10 Biggest Issues Facing Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid
Despite scoring 18 goals in their last three matches, there are still plenty of issues that Real Madrid will need to face up to over the course of the season.
The league is only five games old and, to be honest, it would be strange if that wasn't the case.
Defeats to Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid revealed early on that the Galacticos v2.0 still have plenty to work on if they are to achieve success in a variety of competitions over the next nine months.
Fortunately, Carlo Ancelotti appears calm, in control and ready to tackle whatever is thrown at him.
Over the following slides, B/R takes a look at 10 issues facing the Italian this season.
Midfield Balance
1 of 10
At one point, it looked like Real Madrid would spend this season with more midfielders than they knew what to do with.
However, the departures of Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria and injury to Sami Khedira soon rectified that situation.
Carlo Ancelotti spent a lot of time seeking balance in midfield last season, eventually finding it thanks to Di Maria’s starring role through the middle, and it appears he's going to have to do the same this year.
Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are the obvious favourites, but that duo does offer weaknesses defensively.
Asier Illarramendi is much better in that regard, although he's unlikely to push either Modric or Kroos out of the side on a permanent basis just yet.
Keylor or Iker?
2 of 10
Things were straight forward last season.
Diego Lopez played in the league and Iker Casillas pulled on his gloves for the cup competitions.
This season, things are less straight forward.
Casillas had started every game until the hammering of Elche on Tuesday, during which Keylor Navas was handed his debut.
Moving forward, Ancelotti is offering no clues as to how he plans to use the two goalkeepers this season.
A lot of clubs now boast two top stoppers, so perhaps Madrid's boss simply plans to rotate them throughout the season, hoping that keeps them both alert and on their toes.
Tempering Expectations
3 of 10
One may imagine that after clinching La Decima—their 10th European Cup—Real Madrid would have been afforded a little leeway by their fans.
That hasn't been the case.
Iker Casillas and Karim Benzema have already been the target of hostility from supporters at the Bernabeu this season.
Being such a huge, proud club, that is part of the package.
Madrid's fans expect success, and they are right too. However, being a bit more understanding occasionally wouldn't go a miss.
It's Carlo Ancelotti's job to temper the expectations—without lowering them—and keep everyone behind the team.
Introducing Varane
4 of 10
As reported by Sport, Raphael Varane committed to a new long-term deal with Real Madrid recently.
The defender was a starter for France at the World Cup and has been involved in Los Blancos' recent games in the absence of Pepe.
However, last season it was apparent, partly due to injuries to Varane, that Carlo Ancelotti preferred Pepe and Sergio Ramos to pair up in the middle of his back four.
It's becoming more and more important that Varane plays regularly, though, as he is now 21 years old and doesn't benefit from sitting on the bench.
Pepe and Ramos haven't done a lot wrong, so Ancelotti needs to decide how to best manage the situation.
Rotation, as we are seeing Luis Enrique do with his defenders at Barcelona, is one solution, maybe the Italian coach can offer another?
Relationship with Perez
5 of 10
It's complete speculation, but it is always tempting to wonder how much say Carlo Ancelotti had in Real Madrid's transfers this summer.
Did he force through the signings of Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez?
Was he happy to let Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso walk away from the Bernabeu?
Florentino Perez is big on signing players for their names rather than their ability—not that they aren't all talented—and theories often abound that certain players have to play games.
On top of the possibility of having to pick big-name signings, Ancelotti needs to maintain the club’s form in the league and in Europe.
A poor run of form wouldn’t please Perez, who wouldn’t be afraid to pull the trigger on the Italian coach if he felt it was necessary.
Ancelotti needs to keep this relationship running smoothly, just to give him a bit of time to bed in his new players.
Ronaldo's Fitness
6 of 10
Seven goals in his last two games indicate, if there was any doubt, that Cristiano Ronaldo is still at the very top of his game.
But while there are no doubts over his ability, there are some over his fitness.
He struggled with injuries at the end of last season and then went on to participate in the World Cup with Portugal.
Injuries disrupted his start to the new season too, and he missed Madrid's defeat at Real Sociedad and Portugal's matches earlier this month.
It's evident he's not 100 per cent, so Carlo Ancelotti needs to make sure Ronaldo's desire to be involved in every minute of every match doesn't get in the way of common sense.
Priorities
7 of 10
Real Madrid have already competed for two trophies this season—winning the UEFA Super Cup and losing the Spanish version—and they still have another four to fight for over what will be a long campaign.
And while professionals never admit it, there will be priorities.
These usually lie in the form of La Liga and the Champions League, and this should once again be the case for Real Madrid.
Also up for grabs are the Copa del Rey and the World Club Cup, which takes place in Morocco in December.
Carlo Ancelotti needs to get it clear in his mind what the objectives are for this season.
Winning all four would be nice, but in reality one or two, depending on which one or two they are, would usually represent a good year's work.
Illarramendi and Isco
8 of 10
As with Raphael Varane, Carlo Ancelotti has two other talented young players desperate to be known as first-team regulars at Real Madrid.
Both Isco and Asier Illarramendi were given starts against Elche on Tuesday night; both impressed, too.
However, neither have been fortunate enough to feature regularly so far this season.
Illarramendi is behind Toni Kross and Luka Modric in the pecking order, while Isco has over £200 million of players in front of him: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez.
Both are young Spanish players, both arrived last summer at a cost of over £25 million each, so it is therefore important that both get their chance at the Bernabeu.
The departures of Alonso and Di Maria and Khedira's injury have aided their cause, now it's up to Ancelotti to take the next step.
Dressing-Room Equilibrium
9 of 10
Once upon a time, this was only an issue highlighted at a handful of clubs. It now seems any big club can suffer from dressing-room problems.
Some players are so pampered, so well paid and so egotistical these days, that fall outs are bound to happen.
At Madrid, you would imagine there is a clear hierarchy among the players.
The likes of Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos have been there for years and will feel they deserve their teammates’ respect, while Cristiano Ronaldo needs his colleagues to call him the world's best.
There are no major warning signs yet, but the rise of players such as Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez could potentially cause problems.
Carlo Ancelotti will have to keep a lid on that.
Jese Rodriguez's Return
10 of 10
After breaking into the first team at the beginning of the calendar year, Jese Rodriguez was beginning to look the real deal in a Real Madrid shirt.
He was everything the Bernabeu fans had craved: young, talented, exciting to watch and a goalscorer.
Unfortunately, for both him and them, he was set back by an injury just as he was beginning to impress on a regular basis.
That was in March.
It is now nearly October and the 21-year-old has still not been able to return to first-team action.
When he does make his comeback, Carlo Ancelotti is going to be held responsible for helping him reach the levels he was hitting at the beginning of the year.
With expensive and talented forward options already at his disposal, the Italian coach will have to find minutes for the home-grown player from somewhere.
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