Real Madrid Manager Carlo Ancelotti said he was happy to shoulder the blame for their derby defeat to Real Madrid, but he criticism has been rather heavy.
The local press have pointed the finger firmly at Ancelotti as the largest issue, casting doubt on his changes ahead of the match, and upon his setup in general.
The latest reports are that Ancelotti has lost the confidence of President Florentino Perez, and they are already lining up his replacement this summer. Just as concerning, Diario AS say that on Monday the atmosphere at the Valdebebas training ground was unusual, as doubts grow about Ancelotti’s new diamond system, which until then had brought Los Blancos a 100% record.
In addition to the formation itself, Real Madrid continue to concede early goals, are struggling to score themselves unless Jude Bellingham pitches in, and the likes of Fede Valverde and Rodrygo Goes are struggling to flourish in the current setup.
Relevo also back this information up, highlighting many of the same issues as points of contention with Ancelotti’s new system. In addition, they note the weaknesses out wide defensively, and the fact that outside of Bellingham, the rest of the attack has struggled to adapt.
Ancelotti is not in any immediate danger of the sack, so he will have a chance to prove his system can work in the coming games, but the Italian will have to make a call on whether he risks losing the dressing room if he does continue with it. One of the things that has worked in Ancelotti’s favour over the past two seasons has been the favourable atmosphere in the dressing room, but that looks to be in question now.
It should also be noted that Real Madrid have lost just one of their opening 7 games, winning the other six. While performances have been far from stellar, the Los Blancos are also missing a number of starters in Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois and Dani Carvajal.