Real Madrid Real Madrid have in-house solutions

Barcelona won 3-0 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, leaving Real Madrid 14 points behind them this Christmas. Zinedine Zidane, though, said that nothing has to change. Yes, the coach of the defending champions, who are five wins behind the leader, said that nothing needs changing.

Marcelo said that the fans have become spoiled and that Real Madrid cannot be expected to win all of the time. Yes, that's what a player of Real Madrid said, not one of a mid-table club. A Real Madrid player said that his team cannot expect to always win.

There is complacency, quietness, slackness and a lack of self-criticism. They are not rising, but rather they've been covered by dust, the dust of nice decorative figures who in a recent past were football players, but who don't move any more. It's like a slightly different version of the Midas story, as they've touched gold and have turned to stone.

We all remember, because it's easy to do so, that just a few months ago this Real Madrid team wowed when they touched the ball, when they played well, when they pressured and when they made Barcelona look small, in the Supercopa de Espana. They did it with the same players that are in the squad right now.

The fact that the winter transfer market is close means that fans and directors are like a child in an ice cream shop just before dinner. They're not thinking about what they already have at home, but only in the sweet temptation in front of them.

But what better signing could there be than to trust in Marco Asensio? Is there anybody better than him available in this market? What does Zidane want new players for if nothing will change? What does Zidane want new players for if he is leaving Dani Ceballos, Marcos Llorente and Jesus Vallejo off his squad lists? What does Zidane want new players for if the same players as always are going to keep playing?

Real Madrid have solutions and they have them in their own home. It seems that Gareth Bale has returned with energy to burn and that Isco and Asensio should be the two main pieces of the reconstruction. If they are permitted to play together one day. If Zidane is happy enough to write both of their names onto the same teamsheet...