Carlo Ancelotti's Diesel-Like Real Madrid Need to Move Through the Gears Again

It was mid-September. Real Madrid, despite having captured the UEFA Super Cup to claim their third title of 2014, had suddenly struck unexpected difficulty. 

After seeing the Spanish Super Cup head across town to the Vicente Calderon, the European champions laboured to an uninspiring victory over lowly Cordoba. Next, they found themselves on the receiving end of an embarrassing come-from-behind 4-2 thrashing in Basque country to Real Sociedad. 

In the days that followed, it would get worse. Real Madrid lost 2-1 at home to Atletico Madrid at the Bernabeu, marking the first time Los Blancos had lost back-to-back league games at home to Atletico in their history. 

The mood surrounding Real Madrid was one of agitation. But manager Carlo Ancelotti didn't budge. Not once. Never one to lose his cool, the Italian remained remarkably calm as tension surrounded the club and its players.

It simply didn't seem to bother him that Iker Casillas and Karim Benzema were being whistled at inside the Bernabeu. Or that the departures of Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso were being widely lamented. Or that president Florentino Perez's transfer activity had become a lightning rod for criticism. Or that the squad looked unbalanced. Or that Cristiano Ronaldo looked frustrated and hurt. 

None of it seemed to bother Ancelotti. Characteristically unmoved, his message was clear: "The team is working hard and one thing for sure is that the team is a diesel," the manager told Il Giornale during the height of the tension, per Reuters.

Ancelotti, by using such a term, was clearly in the belief that his side, despite being slow starters, would rapidly hit top speed once they'd found their groove. 

At the time, it was hard to know what to make of the remark. Was it just his typical diplomacy at work? His customary method to put out a fire?

But it didn't take long for his line to be proved correct. Absolutely. One hundred percent. 

Twenty-two straight victories and yet another title emphatically justified the Italian's stance. 

Christophe Ena/Associated Press

Interestingly, Ancelotti's description of this Real Madrid team as a "diesel" has been proven accurate once more. While Los Blancos have shown us they can gather speed in a hurry, they've again shown us they're slow out of the blocks. 

Since lifting the Club World Cup just before Christmas, Ancelotti's men have stumbled to two straight losses since enjoying a 10-day break. Of course, the first was an inconsequential friendly, but the second was an important clash in La Liga against a rejuvenated Valencia outfit. 

At the Mestalla on Sunday, Nuno Espirito Santo's side caught this Real Madrid diesel stuck in first gear. Abandoning caution, the hosts utilised a daring 3-5-2 system that unsettled their esteemed guests, throwing a different look at a napping Real Madrid outfit and reaping an enormous reward. 

Though the clash was frantic and, on another day, could have seen a vastly different result with better finishing from the capital club, Ancelotti's men, in their slow-starting habits, couldn't establish a sense of control in the frenzied Mestalla—the defence breached, the midfield outnumbered, the attack curiously subdued.

Nothing like what we'd seen prior to the break. 

In truth, the loss isn't a cause for concern or knee-jerk reactions. The performance hardly so, either. But it just reinforced the sense once more that Real Madrid is in fact a diesel—that it takes time for this outfit to get going from a standing start. 

Alberto Saiz/Associated Press

As such, we're entering a fascinating period in Real Madrid's season. In the next month, the Spanish powerhouse faces Diego Simeone's ferocious Atletico Madrid three times—once in the league and across two legs in the Copa del Rey, the first of which is on Wednesday at the Vicente Calderon.

In between is a meeting with a strong Sevilla side, while the club's Champions League campaign will resume 10 days after the third clash with their crosstown title rivals. 

After being so dominant for so long, enjoying the pace in sixth gear, this Real Madrid diesel must now negotiate a difficult month while working their way through the gears and back up to their previous speed.

Such a process may also require some minor adjustments. Soon to return from injury, Luka Modric will need to be reincorporated into the XI, leaving Ancelotti with a decision to make regarding Isco and possibly Gareth Bale. The manager may also need to devise a response to the unsettling method used by Valencia, should other strong sides in Spain look to replicate Nuno's tactical approach from Sunday. 

And speaking of replication, La Liga's leaders will want to replicate the response they conjured when they last lost two straight: A storming run to 22 consecutive victories. Completed flat out in top gear.

For his part, Ancelotti feels confident they can. 

"Today's defeat was going to happen sooner or later," the manager told a news conference after Sunday's loss, per ESPN FC. "We are well placed in La Liga. We are in a lot of competitions. This defeat will not affect us because behind the scenes we are working very well.

"We have been doing well up until now, and we will do well again after this defeat. We should not forget what we have done."

Frankly, it's hard to argue with Ancelotti; Real Madrid has looked like a diesel before and is looking like one again. 

The interest now, after showing they need to get off the line once more, centres on how quickly the club moves through the gears in what looks to be a testing month ahead. 

Follow @TimDCollins