There can be little to question regarding Carlo Ancelotti's credentials and capability of achieving success at Bayern Munich. However, the Italian has so far struggled to guarantee the Bavarian giants can compete at the higher end of European football.
Last season witnessed the 2013 Champions League winners dumped out of the competition by Real Madrid after struggling to take their chances created. Following their somewhat embarrassing defeat at the hands of the eventual champions, a Bundesliga title was deemed not ood enough in the grand scheme of things. So, where does that leave Bayern and their chances of replicating Juup Heynckes achievements in 2013?
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Under Pep Guardiola, the German outfit was famously considered a failure due to their inability to claim a continental crown. Nonetheless, unlike Ancelotti, only once in his three seasons did Guardiola only claim a single domestic honour. The jury remains split on the former Real Madrid boss, and here are five reasons why the Italian has tenured a side in regression rather than progression.
#5 Lack of youth progression
For the first time in over a decade, Bayern Munich will head into the new season with no youth prodigy within the first-team squad - or at least with a chance to break into the starting eleven. Young players such as Joshua Kimmich, Kingsley Coman and Renato Sanches were all expected to become first-team players under Ancelotti; however, the manager has somewhat isolated the youngsters within his first team.
On the contrary, under Pep Guardiola, players such as Coman and Kimmich featured more regularly under the Spaniard in his final season at the club with the future looking bright for them and also the club.
Bayern have notoriously pumped time and money into young players becoming the next generation of stars at the Allianz Arena - some failing but the majority succeeding. Part of Ancelotti's legacy will surely be defined on whether many, if any, young players broke into the first-team as was the case with previous managers in the hot-seat.
#4 Key players losing their form
One of the biggest issues in Ancelotti's debut season was the drop in form of key players - most prominently, Thomas Muller. The German international scored a stunning 32 goals in 49 games under Pep Guardiola during his final season at the Allianz Arena.
Under Ancelotti, Muller has struggled to recapture any form that saw him become one of the most potent and clinical strikers in European football. A shockingly poor return of 9 goals in 43 games saw Muller being questioned arguably for the first time in his near decade long career with the German giants.
The style of football introduced by Ancelotti could be described as more efficient on occasions, but players like Muller and even Franck Ribery have seen their goal return, general contributions and overall performances fall off since his appointment last summer.
An argument could be made for Ribery ageing and declining in ability; however, the question must be asked why Carlo refuses to allow young players the opportunity to shine.
#3 Dominance in Germany has depleted
Too many times last season, Ancelotti's Bayern side showed an element of vulnerability and weakness. This was a characteristic rarely witnessed under Pep Guardiola during his time in Munich. Ancelotti's side regularly struggled to secure a victory against teams where Munich's midfield was pressed high and became physical.
Bayern showed an element of lacklustre performances over the course of the season; meanwhile, their usual ruthless urgency seemed a thing of the past on too many occasions.
The rise of Red Bull Leipzig and TSG Hoffenheim last season meant the title challenge was far more competitive than any other season over the past three years. Before that, Guardiola's side had dominated the German league, quickly shrugging off the challenge of Borussia Dortmund and any other side.
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Now, that may not seem a difficult task, but Dortmund was far more superior than any other side last season and the ease in which they were dispatched for three years under Guardiola is yet to be replicated.
#2 Defensively weaker with the element of invincibility fading
Bayern Munich's previous success was built upon a solid backline in which Guardiola regularly opted between a back-three and traditional back-four. Under Ancelotti, the Bavarians have become far more vulnerable in defence with the major players losing form that was once considered 'world class'.
During the 2016/2017 season, Ancelotti's side conceded 33 goals in all competitions despite the arrival of German international Mats Hummels. On the contrary, Guardiola's final season at Bayern saw just 23 goals conceded in all competitions as they claimed a domestic double with relative ease - Boateng being a crucial component of their success.
Not only are Bayern struggling to keep clean sheets more regularly, but the team lacks the mental stability that once reigned supreme under previous regimes. Unless they can shrug off the mental issues that undoubtedly exist, and limit their defensive mistakes, European dominance will remain nothing more than a dream.
#1 Need to go the extra mile – ease of victory a rarity
Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola were often described as domineering and full of determination, but those adjectives cannot be used to describe Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Dullness, displeasure-able at times, and daunting could be easier to describe the Italian's side which has received so much criticism in the German media. The ruthlessness of the mainstream publications has seen Munich labelled 'glanzlose Siege', meaning dull and dreary. Earlier season performances last year, and also spring time struggles entirely fall into the glanzlose siege category which was a rarity under Guardiola.
The Spaniard's side often found ease at dispatching opposition teams and rarely struggled to overcome the opponent in preventing them from gathering all three points.
Ancelotti's side have recorded some exceptional performances - Leipzig home and away most notably - but it has become difficult for the side to ease past the opposition due to the knowledge of other teams in becoming aware of their problems in many areas of the pitch.
