What's the Outlook for Real Madrid Fringe Players Under Rafa Benitez in 2015-16?

Illaramendi & Jese

 It was January, a weary-looking Real Madrid had just been dumped out of the Copa del Rey by Atletico Madrid and a gruelling schedule was still to come. Los Blancos, who'd plateaued after their record-breaking ways of late 2014, needed a freshen-up.

The preferred XI from top to bottom appeared spent, run into the ground by a six-month stretch which for many had featured games in the World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey, European qualifying and the Club World Cup. But still, manager Carlo Ancelotti stuck with the familiar, insisting squad rotation wasn't the answer.

"There is no need right now to do rotations, I think the team are fine," the Italian said after a 2-2 draw with Atletico at the Bernabeu that confirmed Real's exit from the cup.

Ancelotti's position was understandable to an extent, but it was also flawed. By season's end, fatigue was a major factor in Madrid's season of underachievement. A collection of players who'd been called upon too often, their tanks drained, couldn't summon the fire necessary to overcome Atletico, Valencia, Juventus and Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Among midfielders in La Liga, no one played more minutes than Toni Kroos. Among forwards, only Lionel Messi played more than Cristiano Ronaldo. At left-back, Marcelo was only behind Athletic Bilbao's Mikel Balenziaga. And when they were fit and available, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric always played.

All the while, fresh legs sat on the bench, the likes of Asier Illarramendi, Lucas Silva, Jese, Nacho, Sami Khedira, Fabio Coentrao, Javier Hernandez and Keylor Navas grossly under-used.

But will it be different under Rafa Benitez?

As the former Napoli boss closed in on the manager position at the Santiago Bernabeu, Marca described the essence of his coaching in a telling manner: "Benitez is methodical. He is all about order. Tactics. Organisation. Devising solutions. Videos. Statistics. Control"—essentially, a list of things that had become areas of criticism for Ancelotti. Such traits, however, should benefit those on the fringe of the first XI in Chamartin.

Rafa Benitez

Benitez is a known rotator. He's used the concept everywhere he's been: Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli. To the Madrilenian, rotation means fresh legs, active minds and tactical awareness. On his personal website, there's even a blog post explaining the importance of squad rotation that delves into running intensity and distance covered under the effects of fatigue. That's the mentality he's bringing to the Bernabeu.

At Real Madrid, it's likely Benitez's desire to rotate will be seen most often in midfield. Under Ancelotti, Real's hybrid 4-4-2/4-3-3 was heavy on attacking and creative talents, with Kroos, Rodriguez, Modric and Isco regularly crammed into the lineup. But Benitez is expected to change that, with his preference for a 4-2-3-1 likely to give the team's midfield a very different dynamic.

In the double pivot or the "two," the 55-year-old—particularly against stronger opposition—may look to use a more traditional midfield anchor alongside Kroos. As explained this week, such a role could be filled by a new face, with Lucas Biglia and Radja Nainggolan representing possible options. But Benitez might also turn to those already at the Bernabeu—the likes of Illarramendi, Silva and Casemiro. In certain situations, he might even use two of them together.

It's why such men may feature considerably more often in 2015-16: Benitez will likely look to utilise different combinations depending upon the opponent, with Real Madrid possessing the options to deploy both attack-heavy and conservative central groupings.

Lucas Silva

Such a situation, with players chosen for specific matchups, may not apply to the same extent at the back or up front. Settled back fours are the hallmark of strong defensive units, and the star-studded attack is suitable for almost every opposing outfit. However, fatigue prevention could still drive rotation at certain times in those positions.

For instance, when Real Madrid were dumped out of the Copa del Rey in January, the club had the perfect opportunity to rest its stars for the high-profile clashes that would come from February onward. Following the second leg at the Bernabeu were league meetings with Getafe, Cordoba and Real Sociedad. All three were won, but all three featured Real's best possible lineup available at the time. In the two months that followed, Los Blancos lost to Atletico, Athletic Bilbao, Schalke and Barcelona, and also dropped points at home to Villarreal.

Benitez, a manager who fusses over fatigue and injury prevention, is unlikely to repeat that. When low-key clashes against Spain's lesser teams arrive (particularly when sandwiched between bigger games), Jese, Nacho, Coentrao and maybe even Denis Cheryshev could see significant playing time. The lesser-used men in the likely positional battles—Pepe or Raphael Varane; Daniel Carvajal or Danilo—could do too. Whereas Ancelotti spread his XI thin, as Marca put it, Benitez, with his managerial history, has shown he's more inclined to use the full depth of a squad.

For those on the fringes of the XI, Benitez's methods should prove beneficial.

source: bleacherreport.com

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