The Ancelotti Thread

[Madmax 9,219]

Him being spineless is hurting Madrid just like it hurt us in 10-11.

[Fernando 6,585]

Him being spineless is hurting Madrid just like it hurt us in 10-11.

Yeah history trying to repeat itself again.

Too early to tell, plus he started bad. With us he started on fire the second season and then fell apart after November....

[Jase 43,479]

Ancelotti also had a nightmare when he (apparently) spoke about Atletico's style of play before the Madrid derby..

http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/12/carlo-ancelotti-says-football-is-not-a-game-for-girls-fans-express-disbelief-on-twitter-4866945/

Atletico are not a violent team – they are intense and aggressive,’ the Italian told reporters at a press conference on Friday.

‘Football is a sport for men, it is not a game for girls.’

[Jase 43,479]

To be fair, his league record has always been atrocious. Surely they knew what they were getting with him? Cup manager in my eyes. His squad is also too unbalanced now to mount a sustained assault on the league.

Ancelotti is just like Benitez really - good in cup competitions but hopeless when it comes to the league. The two combined, they have won only 5 league titles, which is ridiculous when each of them have managed for 19 years! Even Avram Grant has won 5 league titles!! (albeit in weaker leagues but still)

That being said though, it's still no excuse of Ancelotti to underperform in the league especially for a manager of his calibre and when he has a squad of immense quality like Madrid (and not to forget his excellent AC Milan side as well). Towards the end of the last season, they had the title within their grasps but completely blew it after draws against Valencia and Real Valladolid (IIRC). And like Ankit mentioned, his record against the title contenders is woeful. In the last 5 league meetings against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, he picked up just 1 point from 15. That's so like Arsenal.

Him being spineless is hurting Madrid just like it hurt us in 10-11.

Everything has gone horribly wrong for Carletto since you changed the avatar. #JaiminOUT

[TheOneChan95 225]

Ancelotti is just like Benitez really - good in cup competitions but hopeless when it comes to the league. The two combined, they have won only 5 league titles, which is ridiculous when each of them have managed for 19 years! Even Avram Grant has won 5 league titles!! (albeit in weaker leagues but still)

That being said though, it's still no excuse of Ancelotti to underperform in the league especially for a manager of his calibre and when he has a squad of immense quality like Madrid (and not to forget his excellent AC Milan side as well). Towards the end of the last season, they had the title within their grasps but completely blew it after draws against Valencia and Real Valladolid (IIRC). And like Ankit mentioned, his record against the title contenders is woeful. In the last 5 league meetings against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, he picked up just 1 point from 15. That's so like Arsenal.

Yeah he has seriously underachieved in the league. Like someone else said I do think his lack of backbone regarding the team composition is probably one of his worst points. Maybe it's just that he prefers coaching and prefers leaving the transfers to someone else.

I'd still take Carlo over Rafa though! I have no idea how he does it in the CL. I mean when you think about it, he really should have won in 2005 too.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

To be fair, his league record has always been atrocious. Surely they knew what they were getting with him? Cup manager in my eyes. His squad is also too unbalanced now to mount a sustained assault on the league.

Precisely. He's a cup manager. He's always done well with Milan in the CL, but struggled in the league even though Milan had a ridiculously good squad that was capable of winning the league almost every season.

[Amblève. 4,995]

Him being spineless is hurting Madrid just like it hurt us in 10-11.

Not improving an aging squad that lost Ballack, Carvalho, Belletti, Deco and J. Cole hurt us that season.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

He doesn't have a cohesive squad. Madrid fucked up their team with needless signings and selling and he will get the blame for it.

Ancelotti also had a nightmare when he (apparently) spoke about Atletico's style of play before the Madrid derby..

http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/12/carlo-ancelotti-says-football-is-not-a-game-for-girls-fans-express-disbelief-on-twitter-4866945/

Not too different from what Jose said last season. But Jose always gets some leeway for saying controversial stuff.

[Madmax 9,219]

Ancelotti is just like Benitez really - good in cup competitions but hopeless when it comes to the league. The two combined, they have won only 5 league titles, which is ridiculous when each of them have managed for 19 years!

To be fair to Tubby, he was never blessed with the quality of squads Carlo had at his disposal. Some of his Milan players were absolute legends playing at the top of their game, he had a similar setup at Chelsea and France was a walkover because PSG. Give Carlo the early 2000s Valencia squad and he would've done nothing.

[Polo7 3,496]

Lol very bad choice of words there Carlo. Bring on the feminists. Must say womens football is rubbish.

[Jase 43,479]

Yeah he has seriously underachieved in the league. Like someone else said I do think his lack of backbone regarding the team composition is probably one of his worst points. Maybe it's just that he prefers coaching and prefers leaving the transfers to someone else.

I'd still take Carlo over Rafa though! I have no idea how he does it in the CL. I mean when you think about it, he really should have won in 2005 too.

I don't really necessarily think Ancelotti lacks a backbone though. It would be kinda ridiculous to think so because don't tell me a manager of his calibre doesn't know the importance of Alonso and Di Maria to his squad. I'm sure behind the scenes he would have fought with Perez regarding those two sales (there are even rumours now that their relationship is starting to sour). The only difference with him and say another manager like Mourinho is that he doesn't really create trouble in the public, thus he look like a laid back coach who doesn't do anything, when he probably does.

To be fair to Tubby, he was never blessed with the quality of squads Carlo had at his disposal. Some of his Milan players were absolute legends playing at the top of their game, he had a similar setup at Chelsea and France was a walkover because PSG. Give Carlo the early 2000s Valencia squad and he would've done nothing.

