Real Madrid News
Reason behind Ancelotti’s reluctance to count on prodigious Real Madrid duo more – report
Real Madrid are going through a tough period after two humbling defeats against Barcelona and AC Milan in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, respectively.
The results and the disappointing performances have amped up the pressure on manager Carlo Ancelotti, who retains the faith of the club hierarchy but could find himself getting axed if the situation does not improve.
One of the major gripes against the Italian tactician has been his reluctance to use the teenage duo of Arda Guler and Endrick more regularly.
Guler, despite excelling whenever given a chance, has only played 12 minutes in the last five games whereas Endrick has not even appeared in that period.
Ancelotti’s explanation
As reported earlier in the week, the Real Madrid hierarchy, led by president Florentino Perez himself, is not very happy with how Ancelotti has used Guler and Endrick so far this season.
After all, the teenage duo are prodigious talents with great potential and cost the club big money.
Now, Defensa Central has come forth with a report shedding light on why the Real Madrid head coach has been reluctant to use the teenagers more often.
As per the outlet, Ancelotti has spoken about the issue with Perez directly and provided an explanation.
“They are both very good… but they still have a lot to learn,” is how the manager sees things when it comes to Guler and Endrick.
Ancelotti believes that the Turkish and Brazilian wonderkids lack experience and tend to get over-excited on the pitch at times.
Furthermore, in the case of Guler, the Real Madrid boss believes that he needs to improve his defensive intensity because, with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. in the team, the rest of the players need to make an extra effort in that area.
With Mbappe misfiring of late and Aurelien Tchouameni getting injured, there may be a possibility that Ancelotti turns to the young duo a bit more frequently than he has in the past.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
Hala_Madrid
November 8, 2024 at 5:06 am
What kind of a coach is this? He should demand Vinicius and Mbappe to get on with the program and help out in pressing and defending. It’s a team sport, everyone should get involved. The star players should also be held accountable when they are not performing up to standard. It seems Endeick and Guler are being punished by the coach for playing well. It’s a lame excuse for not playing Guler and Endrick. How are they supposed to contribute and learn when they’re on the bench. Ancelotti should explain how in the world the Barcelona youngsters are performing so well, even better than Madrid “experienced” players. It seems the coach is either too lazy to teach them or time has passed him by and it’s time to move on.