It was hard to imagine that football would follow the big clash against our bitter enemies from Catalan.  Despite the potential distractions that arise after losing such a crucial match, Los Blancos were able to finish 2011 with a string of three wins.  In the following article I will go over, in my own humblest of opinions, who on the team looks ready to make 2012 their year and who on the team has their stock falling.  Without any further delay, first the winners.

Winners

Cristiano Ronaldo- Not the most popular of figures amongst supporters right now, and surely wouldn't have made the winners list if this included El Clásico, but following his sub-par performance, Cristiano put his head down and focused on returning to his goal scoring ways.  This was exemplified by his goal against Ponfe, which he simply slotted away.  There was no celebration, Ronaldo knew it was going to take more than that to rectify the situation.  So he gave us more than that, three more to be exact.  He was a key part of the runaway victory against Sevilla last weekend and for that he deserves his place on the winners list.  Not because he is soaring the highest, but because he has made such progress in returning from a cellar position.

Ángel di María- Was not fully recovered for the clash against Barcelona yet rebounded strong enough to have people mentioning his name as a possible contender for WPOTY in 2012.  Personally I don't think he is quite at the level to make a legitimate push next year, but he is truly a crucial component to our team and an assist machine.  If 2012 turns out to be a year of great growth for the Argentine then 2013 might be the year he challenges the world's heavyweights for the title of best footballer on the planet.

José Callejón- No one did more to raise their profile in the tail end of 2011 than Callejón.  Our prodigal son is really making good.  While he might never be accused of being the best footballer on the team, his confident performances are an inspiration for a team that sometimes needs it.

Nuri Sahin- He is finally starting to establish himself in this squad.  In particular our final match of 2011 was an opportunity to demonstrate that Sahin is capable of the long range precise passing that has come to define Xabi's game and thus our game.  He is not quite ready to compete with Xabi Alonso for a consistent starting eleven spot, but the Turk ended the year on the right note.

Losers

Altintop- Scored a goal, yet somehow still feels to be a lamentable addition to the squad.  He has a bit of technical ability, but he has just not shown what we need of a squad player.  He must have realized coming into Madrid that his chances would be few and far between, especially coming in injured.  Yet in his few chances, besides the goal that was nothing more than a tap in after making an obvious run, he has failed to leave a good image in the mind of the Bernabeu faithful.   Couple that with his statements about moving on if he doesn't receive more playing time, and we have one of the least positive performances of 2011.  I would say he is a disappointment, but honestly not too many were expecting much from the beginning.

Khedira- A solid player, but the question is: has he gotten better over the course of his time here?  He is a young player, and one would expect growth, but Sami Khedira seems to remain as limited as he was when he first arrived here.  I am not expecting the German to become Xabi or Kaka's heir, but I just don't see him growing to impose himself in our midfield any more than day one.  Perhaps the opposite of Hamit in that he has not had a negative performance, but he is a bit of a disappointment.

Sergio Ramos- Sergio makes the losers list not because of poor performance or disappointing returns.  In fact the opposite, as he has shown himself to be the future of our centerback corps, but in the short term he has to be on the losers list.  Why?  Because of his injury.  He should be back in time for Granada, but it is too bad to see him pick up that hamstring issue.  Hopefully he is fully ready for Granada and is not rushed back early because hamstring issues are the sort that can find a way of lingering and although Ramos has a history of playing through injury, it does affect your ability to play at your full potential.