Real Madrid bounced back to winning ways after a commanding second half against Deportivo Alaves at home in the league. While the first half was characteristic of how Real Madrid was playing their previous games, the second half breathed in new life and bore the men in white three goals. The passage of goals was started by Marco Asensio who scored his season’s best goal, followed by a brilliant move between Fede Valverde, Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema, and Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian found the finish and ended his eight-game goal drought. Later a penalty converted by Benzema sealed things for Madrid.
While the return to form might sound rosy but it isn’t just yet that frustrated Madridistas would take back all their complaints they have been having about the new manager, Carlo Ancelotti. As such, here are three such things that the Italian manager should know by now but frustratingly he seems to turn a blind eye every time these issues are contested upon.
3. Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga should be regular pieces in Ancelotti’s rotation tactics
The first thing Carlo Ancelotti must have realized by now is the tremendous quality of the two young midfielders he has on his bench. Both Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga made into our list of players that the manager should trust more. As such, these two should be regular rotational pieces in the Italian Manager’s books.
But, here is the problem. Ancelotti has been hesitant to rotate his squad. He clearly has a preferred starting set of players and these players are taking the pitch every passing Matchday. It was only against Alaves that things changed, only in terms of Valverde starting the game. The young Uruguayan clearly showed why he should be rewarded with more starts in the coming games.
Camavinga on the other hand made a case good enough through his opportunities in the Copa del Rey. The 19-year old is ready to start against opponents of varying caliber. With Carlos Casemiro suspended for the home leg against PSG in the Champions League, he’ll have to step up. I predict a big game start in the loading for the young Frenchman.
2. Key players cannot be risked or overused
The second thing that Ancelotti should’ve realized by now is related to the first issue I discussed in the previous slide. Since the manager is hesitant to rotate his squad, key players like Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, etc. are playing every passing game making them more likely to feel the effects of fatigue.
Players like Karim Benzema and David Alaba already had been sidelined by injuries this season and Real Madrid simply cannot afford to lose any of its key campaigners. Benzema was clearly not fit enough to start against PSG, nor was he fit enough to play the complete 90 minutes against Alaves. But, he did and Real Madrid continued to live at risk.
This is the business end of the season. And, the two competitions Real Madrid are alive in, LaLiga and the Champions League, aren’t competitions that can be taken lightly. Real has opened up a considerable gap at the top of the standings but so did Atletico Madrid by the midway mark last season. And, we all know how that went down, the league crown was in question until the very last Matchday. If Real Madrid wants to avoid such a situation Ancelotti needs to limit overrunning his key players.
And, the solution to it is the one thing Ancelotti hasn’t done well this season, squad rotation. He has more than capable players on the bench and he needs to trust these players. The midfield especially has players capable of starting big games. In the attack, Eden Hazard, in my opinion, has made more than just a considerable case for a start. The defense, one may argue is a bit undermanned, but, Ancelotti has Nacho Fernandez at his disposal. Moreover, Castilla man, Rafa Marin should also be trusted with first-team minutes.
Last but not the least, if Ancelotti cannot really muster the courage to start his bench players, he should at least rectify the substitution policy. Most of Real Madrid’s substitutes have come on after the 75-minute mark. Pushing that figure to 70 could get these players a 20-minute rest at the end of games. Injury-prone players like Dani Carvajal or recovering players like Karim Benzema are in dire need of the same.
1. Marco Asensio shouldn’t be the regular starter at RW
The most apparent thing that should’ve been crystal clear to Ancelotti by now is that Marco Asensio shouldn’t be Real Madrid’s first choice at right-wing. Although rotation is a bigger issue and it can put the season in jeopardy if any one of our key campaigners picks up a lengthy injury problem, the issue that has been raising all fans’ eyebrows but not Ancelotti’s is the recurring starts Marco Asensio is getting.
Asensio is a ghost for most part of the games he plays in. He is absolutely anonymous against strong defenses, his work rate is below par, and he cannot track back in time to support the defense. He is blessed with a sweet left foot and has been scoring golazos from time to time, with the latest and his best one of the season coming in the last game against Alaves.
As my colleague, Sai says, Asensio doesn’t perform until and unless his complacency is questioned. In the last game, it was the whistling fans that compelled him to score and at other times it’s his manager favoring other players ahead of him. That shouldn’t ever be the case with a player who is about to enter his prime years. The hunger for more should grow in him naturally rather than being dependent on external factors pushing him. His goal scoring has also been in response to the pending contract extension that is in question for the Spaniard.
In my opinion, Eden Hazard should be the one starting in place of Asensio. He has made a case with his flashes of brilliance off the bench. He scored a decisive goal against Elche in the Copa del Rey and he has been brilliant creatively in the last games that he has appeared in as a substitute. He at least has convinced me enough to try giving him a chance. Moreover, Asensio was simply anonymous against PSG, and starting him in the second leg could be a mistake that comes back to haunt Carlo Ancelotti.