A tactical look at what to expect from Ancelotti's Madrid

For all of Jose Mourinho's bluster and histrionics, he couldn't deliver a Champions League trophy to Madrid. So which other manager has won 2 champions leagues this past decade? Step forth, Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti is as different from Mourinho as can be. A rather modest presence and arguably the most successful coach in European competition this century. This feature endeavours to provide an insight into his tactics and what little we can glean about what to expect at Real Madrid.

The one major difference however when compared to Mourinho is his successful career as a profession footballer. To be a contemporary of Gullit, Baresi, Van Basten and also a favourite of a certain Arrigo Sacchi would indicate a certain level of inherent tactical nous. His goal in Milan's 5-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in 1989 was indicative of the fantastic ability he possessed. Good at shooting and comfortable in possession.

He started his managerial career in Italy by getting Reggiana promoted to Serie A and moved on to a hugely talented Parma side after. His tactics? a Sachi-esque 4-4-2 with an obsessive penchant for positional discipline.  A runner up place was followed by a fifth place finish. Soon after, he moved to Lippi's rather succesful  Juventus and finished runner up twice. He rather famously missed out the opportunity to sign The Divine Ponytail or Roberto Di Baggio because of his adherence to the system at Parma. At Juventus, however he deployed a 3-4-1-2 that allowed Zidane the freedom that would have been unthinkable in a 4-4-2.

His old club Milan beckoned and in 2001, he took on the mantle there. he began his reign at a disjointed Milan team with a 4-3-2-1 and when criticized publicly by Berlusconi of his defensive nature, he switched to a 4-3-1-2. Strikers in the early part of the decade were still primarily goal poachers rather than all round players who could create a bit too. This criticism is however responsible for the coming to fore of the regista role. Andrea Pirlo was a trequartista for the Italy u-21 side then and was transferred in from Inter where he had failed to break into the first team.

At Brescia, his parent club, he had been deployed in a creative role at the base of midfield because of Di Baggio playing a 10. Ancelotti did the same and the modern regista was born. A deep lying playmaker, providing creativity from the base of midfield. Ancelotti's Milan side is lauded as one of the finest of the decade and it's most notable feature is the CL success in 2003 and 2007, and if Liverpool hadn't come back from the dead, there could have been one more.

This side was arguably a complete reversal from his initial adherence to his system when starting out as a manager. The team managed to pack in three or four gifted playmakers at a time with names such as Kaka, Pirlo, Seedorf, Rui Costa supported by more functional players such as Gattuso and Ambrosini. See the problem? there's no genuine width there. Cafu's tireless running complemented by the occasional drifting out from the midfield or forward players provided whatever smattering of width could be found. Kaka was later pushed up to a striking role with their CL 2007 win standing as the pinnacle of this team. However, despite being probably the best team in European Competition, he managed just one Serie A title at Milan.

His time at Chelsea despite doing the double was fraught with formational experiments from 4-3-3 to a 4-3-1-2 and it could be said that it was a team that relied more on gifted individuals rather than a solid tactical base. Finishing second was enough for him to be fired and nouveau riche PSG beckoned. His PSG team was again a mass of gifted individuals that had to be shoehorned in the same system. To the best of my knowledge, he has employed a 4-3-2-1 and a 4-4-2 most notably in the CL tie against Barcelona.

At Madrid, there is a good chance that he will continue with Mourinho's 4-2-3-1 and adapt as he deems fit. An interesting thing here is to note that the fact that Ancelotti hasn't played in a 4-2-3-1 very often so it will be interesting to see if he finally deploys it. It is known that he had wanted Modric at PSG and he could be expected to take on a more prominent role. At whose expense? Khedira is arguably the most capable of being a midfield enforcer. Alonso is as pure a regista as could be. Also, with the signing of Isco, Ancelotti finds himself surrounded by gifted midfielders. So who does he leave out?

Isco, Ozil, Alonso, Khedira, Modric will all believe that they have chances of making the starting midfield. Ancelotti could however go one step further and introduce a 4-3-1-2 or a 4-3-2-1. The issues with these formations is that they compromise width. Marcelo/Coentrao and Carvajal/Arbeloa will be tasked with a massive workload. Ronaldo would have to play more centrally though and Angel Di Maria along with Callejon could find themselves having not much of a part to play in such a formation.

The transfer window has just started however and Madrid's pursuit of Bale may well be successful. To fit in Bale and Ronaldo is to play a 4-2-3-1 and Ancelotti may continue with Mourinho's system. If Bale does arrive, Callejon and Di Maria will suffer, again. One important thing to note here is the simple fact that he is a mild mannered, modest manager who is influenced by opinions. Expect Casillas to be handed his starting place back. Also, Ramos's occasional positional indiscipline and impetuousness is something that Ancelotti will not overlook as easily as Mourinho did. Combined with the more explosive Pepe, they both are not sure-fire starters. Varane should continue along with one of the two and expect Raul Albiol to be given a few chances too. Ramos could return to right back but with Arbeloa and Carvajal as competition, it isn't very likely.

