After Real Madrid’s abysmal show against PSG in the first leg of the Round of 16 stages of the Champions League, fans and pundits have been quick to criticize Madrid’s Italian boss, Carlo Ancelotti. Of the many complaints that fans had, Marco Asensio’s position in the starting XI was an important one. There were also questions about Benzema starting without complete fitness which was very visible in his performance.
Another major complaint was about Fede Valverde’s involvement in the match. If Real Madrid’s game plan was to defend deep and only exploit space on counters, why on Earth did both Luka Modric and Toni Kroos play such long shifts? Fede should have been in at the second half. Modric clearly didn’t have the legs to compete with PSG’s speedsters.
Valverde would have been a much faster ball carrier and his box-to-box nature would have complemented the game-plan. It actually feels wrong to call it a game-plan, I have no idea what Carlo Ancelotti had in his mind for this one. It indeed was a good thing PSG found that goal, a 0-0 draw would have sent a wrong message and Ancelotti might have seen this one through without any harm despite being so poor on his management.
This is not the first time that Ancelotti has surprised us. It is getting more frustrating with every passing Matchday. The major problem has been with Ancelotti not trusting his bench enough to give them longer spells of play and there is an urgent need for these players to be trusted more by the Italian manager. Here are five such players.
5. Luka Jovic
I am placing Luka Jovic at the bottom of this list because it is quite clear that his future isn’t here at Real Madrid. But, even if that is true, the club will pay his wages until the end of his contract or whenever a suitable offer arrives for the Serbian. (Which I am hoping would be summer 2022) And because the club would have the burden of his wages, I think he should be played in matches where Karim Benzema is not available.
Yes, he might not be Real Madrid quality but he isn’t bad either. He nearly won it against Villarreal with a last-minute chip. Alas, the ball ricocheted off the crossbar. He came up with big game performances against Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid earlier when Benzema was out with another injury. But, he hasn’t hit that high since that spell of form. Even then, he pumps a little more energy on the pitch compared to Ancelotti’s tactic of playing a false 9 in Isco or Asensio.
I understand why Ancelotti is hesitant on using Jovic more meaningfully. The man has been a ghost in a few of his starts. But even then, I think it’s extremely important for Jovic to play more. He should be the natural backup to Karim Benzema being a traditional striker and his every small performance will account for a tangible transfer fee. The more the figure is, the better it is for the club.