Former Real Madrid star admits the truth: the problems have gone unsolved for two and a half years

Complete bewilderment surrounds Real Madrid after a modest start to the campaign that could shake the huge project led by Florentino Perez.

Real Madrid sit fourth in La Liga with 15 points from seven rounds.

Alvaro Benito, the former Real Madrid star, pulled no punches in his analysis of the club's troubles, particularly after the 2-1 derby defeat to Atletico.

Sport newspaper published Benito's remarks to Cadena SER radio, in which he said: "Here the thinking needs to be much deeper. If you have been seeing the same problems on the pitch for two and a half years, then the nature of these problems is exactly the same."

He stressed: "We do not see any change with the coaches, despite the different nature of each of them. So the problem is much deeper. Isn't it? That is what I am saying."

Benito added: "The problems have persisted for two and a half years, and nothing has been solved. You can win. For example, you won the last match against Elche, but the impression the team leaves at a collective level is that the same problems keep recurring."

He continued: "We could all have expected that, barring something exceptional, when you come to the Metropolitano stadium you would see what we in fact saw. You could have won or lost, but I am not talking about losing or winning, because the road that leads to the result can take different paths."

He noted: "If Cuti Romero had been sent off in the first half, then you might even have been able to win the match. I am talking about the collective impression, about the idea of play, what you offer, and which players you will put in the starting line-up in most matches."

Benito went on to explain that coach Jose Mourinho is not applying his well-known philosophy at Real Madrid, something that could prove fatal for a team needing a clear system to play on the counter-attack.

He remarked: "Mourinho historically relies on a very strong medium defensive block, a team with compact lines, ferocious pressing, winning the ball back and then attacking directly and quickly. Excellent. This style would be ideal for Real Madrid, given the characteristics of the players they have, but the problem is that we do not see it."