I daresay that he will stumble around a bit for his perfect formation and if he doesn't find it quickly, it could be a problem. On the other hand, the midfield mastery that is the hallmark of most of his teams is a welcome attribute in La Liga with the burgeoning numbers of talented Spanish players and incredibly techincal midfields. His calm personality and good relationships with his players could play an important factor. When Ibrahimovic says that Ancelotti is the best he's worked under, you suspect that the prima donnas at Real will agree.

Love, Faith, Character

On its road to revival, the Liverpool Football Club, under the command of its young manager Brendan Rodgers, has seen a slew of impressive performances in the recent past. The club is famous for its pass and move style of football but Rodgers seems to have added a newer dimension to this ominous style of play. And this seems to be clicking at Anfield with a spurt of brilliant goals in the recent past.

But what is still bothering is the inconsistency of the performances. Against teams like Arsenal and Manchester City, Liverpool has dominated major portions of the game and looked like a force to reckon with, while against lesser opponents like Southampton, West Brom and Oldham, they have faltered badly. Let us put into perspective the present dynamics of this great club and look at a few areas that still need improvement. I would state that I am a die-hard Liverpool supporter but I have tried to remain objective in my assessment.

Under the adroit command of Brendan Rodgers, the club has progressed in leaps and bounds over the past season with improvements coming in all departments.  His resilience to impose the Rodgers brand of soccer on the players seems to be finally paying off. His short stint has seen many high earning players at the club being let go if not found fitting into the present footballing structure. Sahin and Cole are prime examples. The new inductees in the form of Sturridge and Coutinho have been a revelation and bolstered a hamstrung side. Overall, his work has silenced his critics and with the club finally heading in a proper direction, he seems to be in it for the long haul.

Tactically the Rodgers style of play predominantly sees the game being developed right down form one goal post to the other. The only problem with this style of play, as was exposed by Stoke City and Southampton in the recent past, is when the forwards start pressing the defenders. This hampers the chances of getting goals upfront and perturbs the defence line leading to many give away goals.

Looking at individual players, the club has never been better poised for European dominance. When at their best, the back four are imperiously stopping the most lethal attacks in the Premier League. Agger has cemented his place in the side as a centre back with brilliant support from the Enrique from the left and Johnson from the right. Add to the mix the experience of Carragher and you are looking at a very good defence line. Both the right and the left backs are fluid when moving up the wings and at the same time quick to drop back when under pressure. Reina has finally found his fitness and his shot stopping abilities to guarantee a safe if not infallible goal.

The midfield is held firm by Gerrard who is at the peak of his prowess with his passing and pin point long balls playing a crucial role in releasing the true abilities of the forwards. Coming back from injury, Lucas has also found himself regularly in the team sheet and he hasn’t disappointed in the defensive midfielder role.  Joe Allen, who has followed Rodgers from Swansea, has established himself as a holding midfielder for the Reds and him in the side gives Gerrard a lot more freedom to move forward. Adding a pinch of creativity and flair is the Brazilian from Inter. In his 5 games he has already provided 2 goals and 2 assists but much more importantly, the sparks of brilliance which will be instrumental for the Club in the near future.

Leading the attack is the 27 old Uruguayan Suarez who has found his footing this season scoring 25 goals in all competitions. His meticulous nature coupled with his speed and sharpness has invigorated the attack which lacked the killer instinct after the departure of Torres. He has singularly taken the team out of tough spots and has been phenomenal in producing brilliant pieces of play. On his left stands Sturridge who seems to have finally arrived at the scene. Having found an able partner in Suarez and the back of a net a few fair times, he is running high on confidence and support from the KOP. Their chemistry will be something to look forward to in the near future probably the complete training session during the break will see them develop better as a pair. The right wing has seen a revelation in the form of Downing. After being criticised by Rodgers publically for his performances, he seems to have put his head down and focus more on his game which has enabled him to earn regular starts. His newly found charisma is much needed in the line-up, adding more attacking options and reducing the pressure on Suarez to generate the goals.

What is also looking promising is the bench strength. Sterling, Wisdom, Henderson, Suso, Shelvey, Jones, Skrtel have all been in good shape and have made decent impacts in the match time they've had. It would be a good idea to send the likes of Sterling in the lower divisions to gain longer periods of play for his overall development. Also it would be good to see some players like Suso and Assiadi given a few more chances in the team to add newer alternatives in attack.  

Things are finally starting to look up again for this historic club. Let’s hope to see them return back to their former best and make a much bigger impact on the English scene.