Predrag Mijatovic, a former Real Madrid player and director of football did not hold back in his analysis of the team’s performance during their 1-3 defeat to Milan in the Champions League.
Mijatovic expressed deep disappointment with the way things were unfolding for the team, stating that he felt sorry for Real Madrid after their lacklustre performance in the match.
“Yesterday, I felt sorry for Real Madrid " he said as quoted by MARCA.
He argued that the team appeared to be in a state of confusion, struggling with a lack of clear direction, and this was evident in the way they played against Milan.
The former player diagnosed the situation as one where the team seemed to have slipped out of Ancelotti’s control. "Real Madrid are going through a bit of everything. My feeling is that the team has gotten out of Ancelotti’s hands " he added.
According to Mijatovic, the team is no longer functioning as a well-oiled machine under Ancelotti. He felt that the manager was struggling to get the best out of his players and was unsure how to respond effectively to the challenges presented by the Milan game.
He went further to criticize some of Ancelotti’s decisions during the match. He felt that the manager’s substitutions were not up to par and left the team in a state of disarray.
"With the changes he made, he practically didn’t know where to start with the team or how the team should react to try to at least come back. Carlo made the changes to improve and they weren’t very good "
One of Mijatovic’s key points was that after a period of success in recent years, the team seemed to have become complacent.
"After two or three splendid years, with everything they have won, the team relaxes a little. It’s clear " he said.
When discussing potential solutions, Mijatovic was less than optimistic. He felt that there were very few options available to resolve the issues that were plaguing the team. He questioned whether Ancelotti still had the ability to turn the situation around, both tactically and mentally.
According to him, Ancelotti may not have the power to motivate the players or re-energise the squad, which was a worrying thought for Real Madrid supporters.
"At the moment, there are very few, really. I don’t know if Ancelotti has the ability to react. I don’t know if he has the ability to restart the whole situation and motivate these players " he noted.
In his analysis of the situation within the dressing room, the former player noted that many players appeared to be unhappy with their current roles in the team.
"I think there are many players who are not happy. They play less than they thought they would "
He also suggested that Ancelotti was not in a strong enough position to impose his authority on the squad, as it seemed that he was listening to too many different opinions from various players. This lack of clear leadership, according to Mijatovic, was a major problem for the team.
"There is a situation that worries me personally. Ancelotti cannot take them and say ‘you have to do what I say’. He is listening to too many opinions. He does not have the same position as he had in recent years," he added.