4 challenges Carlo Ancelotti will have to face at Real Madrid

The summer of 2013 has seen the transfer speculation take a backseat to the manager merry-go-round that has been circulating among all the top clubs in England and all around Europe. Bidding farewell to arguably the best manager the game has ever seen only to be replaced by another of his own native, an emotional return to the Bridge, “Rafa-Day” and the appointment of a strategic genius in Pelligrini – this off-season has seen it all and has now come to full circle with the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.

After the tumultuous reign of Jose Mourinho, I believe Real Madrid have hit the nail right on the head by bringing onboard an experienced campaigner who, first and foremost, will help bring stability to the club.

Here are some of the challenges that Ancelotti faces at Real Madrid:

Player unrest and instability

The Real Madrid camp was not been a happy one last campaign. Public spats between club captain Iker Casillas and Mourinho and his rocky relationship with senior players such as Pepe and Sergio Ramos caused a clear division in the club. Snide comments aside, the dropping of a player who is referred to as “Saint Iker” among the Madrid faithful was sacrilege and that spelt the end of “The Special One’s” reign.

Shabby treatment of senior players and club legends, though justified it may be, has led to the axing of many a boisterous and enigmatic manager; classic examples being Jose and Andre Villas Boas at Chelsea. Ancelotti, however, houses a wise head over his experienced shoulders and will look to bridge the gap between the players. And though it might be too late to cajole Higuain who is Arsenal bound, it is paramount to secure the futures of club superstars such as Casillas, Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo who has kept mum on his contract situation.

Barcelona

The Catalan giants had many chinks in their armour last season but comfortably managed to stroll to yet another La Liga title, courtesy Real Madrid’s worst start to a campaign for many years. The brutal carnage at the hands of Bayern Munich would have no doubt alerted the Blaugrana to plug the holes in their leaking defence and they have bolstered their attack further by signing Neymar.

Real Madrid have a squad to match Barcelona and the challenge would lie in motivating and rejuvenating the “Galacticos”, along with a couple of fresh faces, to try and wrestle back the title next season. Ancelotti is known to maximize productivity and output from his senior players and this was clear at AC Milan where he built his dynasty around Maldini, Nesta, Pirlo, Gattuso, Inzaghi and Seedorf. Traces of it were also seen during his double winning season at Chelsea with Didier Drogba grabbing the golden boot and Anelka and Malouda enjoying some of their best days under him.

Ins and Outs

Real Madrid have always made the headlines in the transfer market over the years with some record signings, and this year is no different as they are linked to some of the most expensive players on the planet, including Edinson Cavani, Isco and Gareth Bale. Carlo is not known for breaking the bank on a player and is generally known to make more cautious signings.

With the imminent departure of Gonzalo Higuain, Real Madrid need a striker to share the goal scoring burden with Benzema and Ronaldo. The signing of Isco strengthens their midfield and they might look to sign a defender to complement young Raphael Varane in defence.

The Champions League

A decade without Europe’s most prestigious prize makes it top priority for every Real Madrid boss if they need to stay in the favor of the trigger-happy Florentino Perez. Having come agonizingly close in the past three years, Real Madrid would be hoping to go one step beyond and reach the finals.

Ancelloti is himself no stranger to Champions League finals, having been there many a time and tasted success twice with AC Milan.Among many more, these are the glaring challenges that face “Carletto” as he embarks on his Spanish adventure. Known to be a manager who gives importance to player-manager relationship and a proven strategist, this should be right up his street. The Real Madrid job has been considered the “poisoned chalice” by many, but Carlo Ancelotti seems the right candidate for the job and here’s wishing him a happy tenure at Real Madrid.