Nearly every manager hopes to manage Real Madrid once in their career and getting to manage the Royal Whites twice, most certainly sounds like a dream and if so, Carlo Ancelotti is living it. His return to Real Madrid raised a few eyebrows before the start of this season, but after the first ten league games, his team is sitting at the top of the LaLiga table with 21 points.
Here are five reasons why Carlo is the right man for this job and deserves to sit on Real Madrid’s hot seat:
#1 Getting the best out of the attackers
Under the previous manager, Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid was relying on their defence to win games. In their title-winning 2019/20 season, they scored 16 goals less than the highest-scoring team, FC Barcelona. The same thing repeated in the following season, when they scored 18 goals less than Barcelona. It cost them massively from time to time and eventually they missed out on the title.
Things have changed this season, and the stats distinctly show it. Real Madrid is relying more on their dynamicity under Ancelotti. In the first 10 games, the team has taken 162 shots – second-most in the league and scored 21 goals – most in the league. Karim Benzema, the talisman of the team, has registered 9 goals and 7 assists. Carlo’s system is also helping the young attacker Vinicius Junior flourish, as he has already scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists in LaLiga. As things stand, it’s fair to say that Carlo’s Real Madrid will not be holding back against their oppositions.
#2 Getting the backup players involved
To win titles, a manager needs more than just his star players performing well. One of the key factors behind winning it is to know how and when to use the backup players. With five substitutions in place, if a manager knows how to shuffle them, that can change the complexion of the game in the flash of an eye. After winning numerous trophies in his career as a manager, very few know how to do it better than Carlo.
Till now, Ancelotti has given chances to 24 players. Players like Isco and Gareth Bale who were forgotten under Zidane, have been given their much-needed game time. Marco Asensio has made 3 starts and 5 off the bench appearances and has backed it up with 3 league goals. This, unquestionably, boosts the confidence of these players and develops cooperation and healthy competitiveness in the dressing room.
#3 Blending youth with experience
Carlo Ancelotti is one of the best in the business when it comes to managing a team. His expertise over the glittering antiquity has served handsomely to other outfits in the sport.
In his current Real Madrid stint, he is doing the same. The current squad definitely needs to go through a rebuilding phase. The arrivals of Miguel Gutiérrez and Eduardo Camavinga are just the early signs of it. But signing young players often make the older footballers of the same position feel unwanted and destroys the team cohesion. Ancelotti has not let that happen, rather he is building a squad where the new and old can play together and help each other thrive – further solidifying his man-management prowess.
#4 Having a great relationship with the core players:
The majority of the long-term footballers of the current squad have previously played under Ancelotti. Dani Carvajal, Luka Modrić, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Casemiro, Nacho, Marcelo and Isco were part of his 2013/14 UCL winning campaign. Toni Kroos was signed by the club in the following season and played one season under the gaffer.
These players can help out the rest of the team to get accustomed to the boss’ style of play. In difficult periods, they can also assist the manager to keep the team together. So, the backing of the core group will definitely make the job easier for Carlo.
#5 This is not his first rodeo
Carlo Ancelotti has often been entrusted with the responsibility of turning things around and he has rarely failed to deliver. Before Ancelotti’s appointment back in 2013, Real Madrid failed to bring the UCL trophy to the capital of Spain for more than a decade. Carlo won it in his very first season in an emphatic fashion.
Even though his last few stints as a manager had not been that impressive, the legacy that he has left behind is overwhelming. Ancelotti knows how to win trophies, and he has proven it on multiple occasions. In the kind of turmoil that Real Madrid were in after the end of last season, Carlo was the best possible choice as the new manager. Now, it’s up to Carlo’s shoulders to repay the trust as he has got all the elements to make Real Madrid’s wildest dreams come true.
