A defeat in the Clasico is always seen as a crisis for either side, but Barcelona’s 4-0 mauling of Real Madrid at the weekend has resulted in a bigger inquest than most.
It means that every aspect of the club is coming under scrutiny, and there are questions arising over the use of certain players.
A report from Marca has looked at the current status of Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard, Mariano, and Luka Jovic – senior players who cost a lot of money, and it just doesn’t sound like they’re anywhere close to the first team just now.
The usual complaints about Bale have come out, with accusations that football and Real Madrid are simply not his priority, so there’s no reason for Carlo Ancelotti to even contemplate trusting him at this stage.
Eden Hazard is also mentioned, however, his attitude has been praised. Unfortunately for the Belgian star, it appears his fitness levels have just crashed and he’s not at a point where he can be considered for the first team when there are so other options in his position.
It also appears that Mariano is simply seen as not being good enough and Luka Jovic has started to become an outcast in the dressing room and doesn’t appear capable of getting minutes either, so it suggests that a major overhaul of the forward line is going to have to come this summer.