Karim Benzema is the perfect striker for Real

Posted Wednesday, September 24, 2014 by ESPN

There is currently a "What good is Karim Benzema?" sentiment circulating among sections of the Bernabeu crowd and the partisan Madrid media. Jeering from the paying punter, scorn from the fans with typewriters.

To reduce the sentiment to a phrase, it is simple: "He doesn't score enough for a centre-forward." Even though there are traditional things that Benzema perhaps doesn't do, I'd argue that it's a piece of "Cyclopic" nonsense to look at the Frenchman this way -- a blatant ignoring of the changing landscape at Real Madrid.

Since Los Blancos began putting Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in the same team, the yield has been 80-plus goals in just over a season. It's the kind of total that you'd once expect two top-class strikers to take a couple of seasons to notch.

Some decent sides struggle to score that many across their entire squad over the same amount of time. It's also a total that has brought three trophies in just more than 12 months and will surely make Madrid world club champions before the turn of the year.

Benzema's goal record and selflessness is just what Real Madrid need up front.

Now just because the two "superstar" players combine to score quite outrageous quantities of goals doesn't mean that you don't want more from your No. 9. But, to begin with, what seems to be ignored is that for four of the five seasons the Frenchman has been at the Bernabeu, he's scored 20 times or more -- indeed his average over that span is 25.5 goals.

If you were buying a striker, pushing the boat out price-wise because your fairy godmother gave you three wishes and you were suddenly in charge at the club you love instead of saving up for your season ticket, wouldn't you be persuaded by a striker who carried a "25 goals per season" guarantee?

Thierry Henry -- a class above Benzema, no question -- had an average of 28 per season during his time at Arsenal, which, if nothing else, indicates that the Madrid man isn't ticking along too badly.

But, I think, more important than stats is the concept of what Benzema is currently for.

The first thing to say is that the 26-year-old -- yes, he's still only 26, can you believe it? -- fits into that category of "protected species" at Madrid. Ronaldo adores him, both as a playing partner and as a person -- Karim's definitely in with the "in-crowd."

Now, this ain't a "teflon Don" guarantee. Angel Di Maria confirmed a couple of weeks ago that he'd only managed to stay at Madrid for the last 12 months [during which he was patently their second-most influential player] thanks to Ronaldo's political influence. But, eventually, he was still sold.

Thus it's not just because he's BFF with CR7 that Benzema's been given a new five-year deal with the European champions. Political clout only goes so far. No; Benzema's a fine footballer -- that's the long and short of it.

But, here's the rub. It's a better-than-even bet that he'd be scoring more than last season's 24 goals if he didn't second himself and his movements to being the creative fulcrum for Madrid's twin-pronged Ronaldo-Bale attack force.

In short, Benzema is underappreciated.

Everyone can't be the star at the Bernabeu, and the Frenchman's happy to play backup in Real's attack.

I'm not advocating the general adoption of a new phrase to apply to him, but I'm going to use the one I think sums up the situation. If Leo Messi, when Pep Guardiola redesigned his role, his position and his duties, became a "False 9," then if you apply the same criteria, Benzema has become a "Hidden 10."

There's no need to be precious about the phrase: It's just a hook upon which to hang an accurate description of his repertoire. Messi was called a "False 9" because he nominally played in the outright striker position but instead of tying up centre-halves, playing with his back to goal or looking for crosses from the wingers/wing-backs, he'd drift back into space normally occupied by an attacking midfielder. A No. 10. From there he'd pick up the ball, run at defences, confuse defensive midfielders, play convoluted wall-passes with available teammates -- basically wreak havoc.

Benzema's positional work is different, but there's a thematic link. He wears 9 on his back. He's listed as the centre-forward in a three-man attack. He'll occasionally be the player asked to get on the end of a cross. But from the moment that his partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo began to flourish, the Frenchman was, effectively, playing like a 10.

Also key in Benzema's place at Real: his close rapport with Cristiano Ronaldo.

As far as I'm concerned, the No. 10 -- brilliantly named the Fantasista or Trequartista in Mediterranean football, the "fantasy" player, or the guy who does his work three-quarters of the way up the pitch -- has a role to associate with other creative-scoring teammates. He facilitates others with invention, wit, imagination and innate positional brilliance. You know the story. He's the creative fulcrum.

I'd argue that Benzema does this. Some of his interplay with Ronaldo is dazzling -- they appear to be the yin and yang of the Madrid attack. Like-minded, equally visionary on the pitch, patently enjoying their "Butch and Sundance" partnership. It works.

Okay, if Madrid were offered a player -- let's say Luis Suarez -- who was just as diligent, associative, intelligent, technically able and supportive as Benzema is, but who averaged 28 or 30 per season, would they turn him down in order to keep Benzema?

I'm not constructing a case that Benzema is, secretly, the best player on the planet. What I'm arguing is that Benzema has a worth and an impact far, far above the perception that currently seems to be hanging around him like a bad smell. He's effective, intelligent, self-sacrificing, hard-working in his association play ... and frustrating, not clinical and occasionally lackadaisical in terms of his outright finishing.

Karim Benzema is the perfect striker for Real
Ancelotti and Real would be hard-pressed to find a better complement to Los Blancos' attack than Benzema.

That's not to overlook his decent share of Clasico goals, his Cup final assist last season or his winner against Bayern in the Champions League semifinal, either. It's just that if (or when) Cristiano and Bale dry up that the "B" in the infamous "BBC" gets examined -- and when he is required to pony up with goals ahead of subtle invention.

It's probably for this last part that the Bernabeu crowd is unnecessarily harsh -- they worry that if their totemic players go missing, they may be left with a shaman who's actually a sham.

I personally think they worry too much. If, for example, Madrid's back four were as assiduous, productive and effective as Benzema the brave, then Los Blancos wouldn't be shipping so many unnecessary goals.

An acquired taste he may well be. But what a tasty footballer -- the prototype of the "Hidden 10." That's Karim Benzema.