3 Real Madrid players who need to start more often
Carlo Ancelotti has been heavily chastised at Real Madrid for having a fixed group of favourite players, a predetermined approach, and no plan B. His team’s anti-rotation stance is ludicrous, with no logic, and was completely exposed against Barcelona, as the club faced a disaster against their most intense rivals at home in front of the most ardent fans.
The reaction has been so virulent that the manager now has more people against him than those backing him, which I believe is quite justified. He does not spare an eye towards the exceptional players available to him on the bench. Players like Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale have been fit for a while now but have played almost no minutes while also collecting mammoth salaries from the club.
The month of April will be significant for Real since it features four of the nine remaining La Liga matchups that will determine the league title winners, as well as both legs of the Champions League tie with Chelsea FC.
These games should not be compromised in any way, and in order to win them all, some players must be given a chance by Ancelotti, and the Italian coach must go beyond his favourite players in the team.
In this article, we will discuss three such players who deserve to play more than what they have been given and who might be key in achieving a favourable outcome in all of these crucial games.
1. Fede Valverde
Benching Fede Valverde virtually all of the 2021/22 season is, in my opinion, Ancelotti’s worst move in his second tenure at Real Madrid. There appears to be no reason why Valverde should not play among other regular players.
It could be argued that there appears to be little room for the Uruguayan to fit between the irreplaceable trio of Kroos-Casemiro-Modric, but there is no way he couldn’t even be incorporated in the absence of Kroos or Modric during their injuries, but Ancelotti, quite surprisingly, just doesn’t give him the starts he deserves, with or without the famed trio.
Last season, Valverde was fantastic under Zinedine Zidane, filling almost every vacuum in the team. He excelled in all areas, playing in his normal position as a midfielder, winger in the absence of Vinicius/Hazard, and even right back when Carvajal was hurt.
Valverde brings to the squad something that perhaps no one else can. His ability to carry the team’s attack with pace, dribbles, penetrative passes, and advancement with the ball is incredibly praiseworthy and distinctive.
His participation in Real Madrid’s epic comeback against PSG was critical, yet he went mostly overlooked. A table might be created comparing the benefits and drawbacks of starting Valverde earlier in the season, and I don’t believe there would be any points under the latter cover.
The 23-year-devotion old’s to the club is well known, and he is prepared to go to any length to bring glory to the Bernabeu. The only thing left to do to free this beast is to give him the playtime he deserves and witness the magic happen.