adversary signed on in 2009 in a multi-million euro deal, that has, as yet, not been justified. At Real Madrid, chances can be few and far between. Should Benzema not seize his before the season is out, he may find time called on his Los Blancos career.
