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The Italian head coach admitted that his side appear rather frail at the back and at such times would have to make do with better organisation and work rate.
Carlo Ancelotti. (AP Photo)
Real Madrid suffered a 1-3 hammering at the hands of AC Milan in the group stage encounter of the UEFA Champions League between the sides on Wednesday, just days after a schooling at home by arch-rivals Barcelona.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men, the holders of the elite European tournament, seem to be enduring a difficult spell, despite the arrival of long-term target Kylian Mbappe.
The Italian head coach admitted that his side appear rather frail at the back and at such times would have to make do with better organisation and work rate.
“The players have to take a step forward, and I have to with them,” Ancelotti said after Madrid’s defeat at the hands of Milan.
“When there’s no solidity, you have to have more organisation and work together,” he explained.
“I can’t say that the players are lazy, but we are not capable of working together efficiently, we can’t have this defensive level,” the 65-year-old said.
Real Madrid have been hampered by the injury to Dani Carvajal, while Eder Militao struggles to find form, much like the case of Ferland Mendy.
At such a time when the defence seems to be leaky, the fabled Madrid midfield would come to the fore providing cover as we have witnessed all these years.
However, the absence of retired midfielder Toni Kroos was felt by Los Blancos at such a juncture as the German could dictate the tempo of play when on the field.
Former Real Madrid player Jorge Valdano cited the same as some of the factors for a lack of balance in the capital city club.
“There is not much balance in the squad and I think Kroos’ departure was underestimated,” Valdano said.
“In the middle of the pitch is where the team is not finding balance, and Kroos’s presence was a cure, because he gave the team the patience they needed, and his mental speed when it was necessary to accelerate was useful,” the 69-year-old added.
“Madrid have lost many things without Kroos and they are not capable of compensating for that, not even with some of the best players in the world,” he added.
Real Madrid take on Osasuna in the La Liga on the 9th of November as the champions look to get back to winning ways after a challenging week.
