Carlo Ancelotti on Real Madrid’s leadership issues and how they will beat the high press

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has assured that little by little the apparent lack of leadership in his squad is being resolved. With the departure of Toni Kroos, Joselu Mato and Nacho Fernández in the summer, a lot of veteran experience was lost. The problem has been aggravated by the injuries of David Alaba and Dani Carvajal.

At the very least, David Alaba seems willing to return from injury, with the presence of veterans at Real Madrid greatly reduced compared to last season. Antonio Rudiger, Lucas Vázquez, Ferland Mendy, Luka Modric and Thibaut Courtois have extensive experience, but it seems that they are not characters who have so much weight in adversity.

“We talked about it at the beginning of the season. The young players had to take on more responsibilities and from one day to the next they are doing so. Little by little. It is not something immediate, it is built day by day. Furthermore, Carvajal’s injury has affected us a lot. There is also Alaba, who usually takes on that leadership responsibility. And this has advanced the process of young players.”

It has also been pointed out that Real Madrid were suffocated by Athletic Club and Liverpool in their two recent defeats, as both pressed high on their defensive line.

“It is true that Liverpool and Athletic are very brave teams. To solve this you have to play more directly. With the players we have we have to play differently. Look for the second ball, when it falls. It is the simplest way. Long ball and fight for the second ball. This is what can be done in the future, not forcing the start from behind too much. We have played Champions League finals with this system. I learned this very well in England.”

“The long ball is another part of football. For us the second ball is also important. Because if you don’t have tall forwards, the second ball, when it falls, is also important. The center backs can win the first one, but the important thing is when the ball falls.”

Ancelotti has at times been accused of lacking the intelligence of some of his counterparts, and a more obvious answer may not sit well with the local press. Rightly or wrongly, many senior managers are training their teams to play under high pressure rather than run under it, although Ancelotti’s approach is no doubt conditioned by the players at his disposal.