by Nathan Bliss

2014 was a vintage year for Real Madrid. they won ‘La Decima’, had a sensational 22-game winning streak, Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon D’or and they sat pretty at the top of La Liga come the end of the year.

By comparison, 2015 has been nothing short of a disaster. Nobody could have foreseen such a dramatic dip in form, harmony and results. Surrendering top spot in La Liga with a dreadful defeat to Athletic Bilbao and outclassed by Schalke at home in the Champions League last week, they were shown the dreaded white hankies and jeered by their own frustrated fans.

Serious questions are starting to be asked throughout the club about the reasons behind this incredible slump in form, with rumours of unrest behind the scenes. But, ahead of this weekend’s El Clasico, what are the key reasons why Real Madrid are struggling?

1, Real Madrid’s ‘BBC’ not broadcasting

One of the main reasons for the team’s downturn in form in 2015 is that the front three of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale are simply not performing. This calendar year they have scored 20 goals and provided eight assists between them. To put this figure into context, the Barcelona front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar have scored 42 goals and provided 17 assists for their teammates.

That is a truly remarkable difference. Bale in particular has suffered this year, scoring only five goals and providing just three assists in 16 matches. The fans have also been heavily critical of his lack of defensive work and many are calling for their record signing to be dropped from the team altogether.

2, Lack of Harmony

It is truly astonishing to watch Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction when Bale scored against Levante at the weekend. He threw his hands in the air like a petulant child in the middle of a supermarket. The truly surprising thing was just how public this reaction was: he clearly wanted everyone to know that he is unhappy.

It is also clear that the front three are not combining well at all, and seem to be concentrating on playing as individuals rather than playing for the team. That’s very bad news indeed.

3, Over-reliance on Isco

There have been a lot of negatives for Real Madrid in 2015, but there is one outstanding exception, the performances of Isco. The 22-year-old has become Madrid’s primary creative force, driving at defences and trying everything he can to supply the famous ‘BBC’ forward line.

However, as good as Isco has been, the reliance on him to create goals is enormous. This pressure has been intensified due to injuries to Luka Modric and James Rodriguez, and the forwards’ lack of form. Carlo Ancelotti will be praying that when they return, Real can start firing on all cylinders once more.

4, The Demise of Ronaldo?

Many may think that this is highly controversial, but hear me out. It has been well documented that Cristiano is suffering with a reoccurring knee problem known as patellar tendinosis or ‘Jumpers Knee’. The problem was seen on a global scale when Real Madrid beat Atletico in the Champions League final in May 2014, a game in which Ronaldo was clearly struggling and was nowhere near his usual standard.

Club doctors allegedly told him that he needed rest, but with the World Cup coming, that never looked likely. During the tournament it was again clear that Ronaldo was nowhere near 100%. Since then, Ronaldo’s style of play has changed noticeably as he has had to adapt his game to manage this recurring issue.

Gone are the days where Cristiano would fly down the wing constantly for 90 minutes. He has made a conscious decision to become more a number 9, which involves less running, playing more centrally and being more involved in finishing moves off, rather than creating them. This means the team are far more predictable when attacking and are having to play a disjointed 4-4-2 system, with Isco moving onto the left.

As a result, both Ronaldo’s and Real’s form has dropped dramatically and unless he can adapt to his ongoing issue, it’s only going to get worse for both.

T he back page of the Spanish newspaper Marca last week featured a picture of Ancelotti with the headline “Ni Una Mas” or “Not one more mistake”.

Will Ancelotti lose his job should he lose El Clasico at the Camp Nou on Sunday? Will Madrid regain their form and challenge for La Liga and the Champions League?

One thing is for sure, it’s going to be very interesting.

Nathan Bliss is a new writer for Just Football, focusing on La Liga. Follow him on Twitter @Nathan_Bliss14.

(photo credit: Nathan Congleton via Flickr Creative Commons)