Real’s slump in form baffling: Laudrup
<p>MICHAEL Laudrup, who represented Real Madrid for two seasons, said the Spanish side’s sudden loss of form baffled him.</p>
<p>“Before Christmas, everybody hailed them as the best team, but since January they’ve lost a lot of games and didn’t play the way they used to,” said Laudrup. “The 3-4 home defeat against Schalke in the Champions League was a huge disappointment. They could’ve lost by a big margin.”</p>
<p>Real lost 1-2 to Barcelona in the El Clasico last week while a dip in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo has put pressure on coach Carlo Ancelotti.</p>
<p>“I still think they had played well in the first half. With a little luck they could’ve scored more, but Barcelona could also have scored four in the end. I think Real will soon overcome their slump in form,” said Laudrup.</p>
<p>Asked if Gareth Bale was over-rated, Laudrup said he was as much surprised as the rest with the Welshman’s terrible run. The former Tottenham Hotspur winger played an integral role at his new club, helping them win the Copa del Rey and Champions League, scoring in both finals.</p>
<p>“Bale is a fantastic player. He’s strong, fast and can take on anybody one-on-one. He did really well in his first season. I had thought, ‘if he could do so well in his maiden season, he would repeat it’. But I was surprised to see him struggle. British players always find it difficult to adjust when they go out of their country. They take time to adapt,” said Laudrup.</p>
