If there is one certainty in life, that is the fact that things change.
For so long, Barcelona were the team nobody could beat as they enjoyed unrivalled dominance once upon a time in club football.
Love or hate (i hated!) what their brand of football was about, they were deservedly the best team in Europe. UEFALONA or not...
But the pendulum has swung, and the legendary Zidane is behind that shift in power where he will again look to achieve greatness and supremacy with his Real Madrid team.
What you always want going into a season with a successful team is to improve. No matter how well you did last campaign, there are always areas in which you can get better.
So Madrid won the La Liga and Champions League last season? Why can't they focus on winning the treble?
They won the league by a few points? This time, Zidane shoud aim for them to win it with at least three or four games to spare.
These goals are very important for players who may get complacent and rest on their laurels. You don't want them to ever give anything less than 200%, despite their lofty achievements.
For a club as big as Madrid, there should never be a case of doing enough. There must be a constant hunger to win every trophy that exists.
What will be tested most for Zizou this season will be the squad. That's where you win your league, as the players who can come off the bench and perform are just as important as the regulars.
WIth Morata and James Rodriguez now gone, Lucas Vasquez will have more pressure on his little shoulders to supply the goals to help get the points when need be. If he can't, these are the areas in which Barcelona can capitalise and reclaim the Liga crown.
Personally, I've never been a fan of Vasquez, and I thought he was trash when I first saw him. But his recent performances have been promising and I see some really good close-control dribbling from a player who knows how to use his low center of gravity.
Whether he can come off the bench, and score the winning goal in the dying minutes of a game, is something I'm not confident of. But there will come a time this season, where he will have to do so.
Zidane knows that his first eleven, when fully fit, is the best in the world. He can rely on them to get the job done home or away. When you have the most underrated keeper, one of the top defenders, the best midfield pair, a top three number ten and a goalscorer unlike any other the game has seen...you're in pretty good hands.
Talent is not enough though, and that was the secret to their success with Zidane over the last two years. It went beyond the incredible ability of the players, and was more to do with that element between the ears.
Mental-strength.
It's one of my favorite and most underrated elements in any sportsperson. The ability to dig in deep and use your mind to push your body beyond the boundaries. It's what separates the winners from the losers.
I think Zidane's greatest asset is his man-management. That is where he has flourished tremendously with his Madrid players. He has their respect, and knows how to deal with each and every one of them. And in turn, forming a family that will die for each other and operate as one both on and off the pitch.
The father must make sure his sons not only continue to stay together but strive to be hungrier and better. The more you win, the more teams come out to get you and raise their game when they face you.
Zidane's madrid are on the throne now, and everybody wants to have a seat on it and will do everything in their power to do so.
Zizou....time to step it up. HH
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