Criticism of Iker Casillas Underlines Mounting Pressure on Carlo Ancelotti
As Tiago nodded home Atletico Madrid's opener against Real Madrid from Koke's corner on Saturday, Iker Casillas' feet were much like Carlo Ancelotti's typical demeanour: unmoved.
Seemingly cemented to the goal line, the veteran Spaniard remained almost motionless, watching Tiago's header—an action that occurred barely two yards from the goalkeeper—flash by his right hand.
The moment was pure Atletico—11 of the team's last 14 league goals have come from headers, with nine of those 11 the result of set pieces, per BBC Sport.
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Perhaps more significant, though, was the pressure the blow placed upon Casillas and Ancelotti amid Real Madrid's rapidly disintegrating supremacy.
Just 115 days ago, Real's captain held aloft Europe's most coveted prize, his team having swept aside the continent's best on the way to La Decima. On Saturday, Casillas was whistled off the pitch, Ancelotti couldn't conjure the answers and Los Blancos slumped to their third defeat in four games.
That it's Casillas who's most under fire is emblematic of the downward spiral and array of issues currently gripping Ancelotti's team.
For so long, "San Iker" has stood as a pillar of stability at the Bernabeu, one of the few lasting sources of steadiness at a club where such a commodity has scarcely existed.
For Vicente del Bosque, Carlos Queiroz, Fabio Capello, Bernd Schuster and Manuel Pellegrini, Casillas' reliability was an opposing force to the overwhelming insecurity that surrounds managers at Real Madrid.
But the 33-year-old appears to have lost his nerve, lacking both conviction and presence, unable to deliver that same security to Ancelotti.
"If they think they should whistle you have to respect their opinions," Casillas said after Saturday's loss to Atletico, per BBC Sport. "You have to accept some of the blame."
Giving way to Keylor Navas is likely to form some of that acceptance.
Tellingly, Ancelotti hasn't been a picture of composure in recent games. Typically inexpressive on the sideline, considerably more winces and frustrated gestures have been seen from the Italian, highlighting the perception that all is not well in the Spanish capital.
In addition to the concerns surrounding Casillas, Ancelotti faces the unenviable task of trying to piece back together a dismantled lineup.
As is the way at Real Madrid under Florentino Perez, indispensable cogs were again discarded this summer, following the acquisition of more superstar names to boost corporate interest in a wider array of markets.
But on a weekend in which James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos couldn't propel the world's most influential club past their crosstown rivals, Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso played leading roles in victories for Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
"We have a great squad. Maybe we no longer have a great team," said former Real Madrid defender Manolo Sanchis on the weekend, per Ben Hayward of Goal.
It couldn't have been described more neatly.
Ancelotti, of course, will be well aware of how fragile a manager's existence is at the Bernabeu—if he can't use Rodriguez and Kroos to steer Los Blancos to success, Perez will find another unfortunate soul who's willing to try.
Yet, unless the dynamic—something Casillas alluded to—shifts, unless the team's problems are addressed in the January transfer window, it must be questioned whether Ancelotti is fighting an unwinnable battle.
Los Blancos' boss will have undoubtedly observed the balance at Diego Simeone's disposal, as Atletico scrapped another victory over their infinitely more powerful neighbours on Saturday. In Tiago and Gabi, Atleti have an almost immovable midfield shield, complemented by the more creative Koke and versatile Raul Garcia on either side.
Such a blend gives Los Rojiblancos that mix of tenacity and substance that continues to define their triumphs.
Conversely, in Rodriguez, Kroos, Luka Modric and Isco, Ancelotti has a delicate string quartet but no one to bang the drums.
"There's nothing wrong with the system, it's the lack of intensity," the manager said defiantly after Saturday's defeat, according to Miles Chambers of Goal. "It hasn't been a good start to the season, but it's just the start. We'll sort things out."
While that self-assurance and calm manner are characteristic of Ancelotti, there might soon come a point when even he doesn't believe such words.
"I can understand this little collective panic we are having because we are letting in a lot of goals," Casillas added after the clash with Atletico. "Between us we have to solve a problem that is getting worse and worse."
Casillas and Ancelotti, however, might soon find themselves stripped of the responsibility for finding the solution.
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