Real Madrid may have added yet another Primera Liga title to their bulging collection but only time will tell if it will be enough to end media speculation about the future of coach Bernd Schuster at the Bernabeu.

Madrid's last gasp 2-1 win over Osasuna ensured the Spanish giants extended their league leading record of championships to 31. 13 more than nearest challengers Barcelona. It was a deserved success for the most effective team in La Liga, and one achieved with plenty of room to spare, but it may not end the debate about whether Schuster will still be the man pulling the strings after the summer.

There have already been plenty of questions levelled at both Schuster and the Real Madrid hierarchy about the German's position over the last few months as the Whites suffered a series of setbacks on the pitch. And although the answers have inevitably been of the non-boat rocking variety, recent history would suggest nothing is certain. Fabio Capello would know that clearly.

The Italian trophy-magnet led Madrid to their first major piece of silverware since 2003 last season when he guided them to the PRimera Liga title, but that was not enough to save him. And even before the former AC Milan and Juventus boss, not one of the five Madrid coaches handed the first-team reins since Vicente Del Bosque's departure in 2003 managed to last more than a season.

Dismissing managers for failing to bring success is one thing though, the sacking of Capello after winning the Primera Liga is something altogether different and is largely the reason why Schuster's future has been under the spotlight since Christmas.

Capello was moved on because Madrid wanted a more dynamic and exciting side on the pitch, one that is capable of living up to the club's proud tradition and history.

Like with Capello in the previous summer, Schuster was given plenty of new toys to play with by the Madrid board, who splashed over €100 million on players such as Arjen Robben, Pepe, Wesley Sneijder, Gabriel Heinze and Royston Drenthe.

But while Madrid have ultimately won the league title, the question remains about whether the team have actually improved under Schuster, or is it more the fact that their rivals have just gotten worse?

In the case of Barcelona, Sevilla and Valencia, Madrid's three closest challengers last season, the latter certainly seemed to be the case, although the statistics are in favour of Schuster's side making hugely impressive reading as well.

Madrid have already accumulated more pints than the 78 they achieved last season, while they are also on course to break the record number of points in a campaign since the Premiera Liga was reduced to 20 teams a decage ago, which was the the 84 mark set by Barcelona in 2004/2005 season.

Then in the Copa del Rey, Madrid were dumped out at the last 16 stage by Real Mallorca, having last season fallen at the same hurdle against Real Betis. One could argue that tthe reason Madrid have not achieved much better than last season, either in terms of silverware or edge-of-the-seat performances, is because the team has not actually been that different to last year's.

Of their summer recruits, Pepe, Christoph Metzelder, Robben, Sneijder and Heinze have all had their injury problems, while Jerzy Dudek, Drenthe, Javier Saviola and Roberto Soldado have been little more than fringe players. In fact, the players who have started the most leage games for Madrid this season were all part of last year's title winners - Iker Casillas, Fabio Cannavaro, Sergio Ramos, Guti, Raul and Robinho.

So while it is easy to level criticism at Schuster for not achieving all that Madrid would have hoped this season, a league title in what has been his first campaign in charge of a true world giant is nothing to be sniffed at.

And as Schuster himself admitted recently, it takes time to stamp your style on a team, saying in March : "Not long ago, Ramon Calderon told me that even if we don't win the league, I will continue at Real Madrid, because this is a project and we are building a team.

"We will continue with the second stage of that team building in the summer, and I am convinced that we will do it as league champions. I have complete faith in my president and I need nothing more."

Calderon also reiterated his support for Schuster immediately following the win over osasuna, saying :"I think a lot of Schuster. I've already said that whether we won the league or not, he is going to continue at th head of the team. Now he has to go further. This is a young team and needs to improve, like wine."

Whether Calderon and sporting director Pregrag Mijatovic would have been so supportive if Madrid had blown a 1--point lead in the title race and ended up trophy-less is another question - especially with the ultra-successful Jose Mourinho looking for a job. But with the league title now safely in the bag, Madrid, Schuster and the media may well spend their time on other matters this summer as opposed to talking about the German's future - that is of course if Schuster himself decides he wants to remain in the hottest of hotseats.

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2007/08 Primera Liga Table			GP	W	D	L	GD	P
1		Real Madrid   C	38	27	4	7	48	85
2		Villarreal	38	24	5	9	23	77
3		Barcelona	38	19	10	9	33	67
4		Atlético Madrid	38	19	7	12	19	64
5		Sevilla FC	38	20	4	14	26	64
6		Racing Santander	38	17	9	12	1	60
7		Mallorca	38	15	14	9	15	59
8		Almeria	38	14	10	14	-3	52
9		Deportivo La Coruña	38	15	7	16	-1	52
10		Valencia	38	15	6	17	-14	51
11		Athletic Bilbao	38	13	11	14	-3	50
12		Espanyol	38	13	9	16	-10	48
13		Real Betis	38	12	11	15	-6	47
14		Getafe	38	12	11	15	-4	47
15		Valladolid	38	11	12	15	-15	45
16		Recreativo Huelva	38	11	11	16	-20	44
17		Osasuna	38	12	7	19	-7	43
18		Real Zaragoza   R	38	10	12	16	-11	42
19		Murcia   R	38	7	9	22	-29	30
20		Levante   R	38	7	5	26	-42	26

Champions League Group Stage: 1st, 2nd Champions League Qualifying Stage: 3rd, 4th UEFA Cup First Round: 5th, 6th, 10th (Copa del Rey Winner) Intertoto Cup : 9th Relegation: 18th, 19th, 20th

Champions of 2007/2008 Real Madrid

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