What is happening with Bernardo Silva? From hope to being inconsequential.
The Portuguese seems practically as if the ground has swallowed him up. In the last three matches with the Madrid side, he has only played 8 minutes in total, and during the last international break with Portugal he barely featured for 6 minutes. Those are astonishing figures, given the player’s importance and talent, and his track record.
Real Madrid C.F.
It is even more worrying if we take his past into account. As a "citizen", he only missed 13 matches in 9 years with the "blues". Aside from a few minor muscle issues - logical, given the accumulation of games - and the odd inconvenience, plus a ankle injury, he did not have any other physical problems. Last season, he played 58 matches across all competitions. A total of more than 3,800 minutes on the pitch.
An inexplicable absence
Bernardo Silva6.710.000€-510.000€-
MDThe former Manchester City man arrived at the express request of José Mourinho. During the last transfer window, many outlets placed Bernardo close to clubs such as Atlético de Madrid or FC Barcelona, and even confirmed that the Real Madrid had shut the door on the midfielder. It was Mourinho ’s arrival that changed everything. However, now it is the Madrid coach himself who seems not to see him as ready to have a certain role, and even less to hand him the starting spot.
Even in pre-season, Mourinho spoke publicly about the player’s poor state of form. Claiming that during the holidays he "prefers to rest and switch off" and that meant he had to get his act together on the physical side. Two months later, it seems that is precisely what is still owed by the player.
"He is the kind of guy who benefits from not doing anything on holiday, and he has shown up in a physical condition that is quite a bit worse. He has to grow."
All of this has led him to be the fourth midfielder in Mourinho ’s plans and his coaching staff’s. Something nobody would have signed up for at the start of the season.
The consequence: an unexpected sorpasso
Camavinga2.100.000€-370.000€5
MDBernardo Silva came to be the team’s mainstay. He was expected to be the orchestra conductor and the partner of Valverde or Tchouameni, achieving the perfect synergy between physicality and technique. But the reality is different: the Uruguayan and the Frenchman form the starting pivot ever since Tchouameni recovered from his injury, and if there is any change, it is Camavinga who comes into the mix. Especially over the last month. The Frenchman now has the chance to confirm the improvement he showed with France. He is the main beneficiary of Bernardo Silva’s situation.
Despite all of this, at the Madrid club they have a lot of confidence in getting the Portuguese back on board for the cause. The quality is there. The willingness to do it also seems to be. At the Real Madrid, they are waiting for the best Bernardo like water in May—the one who dazzled in the Premier League and who so many times caused problems for the very white team in Europe. If he recovers his best version, he is the player who could give Madrid’s game the quality leap that everyone wants and expects.
In Fantasy terms, a 180º turn that goes back a long way
Fede Valverde11.710.000€+500.000€8
MDIn the first 5 matchdays, the "20" took part in all of them. In 3 of those, as a starter. Since then, he has been losing his place and seeing the minutes tally go down. He has long stopped being a fixture in the starting XI and, for now, it seems there will be no changes. We will have to keep an eye on Mourinho ’s moves and on whether he continues to keep Valverde- with Tchouameni there is no more turning back- in midfield, or whether, on the contrary, he moves to right-back as happened against Villarreal. There, the Uruguayan is unstoppable. But perhaps for Mourinho, his place is only in midfield. Also, as we’ve mentioned, if this happens, then Camavinga is there. Bernardo Silva has work ahead.
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