If trophies are the currency by which Real Madrid managers buy themselves time at the club, then Carlo Ancelotti should in theory have plenty of credit in the bank, after two Champions Leagues in three years. The Italian is not naive enough to think that failure to lift La Liga will not result in his sacking at the end of the year though – he might want to think about taking out a loan.
Real Madrid were favourites for the Champions League at the start of the season, and heavy favourites for La Liga, an estimation powered by the arrival of the man many believe to be the best forward in football, Kylian Mbappe. Yet neutrals have been given far too many reasons to acquire Real Madrid tickets in recent months, at least as far as President Florentino Perez is concerned.
In the Champions League, Real Madrid came up short, unable to trouble Arsenal greatly. The fact they sit second in the table, four points behind Barcelona, combined with their lack of performance as much as anything in Europe, is a major cause for concern. Since returning to the club for a second spell, Ancelotti has managed to get the best out of his forward line, while spending most of his coaching attention on building out a defensive system that allows them freedom and keeps Los Blancos solid.
Injuries to David Alaba (now working his way back to sharpness), Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, combined with a drop in form from Ferland Mendy has forced him to work with a much shakier backline than usual though. Combine that with the loss of Toni Kroos last summer, holding the ball and ensuring a degree of control in the game – a logical solution – has become an equally difficult task.
It looked as if Dani Ceballos might help alleviate both issues, showing defensive aggression and composure with the ball. Yet his injury – he too is working his way back – leaves Ancelotti with arguably his trickiest puzzle yet in charge of Real Madrid as he tries to hang onto his job. With little time to coach a solution around these issues, and no obvious answers within their squad, Ancelotti will be forced into invention in the final six weeks of the year.
While the Italian is adaptable and did come up with a genius use of Jude Bellingham last season, he has thrived on extracting the quality out of the world’s best players, and providing the necessary stability for them to do so. Now, with a squad that does not have the players many would consider necessary for success on all fronts, Ancelotti will be tested in a way he hasn’t been before at Real Madrid.