Real Madrid: 4 ways Carlo Ancelotti can save a floundering attack

Getting the most out of a trio of veterans

Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard, and Isco are all up for sale this summer, but the reality is that Real Madrid may not be able to move any of them. All three have significant salaries and have not been frequently utilized these last two seasons. Hazard’s transfer value has tanked due to injuries, Bale’s wages are astronomical, and Isco is coming off a disastrous season in terms of usage and motivation.

Bale, Isco, and Hazard have all come under fire from the fanbase, but there is no doubt that they are all talented. And I’d argue that each of them still has something left in the tank.

A lot of Hazard’s issues are completely out of Carlo Ancelotti’s hands, because health is the defining factor there. But in the cases of Bale and Isco, motivation and consistency have been missing. By the end of Isco’s 2020-2021 season, it seemed like he also had a rocky relationship with Zinedine Zidane.

Ancelotti is something of a “forward whisperer” and has that ability to connect with veteran attackers in a way that other managers cannot. That bodes well for the careers of Isco and Bale, because both men are in very difficult positions in terms of their reputations around Europe’s elite clubs. If Ancelotti can put those two in a position to succeed and get them to return to a level of competency, Real Madrid could reap handsome rewards.