WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO BENZEMA? MADRID BOO BOY DOESN’T DESERVE FRANCE RECALL

The 29-year-old was disappointing for Los Blancos in 2017-18 and, in the current form, does not justify an international reminder with Les Bleus

Maybe Gary Lineker has always had a discussion. The former England striker has been widely mocked for daring to question Karim Benzema on Twitter in Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Tottenham at the Santiago Bernabéu last month. But the Frenchman has not done much to prove it since then.

"Is it me or Benzema is a little overrated?" Lineker tweeted. "A goal in any other game in a team as strong as Real Madrid is nothing special.

A series of angry editorials followed in the Spanish media and a few days later, his coach Zinedine Zidane said: "For people who know football, to say that it is a shame, for me it is the best of all".

Later, the French striker said: "What I find increasingly difficult to accept is the criticism of former players who became journalists who, for some, spread their hatred, experienced the same difficulties, but I have no solidarity I'm sorry for them, really.

However, Lineker had simply asked a question. In addition to helping Marcelo in the 3-0 victory over Eibar, Benzema did not do much on the pitch to prove he is above criticism. In fact, many fans in Madrid seem to agree with the former England striker.

There were whistles for French striker Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, while he lost opportunities again in the match against Las Palmas and was replaced by Zidane for the seventh time this season.

Benzema, who also suffered an injury, scored just two goals in the current campaign and only one since the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona in August. While Lineker had quoted his overall record of about one in two (Karim has 182 goals in 377 games for Madrid), his attack rate is only one in six in 2017-18.

"I will not speak of injustice because everyone here has been whistled," Marcelo said after the Real's victory on Sunday. "If they whistle you, you have to improve something, it's hard to play when they whistle you, but you have to train like Benzema, do it like he does, whistles are part of football, it can not be wonderful."

Currently, this is not the case, and although Benzema has always been considered the ideal striker of Real Madrid, a perfect ball for Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, is a little less effective in the current formation of the team.

Ronaldo likes to play with Benzema because of the attacker's ability to descend and connect, which allows the Portuguese and Bale to push and exploit the spaces he helps create. However, with Wales's end fired, Madrid has Isco to do that and could benefit from more than one offside scorer when the Spanish midfielder is on the field.

The summer sale of Álvaro Morata and the absence of another elite striker in Madrid mean that Benzema should not be abandoned in the short term, especially since he is much appreciated by Zidane. And meanwhile, the French forward (who will turn 30 in December) hopes to win a reminder for his team before the World Cup next year.

Benzema has 27 goals in 81 appearances with France, but never fully convinced by Les Bleus and has not figured since being questioned by police in 2015 about an alleged attempt to blackmail his international teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Former Marseille midfielder and his teammate.

The striker has already been cleared and said last week: "I still hope to go to Russia, I want to give me every opportunity to succeed, of course I want to return to the France team." Which footballer does not dream of playing in a World Cup? I try to be the best in my club and we will do the calculations at the end. "

However, the head of France, Didier Deschamps, has so far poured cold water on a possible reminder for the man from Madrid. "The French team was built before the Euro, it was consolidated through the competition where France managed to qualify for the final," he said earlier this year. "I have a group in which there is harmony, I trust the players who responded in the field."

Deschamps will also feel that he has enough talent to cope without him. Olivier Giroud of Arsenal has a better international record than Benzema (28 goals in 68 games) and is a popular player thanks to his fighting spirit, while Antoine Griezmann and young Paris Saint-Germain Kylian Mbappe, with forward El Barcelona Ousmane Dembele hoped to return soon from the injury.

On top of that, Anthony Martial of Manchester United, Nabil Fekir of Lyon and Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal are fighting for a place in the France team for Russia, so Deschamps has a lot of riches at his disposal in attack.

At the moment, Benzema is delighting the frustrated fans of Real Madrid and has done nothing to win an international retirement. Therefore, talking about a return or speculation that you can make a public apology is secondary right now. First, he will have to improve his performance in the field.