Post
Topic
Board Gambling discussion
Re: UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Season
by
Mame89
on 21/08/2025, 16:31:12 UTC
I can't deny that Barcelona has an enviable system , in part I recognize that they have a great coach who took that system and has been perfecting it , the fact of advancing lines and leaving everything to the attack is a game that I have always liked , but let's remember that Ancelotti is Italian  and for Ancelotti it was the defense , but he didn't have the material , therefore appealing to his game against one as attacking as Barcelona's last season , the difference was very noticeable.

Real Madrid weren't suffering from injury woes alone but also they had a manager last season who was poor tactically. I also hate that a lot of football fans have refused to say and point this out like they do with managers like Erik ten Hag. Ancelotti saw his best defenders injured quite correct and also he was tactically poor last season. Two truths can exist, it's difficult to accept but this is pure facts and I don't lie.

I think you made a valid point here. Despite the injuries the team was suffering, Ancelotti also had some serious tactical shortcomings last season. Though the injuries which were suffered by the club was a major setback for their performance but if it was a coach which is a great tactician, he would have find his way to adjust and posses the remaining players to fit in the lapses, I have known him with such abilities in the past before it really got bad, but I guess people are not talking about Ancelotti the way they will ordinarily attack the likes of Ten Hag because of the respect he commands and his highly commended track record but truth is, a spade should be called a spade when it's recognised.
Ancelotti is an undeniably great coach due to his success at various clubs. He even managed to deliver several UCL trophies to Real Madrid. However, as you said, Ancelotti's greatness certainly has its weaknesses, and one weakness is his inability to rotate players; in other words, his lack of trust in young players. When a coach rarely rotates players, it inevitably leads to injuries, and that happened last season with Real Madrid.

Furthermore, when key players are injured, he also lacks trust in young players. For example, when several defenders are injured, he forces midfielders into full-back positions, even though he has the option to call up academy players to cover for the injured players. This is Ancelotti's weakness: his lack of trust in young players. This is in contrast to Xabi Alanso, who is bold and gives young players opportunities. So, I think with Xabi's philosophy, Real Madrid will be a serious contender for the UCL this season.