Since his return to Real Madrid in the 2021/22 season, Carlo Ancelotti has helped lead a number of player to the best seasons of their careers.
Players like Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham among others have had their best seasons when it comes to goal, assists and overall quality of play, thanks in part to Carlo Ancelotti and his coaching both on and off the pitch.
However, on the opposite side of that coin there are also players who have been stunted in their years under Ancelotti at Real Madrid. A number of players have seen their minutes drop in favor of others which has caused their performance quality to also drop when their name is called on.
With the writing pretty much on the wall for Ancelotti, there are many at the club who could do with a fresh face leading the squad, let's look at three players in particular who could benefit from Ancelotti's departure.
Arda Guler could use more time at Real Madrid
The Turkish international's time under Ancelotti last season was hit or miss. However, this year it has taken a turn. In his first season at Real Madrid last year Guler was hampered at times by injuries but when he did get his minutes, while sometimes limited, he made the most out of them, showing he has what it takes to play for a team the size of Real Madrid.
However, this season, Guler has seen his minutes slashed drastically. While some of that could be attributed to the sheer amount of attacking depth, the starting attackers have seen stretches of poor form where Ancelotti could make a switch for a game or two and insert Guler into the starting lineup, but he is too stubborn to try something other than his pre-determined plan.
The 20-year-old has only made a handful of appearances this season, which at such a young age could massively impact his future growth. A new coach coming in who believes in his young players would be a huge benefit to Guler and his future at Los Blancos.
We have already seen just how good Guler has been in this deep-lying, Modric-type role that Ancelotti has put him in against Barcelona and Getafe, and even though it was Ancelotti, I think Guler would look for another manager to further enhance his game and mintues.
Endrick has been decent, but another coach might elevate his game
Endrick is another player in the same boat as Guler. When he arrived this past summer many knew it was going to be tough for the teenager to get in the team over the likes of Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, and Rodrygo, but many expected to see more from Endrick than what Ancelotti has given us.
Much like Guler, the Brazilian has only made a handful of appearances this season, most of which are in the dying minutes of stoppage time in games. However, when he has been given quality minutes, he has shown his potential, scoring in all of his La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey debuts.
He deserves more minutes in the starting lineup when one of the first choice attackers is failing to produce the goods but Ancelotti doesn't have the trust in his youngsters even when their show their true potential. A new coach like a Xabi Alonso who gives youngsters minutes would be a breath of fresh air to a player who could have a bright future at Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappe could be even better
Lastly we have Kylian Mbappe, which may sound like a strange choice given the incredible debut season the Frenchman is currently having but he is still feeling the effects of Ancelotti's stubborn tactics.
Mbappe would could potentially be having ten times the season he is having if Ancelotti would allow him to play in his preferred left wing position, but with Ancelotti favoring Vinicius Jr in that position it has caused the attacking line to be disheveled at times with Mbappe struggling to adapt to a more traditional number nine role.
If Real Madrid want to get the best out of their marquee man, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try switching Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, or using a 4-4-2 that could help both of them out, like it did against Barcelona. But Ancelotti keeps refusing to make that a consistent theme.