True but then again, how on earth his Liverpool suddenly fought for the title in the 2008/09 season when before and after that, he completely fluffed it? And not to mention, his disastrous reign at Inter when they still had a good squad back then.

Not too different from what Jose said last season. But Jose always gets some leeway for saying controversial stuff.

Err, what did he say again? And to say Mourinho always get some leeway for saying controversial stuff is an overstatement.

[The Mak 4,459]

I remember when that Madrid/Zidane idiot was in here at the start of last season. I warned him to enjoy the first season under because the second is going to be absolute pants. Instead of a long drawn out will he/won't he be sacked, I think it's just been sped up because Perez decided to sell important players like Alonso and Di Maria while Khedira wasn't fit at all. Their midfield is probably the weakest defensively I've seen in years and were always going to lose against such a well-drilled side like Atletico.

I hope we get them in the CL. It would be perfect match between 'The Madrid Galactico philosophy' Vs. The Mourinho philosophy' i.e. an imbalanced fantasy football team full of prima donnas Vs. a real team who'd run through a brick wall for their manager. I'd love for Jose to get that bit of revenge.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Err, what did he say again? And to say Mourinho always get some leeway for saying controversial stuff is an overstatement.

"Football is a game for men, or for women with great attitude." Implying that Arsenal's squad is neither.

It's not an overstatement, he's always encouraged to say those kind of stuffs because he "sells".

[Jase 43,479]

"Football is a game for men, or for women with great attitude." Implying that Arsenal's squad is neither.

It's not an overstatement, he's always encouraged to say those kind of stuffs because he "sells".

Really? He actually said that?

It is an overstatement because let's not forget that the media can completely blow his words out of proportion, because like you said, he "sells". It's not necessary that he's encouraged but just more of the media taking his words to "sell".

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Really? He actually said that?

It is an overstatement because let's not forget that the media can completely blow his words out of proportion, because like you said, he "sells". It's not necessary that he's encouraged but just more of the media taking his words to "sell".

Yeah, it was in the post match conference after the Arsenal away game after Wenger had said that Mikel should have been sent off for a tough tackle that (rightly) wasn't even called a foul by the ref.

Yes, they blow it out of proportion and try to turn every sentence of his as controversial, but my point is that he almost always escapes heavy criticism. It's usually brushed off by saying "that's Mourinho".

[Jase 43,479]

Yeah, it was in the post match conference after the Arsenal away game after Wenger had said that Mikel should have been sent off for a tough tackle that (rightly) wasn't even called a foul by the ref.

Yes, they blow it out of proportion and try to turn every sentence of his as controversial, but my point is that he almost always escapes heavy criticism. It's usually brushed off by saying "that's Mourinho".

Yeah but they'll still try to make a meal out of it. Every time something like that happen, countless of news will be written about the 'bad Jose'.

Had Mourinho complained like Pellegrini did yesterday about the referee (which he'll do anyway when it comes), there would have been uproar but so far, yet to see the journalists criticize Pellegrini for complaining.

[DYC. 7,542]

Precisely. He's a cup manager. He's always done well with Milan in the CL, but struggled in the league even though Milan had a ridiculously good squad that was capable of winning the league almost every season.

To be fair, his time at Milan needs to be put in perspective. When he took over in 2001, Milan were anything but a winning team. He had to rebuild that team and the Serie A was still the best league in the world at the time, with Juventus as the dominant team in the Serie A and one of the strongest sides in Europe. And then after Ancelotti won the league in 2004, there was the scandal with Juventus 'buying' those two following Serie A seasons. So there were two 'blank' years domestically in his time at Milan. Inter were the only top team not suffer because of the Calciopoli. They spent big, bought some of the best players in the league and just dominated the league for 4 years. And in those years, Ancelotti had a squad that was seriously declining.

You look back at that Milan team and think about the big names they had, but they weren't all performing or in their prime at the same time. After winning the league in 2006, Chelsea have only won the league once in a 7 year period. You look back at the big names in the team and huge amount of money splashed on players and based on that, it's shocking how the league was only won once. But we know what went down in those 7 years. Perspective.

[Leif 6,006]

men rule especially men with cool eyebrow functions

[Daniel1980 1,425]

To be fair, his time at Milan needs to be put in perspective. When he took over in 2001, Milan were anything but a winning team. He had to rebuild that team and the Serie A was still the best league in the world at the time, with Juventus as the dominant team in the Serie A and one of the strongest sides in Europe. And then after Ancelotti won the league in 2004, there was the scandal with Juventus 'buying' those two following Serie A seasons. So there were two 'blank' years domestically in his time at Milan. Inter were the only top team not suffer because of the Calciopoli. They spent big, bought some of the best players in the league and just dominated the league for 4 years. And in those years, Ancelotti had a squad that was seriously declining.

You look back at that Milan team and think about the big names they had, but they weren't all performing or in their prime at the same time. After winning the league in 2006, Chelsea have only won the league once in a 7 year period. You look back at the big names in the team and huge amount of money splashed on players and based on that, it's shocking how the league was only won once. But we know what went down in those 7 years. Perspective.

I've supported Milan in Serie A for years and watched almost every match back in Ancelotti era. Yes, there were problems, but he had a very good squad that had no problems winning matches convincingly in the CL but often struggled to perform consistently on a weekly basis. The squad was good enough to win at least a few league titles, IMO.

[Madmax 9,219]

True but then again, how on earth his Liverpool suddenly fought for the title in the 2008/09 season when before and after that, he completely fluffed it? And not to mention, his disastrous reign at Inter when they still had a good squad back then.

Well, because it takes time for an above-average-but-not-great squad to gel and find the consistency a title tilt requires. Their problems were exacerbated by a high turnover of players and the manager's relatively poor transfer dealings. What happened at Inter - I don't have a clue.