Can Cristiano Ronaldo be regarded at some point till the end of his career as the best player in the world? Sure, by some, but he’s lost the popular vote. What’s left for him is to win as much as possible with Real Madrid – La Liga & Champions League titles, only that doesn’t seem to be going too well either.

Real Madrid find themselves 5 points behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid too early in the season to be dropping points at an alarming rate. It’s not just the results, because after all, five points is only two matches, and if Real Madrid beat Barcelona and the Camp Nou, something they’ve done once in each of the last couple of seasons, it’s a wide open race once again.

It’s the ability we’ve seen from Carlo Ancelotti’s team, who keeps talking aobut the real Real Madrid popping out very soon, but so far has been hounded by the media over the Gareth Bale spending, while he twists the facts to make it look like Real Madrid actually made money by selling Mesut Ozil, Gonzalo Higuain and others.

So what’s wrong? This time, no one can take a look at Ronaldo and point even one finger. Unhappy, happy, it doesn’t really matter. Real Madrid have defensive problems, midfield problems and even attacking problems, although if you take a look at their Champions League scoring record (10 goals so far in two matches), you wouldn’t know.

To continue and insist on Karim Benzema as the leading striker from the team seems to be Ancelotti seemingly digging his own metaphorical grave, and just inviting the tough Madrid press to criticize him. Alvaro Morata, at the moment, is the better player, not to mention one more likely to get fan support. Even if Benzema is the more talented forward, getting booed by the home fans, who want to see a home grown player on the pitch, can’t be too confidence-building.

Illarramendi and Sami Kehdira are too much of the same player, as Real Madrid wait for the return of Xabi Alonso. Isco being targeted by every La Liga team, especially on away matches, just goes to show how lacking Real Madrid are when it comes to build up ability without Alonso, and using Luka Modric more and more doesn’t seem to be helping.

Nothing from what we’ve seen so far from this team, especially in the league, justifies putting them among the favorites to win the Champions League or last a season-long horse race with Barcelona. Gareth Bale is still injured, and Cristiano Ronaldo might have a weaker team around him than who he played with last season – the same team that won nothing at home and in Europe.

Of course that there’s talent – Angel di Maria is playing like he’s having fun again, and he’s one of the best wingers in the world. But for Cristiano Ronaldo to make the best of his new contract and remaining time with Real Madrid, he simply needs a better team around him, or for the group he currently has to get their s$%^ together quickly, before it’s too late.