Lay off misfiring Ronaldo, Zidane tells fans
ZINEDINE Zidane urged Real Madrid’s notoriously demanding fans to lay off Cristiano Ronaldo as the Real coach faces up to a mounting injury crisis on top of a congested fixture list.
Ronaldo (pictured, AFP) was whistled as his sluggish start to 2017 continued with a wasteful display in front of goal as Madrid edged past Malaga 2-1 on Saturday thanks to two goals from captain Sergio Ramos.
Victory – after back-to-back defeats to end a 40-game unbeaten run – ensured Real move four points clear at the top of La Liga and seal the title of winter champions for the first half of the season.
Yet there was still no pleasing some fans at the Santiago Bernabeu and Zidane afterwards asked the most disgruntled to have patience with Ronaldo.
“Sometimes when you have difficulties you need the fans’ help and to be behind you,” Zidane said.
“I am not going to criticise the fans because they pay their money. But with so many games and a lot of injuries, the players need to feel that love sometimes. The coach does too.”
Rona ldo hit t he post a nd was denied t hree t i mes by Ma laga goa l keeper Ca rlos Kameni as t he Portug uese’s r un of scor i ng just once i n open pen play i n LaL a L iga si nce Novemberovember continued.
And there were also jeers for his s strike partner Karim Benzemama when he was replaced by Alvarovaro Morata with eight minutes es remaining.
“Have patience,” pleaded Zidane.dane. “In the past few games they ey haven’t found the net, but thatat doesn’t worry me. What worriesorries me are the injuries.”
Marcelo and Luka Modric both oth limped off, but it is the former’s rmer’s thigh problem which most ost worries Zidane with his options ptions at full-back now severelyverely depleted.
First-choice right-back Dani Carvajal arvajal has been ruled out for a month, while his deputy, Danilo, was not fit to play according to Zidane despite being named on the bench.
The versatile Nacho switched from right-back to left-back after Marcelo was withdrawn wi t h Luc a s Va z q ue z , normally a winger, stepping back to fill in at rightback.
“We have a l o t o f games and i n t he end my mood i s ag g r av ated by t h e i n j u r i e s ,” World Cup winner Zida ne sa id. “We have another important g game on Wednesday. “At the end of the gam game we are happy because we have taken the three points, bu but 2-1 was tight for the chances that we had. “Today we struggled to take our chances and when the opponents had theirs they caused problems problems. By being calm you can a achic hi e v ve e a l ot . Now we ha have to rest once morem b e c a u s e t h e next game is just around the corner corner.” Real face Celta VigoVig in midweek in the CopaCop del Rey quarterfinals.