Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that he feels there is no issue regarding Kylian Mbappe and his fit in the side. Many have mentioned the absence of Toni Kroos as an equally challenging obstacle for Ancelotti to deal with, but equally Mbappe has missed several chances.
Ancelotti has been keen to emphasize balance and hard-work as required of his footballers in the previous two weeks against RCD Mallorca and Real Valladolid. As they come into their game with Las Palmas, but Ancleotti saw little issue with Mbappe’s arrival into the team.
“Every year the challenge changes because the team and the structure of the team changes. We needed time because last year we adjusted everything in the first games, we dug out many games in the final few minutes last season. It is normal that it takes some time to see a team at its best and it happens every year,” Ancelotti noted.
In terms of balance, and the space available to the opposition, Ancelotti was asked if in the modern day and age there was room to leave stars like Mbappe or Vinicius Junior to move with freedom.
“I think we have to look at it in a more general sense, what we have to have is a compact team. The work of the forwards… and the defenders is very important. If the forward presses and the defence does not move up, the team is not compact. The other way around is the same. It is something more general and not individuals or positional groups.”
Already Mbappe’s ‘lack of goals’ has been a talking point in the opening two games of the season Los Blancos. Mbappe did score on his debut in the European Supercup.
“We have a lot of resources and three games have passed and we have already scored 6 goals. The problem of goals has not happened yet here… and it will not happen because everyone works very well.”
“I think his last goal was on the 14th of August… it’s been two weeks. It’s not enough time to worry about it. Since we don’t worry, neither does he. He really wants to score in the next game… just like Vinicius.”
The Italian manager paid tribute to the recently departed Sven Goran Eriksson and Juan Izquierdo at the start of his press conference. Ancelotti worked with Eriksson while he was a player between 1984 and 1987, and referred to him as an example.
