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.
4. Eduardo Camavinga
Up next on the list we have a nineteen-year-old midfielder who has been impressing the Bernabeu faithful with his tricks and composure on the ball. I am of course talking about Eduardo Camavinga. At just nineteen years of age, Camavinga has looked like one of the most promising prospects in football and I am not just talking about midfielders.
However, he wouldn’t get a very high position on this list for a few reasons. Firstly, he is much more trusted by Carlo Ancelotti compared to the players that are yet to follow on the list. The need however is to show a little more trust in the youngster and start him against top oppositions as well. One such start looks to be loading for Camavinga as he’d be the one who needs to step up for Casemiro’s absence from the second leg fixture against PSG.
Camavinga has so far been entrusted with the super-sub role. No doubt, he has been impressive for the limited time that we’ve seen him play but I somehow feel he has earned a start in games against teams like Villarreal or Valencia instead of being slabbed to clubs like Alaves and Mallorca.
We’ve talked about this earlier and I will say this again. It is a dangerous policy to operate any given position without decent backup. And, if the management instills it in the head of a player that he is only fit to start against weaker oppositions, it makes a huge psychological impact when he’s called to action all of a sudden against a big club like PSG. I am sure that isn’t the case with Camavinga who has looked like a player with tremendous mentality and maturity. A big start is surely likely and I hope he convinces Ancelotti to use him more often and not just as a wild card off the bench.
3. Eden Hazard
On number three, we have a player who, like Luka Jovic, seems to be on his way out of the club very soon. He was the marquee signing, someone who was brought in as a replacement to the great Cristiano Ronaldo and was given his number 7 shirt. Alas, the two have written very different stories during their time with the club. I am talking about Real Madrid’s Belgian number 7, Eden Hazard.
When I move to the top three, I mean serious business. When I say Eden Hazard should be trusted more, I say so because he has impressed me with his efforts recently. I think he should be the one starting in place of Marco Asensio on the right flank alongside Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior.
Hazard has dropped a few astute performances lately. First, he won the game for Real Madrid against Elche in the Copa del Rey last 16 stages with an extra-time goal, finished from yards away from a tight angle after rounding the keeper. Then, he played well against Elche in the very next game in the league.
It was after this when the problem began. Firstly, Rodrygo Goes has been an inconsistent player for Real Madrid. He seems to take two steps back whenever he takes a step forward. Hazard could’ve started the game against Athletic Club in the Copa instead he was left as an unused substitute in a game that required more attacking initiative.
In the next game, Ancelotti had to swallow his pride and bring on Hazard with 25 minutes remaining. Even in so little time, he was able to place two key passes and create opportunities. I agree, Marco Asensio won that game for Real Madrid but he was a ghost for 70 minutes. Relatively, Hazard made the most of his 25 minutes.
Fast forward to the next game, Asensio gets his start. And, it is beyond me to tell you why. Eden Hazard again gets only eight minutes to play even then he places a key pass, completes a cross, and manages to create a big scoring chance. Guess who starts against PSG? Right, Asensio. It simply cannot continue in this manner, if Real Madrid is to win another trophy this season, Carlo Ancelotti will have to trust his squad. Eden Hazard should be a good player to start with. If we end up bottling LaLiga, I guess this season will hurt more than the last one which went trophyless under Zinedine Zidane.
2. Miguel Gutierrez
On number two, we have the Castilla sensation, Miguel Gutierrez. Gutierrez had put the Spanish stage on fire towards the end of last season with a brilliant assist for Luka Modric at Los Carmenes. That was the highlight so far but his overall play had been brilliant. In absence of Ferland Mendy with Marcelo’s receding form, Gutierrez put his best foot forward to close the season off, fighting until the last day to defend their league crown.
The story extended itself at the start of the new season as well. He played really well in the opening games when Ferland Mendy was still injured. But, since the Frenchman’s return, he hasn’t been a regular with the squad. There have been problems, he contracted COVID and had running injury problems but now seems like the right time for him to return to first-flight action.
I think it is very much visible that Real Madrid is in desperate need of a new Spanish base of players. And, homegrown talents are always the better route to follow. The squad has sometimes looked disjointed from Real Madrid’s core values. And I think channeling your own Academy players is a great way to keep the club ideals and values always intact. FC Barcelona seems to be doing something similar under Xavi Hernandez for example.
I think Miguel Gutierrez could be the face of this transition. He has what it takes to excel at the highest level which is why there has been transfer interest around the prodigy. Moreover, Real Madrid cannot continue relying upon the out-of-favor legs of Marcelo or for that matter the makeshift legs of Nacho. That should be the club’s best resort in case of a crisis. Especially when there is someone like Miguel Gutierrez ready for selection.
I also think Carlo Ancelotti hasn’t shown much trust or interest in the Academy players unlike Zidane did last season. It led to the discovery of Miguel Gutierrez who made a name for himself in world football in such limited times. Carlo Ancelotti should do the needful in that department. There are capable players like Rafa Marin and Peter Gonzalez who can come in handy for Real Madrid.
1. Fede Valverde
No, the player on the first spot isn’t someone from Castilla who has low chances of playing in the top flight. Rather, it is someone who has well proven his worth to Real Madrid with his performances in the past. He is someone who enjoyed a regular role under Zinedine Zidane and he showed on the pitch why he deserved that much importance within the squad. Alas, this season, he hasn’t been half the player he used to be. I am talking about one of Real Madrid’s most passionate young players, Federico Valverde.
Fede Valverde’s record looks very bad this season. In 19 appearances in the league that includes 11 starts, he just has one assist to show for a direct goal involvement. Nor is he standing out passing-wise. He has only been good with his defensive contribution and that is alarming for a 23-year-old who earlier seemed to be on an upward growth curve.
Valverde has had one brilliant moment in the season so far and that was when he scored the winner in the semifinal of the Spanish Supercup. That is the only goal he has scored in the season. Moreover, he has looked very rusty, to say the least. There is something fundamentally wrong with him and I think it is the tactics Carlo Ancelotti has been deploying.
It limits Valverde’s natural gameplay which is more about carrying the ball out of deeper positions and setting up attacks after a controlled buildup. He isn’t accustomed to a high-pace counter-attacking game. He is good with counters, I am sure you will remember the part he played in Benzema’s opener in last season’s second Clasico in the league. It is just that playing with a high line, cramping for space, and operating on a higher pace all of the time isn’t suiting him.
Another reason is the scarce playing time. Naturally, he’d be the second choice in midfield given the combination of Kroos, Modric and Casemiro is a league apart. But, he hasn’t even been used rotationally. Most of his starts were from the beginning of the season when Kroos was out with injury. Since then, he has only started against weaker defenses and that needs to stop.
If a young player is already making a transition from his natural style of play to suit a new manager’s tactics, he’d need frequent game time to adjust. That hasn’t been the case with Valverde. He isn’t someone capable of starting only against weaker opponents, which has been proven for seasons now. He should rather be a regular rotational piece in the midfield and thus, he is the one whom Carlo Ancelotti needs to show his trust the most.