Carlo Ancelotti Returns, But Did Real Madrid Hire The Right Coach? – Tactical Analysis

When Zinedine Zidane announced he was leaving Real Madrid for the second time in three years, the inevitable rumour mill found momentum.

Would Massimiliano Allegri, Antonio Conte, or Mauricio Pochettino replace the Frenchman? Could Real Madrid hand the job to another club legend, such as Raúl or Xabi Alonso?

As the rumours picked up, it was an unexpected candidate who ultimately received the job.

Reenter Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian last coached Real Madrid from 2013 to 2015 before leaving for Bayern Munich.

You’ll recall Rafael Benítez temporarily replaced him before making way for Zidanes conquest of Europe.

Though hes very familiar with many of the players and the club, even calling the move a homecoming, there are questions as to whether Ancelotti was the right higher for this particular squad.

Was he the right man, or were dreams of La Décima clouding the boards decision?

In this tactical analysis, well examine Ancelottis previous season with Everton, showing how it fares and comparing it to Real Madrid’s season.

We’ll also take a look at the common qualities he and Zidane share, as well as the tactical transition Madridistas can expect.

Like for like?

Truth be told, Ancelotti is one of Zidanes coaching influences.

As two former world-class players, each with a typically cerebral manner on the touchline, both managers know what its like to play for football royalty.

Further, they both understand the benefits of a more fluid philosophy.

As players, they enjoyed freedom on the pitch, which they like to pass on to their top-tier players.

Although the two managers share a more fluid footballing philosophy, their tactical acumen sets them apart.

Though they are not heralded to the degree of more philosophically rigid coaches, their understanding of the game and ability to quickly process matches and make the necessary adjustments have helped them secure four UEFA Champions League titles for the club in the past seven seasons.

An additional benefit is that Ancelotti is well-acquainted with the teams personnel.

Some of the veterans, such as Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Isco will have to earn their share of minutes, proving that they can bring more to the table than in the past couple of seasons.

Still, theyll certainly benefit from the familiarity with Ancelotti.

The one danger is that the Italian will come into the season with a view of these players as they were six years ago.

If he can properly assess the squad, seeing which veterans fit with the core group and which youngsters deserve time in the squad, the transition should be seamless.

There will of course be some concern that this hiring delays what many consider a necessary rebuild.

Additionally, Ancelotti hasnt been with a European powerhouse since leaving Bayern Munich.

Returning to the Spanish capital off the backs of spells with the EPLs Everton and Napoli of Serie A, the Italian will certainly experience an increased pressure for results.

Last season was an underwhelming one for Everton.

Coming into the season with hopes of a top-six finish, they disappointingly finished 10th in the table.

Injuries played their part, but so did inconsistent form and poor defensive work.

From an attacking perspective, Everton did reasonably well in the goals category.

Still, when you compare the attack and construction statistics against other clubs in the UEFA top five leagues, analysis shows they were relatively poor.

In our dashboard below, Everton is represented by a large blue dot, whereas Real Madrids 2020/21 statistics are demarcated by a large yellow dot.

Speaking of goals, the second image shows goals, xG, goals conceded and xGA.

In each category, youll see an additional visualization with the word “Rank” at the end.

Those four indicators place the category statistics within a percentile ra