Carlo Ancelotti arrived for his first spell at Real Madrid in 2013 with a plan.
The Italian tactician had dreamed up an ideal role for Cristiano Ronaldo as the team's striker, ridding the prolific forward of any defensive duties. Pre-season had barely concluded before Ronaldo sidled up to Ancelotti and stressed that he preferred starting from the left wing. Without a moment's hesitation, Ancelotti scrapped his well-laid plans and rejigged the entire system to accommodate Ronaldo on the flanks.
Despite so many years under the unwavering hand of Arrigo Sacchi, Ancelotti has carved out a trophy-laden managerial career as an expert chameleon, tailoring the tactics to the players at his disposal.
Ten years on from his first season in the Spanish capital, Ancelotti has been handed a squad stuffed to the brim with some of the world's most highly-rated young players, with the summer additions of Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler headlining the embryonic cabal.
As Ancelotti does his best to get the most out of his glitzy squad, here are some options to mull over.
Four in midfield
One of Ancelotti's biggest regrets in football management came right at the start of his career. While in charge of Parma, the former Milan midfielder turned down the chance to sign the great Italian playmaker Roberto Baggio. There was no obvious role for the 1993 Ballon d'Or winner in Ancelotti's 4-4-2 system and he couldn't possibly conceive changing formation for one player at that time of his career.
Three decades later, a change to 4-4-2 may be the best way for Ancelotti to fit as many of his talented youngsters as possible into the team.
According to the Spanish outlet Relevo, Ancelotti is pondering a shift to four midfielders strung across the width of the pitch. Bellingham has been singled out as a prime candidate for one of the central roles alongside Aurelien Tchouameni.
Eduardo Camavinga, who spent so much of last season at left-back, can slot onto the left-hand side of midfield while Guler could challenge Federico Valverde on the opposite flank.
In this set-up, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo would form a devastatingly fleet-footed front two. While Rodrygo has experience lining up through the middle, Vinicius has been exclusively used as an orthodox left winger by Ancelotti.
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Dynamite diamond
While Madrid's squad for the upcoming season is the envy of many, Ancelotti is no stranger to a star-studded set-up. At Milan in the 2000s, Ancelotti arguably had a larger number of stars at his disposal who were all at a more advanced stage of their career than the youthful crop in Madrid.
Ancelotti solved that puzzle with a diamond midfield behind two strikers. Bellingham may be Real Madrid's new number five but the 22 which he used to wear on his back hinted at the myriad of midfield roles he can play. If Ancelotti did revert to a diamond, Bellingham could feasibly line up at the base of midfield, the tip behind the front two or on either side.
Guler is another option for that No10 role. At Fenerbahce, the left-footer mostly started on the right of a 4-1-3-2 system but was constantly weaving onto his dominant side. Wherever Guler plays, Madrid simply need to give him possession to get the most out of the new arrival; as his first coach Erol Tokgozier said: "The ball is like one of his organs."
Camavinga and Valverde offer the industry and dexterity needed for a player on the outer edges of a diamond. However, the inherently narrow system does place plenty of attacking impetus on the fullbacks, which is not the deepest area of Madrid's squad even after Fran Garcia's return.
Sticking to the plan
During the first season of his second spell in the Spanish capital, Ancelotti harboured ideas of experimentation. Keen to instil a high-pressing game on his new side, Ancelotti lined up with a diamond against Espanyol in October 2021. A desperately lacklustre display ended in a deserved 2-1 defeat, prompting Ancelotti to revert to a 4-3-3 system from which he has scarcely strayed in the subsequent 21 months.
There is the distinct possibility that Ancelotti undergoes the same climb-down again next season. Bellingham's all-action style would be suited to one of the midfield positions either side of the single pivot in a 4-3-3 while Guler could comfortably slot onto the right wing.
In the absence of Benzema, Rodrygo could reprise his role as a central striker while Joselu offers a more orthodox for the youthful blend of talent to rotate around.
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This article was originally published on 90min as How new-look Real Madrid could line up with Jude Bellingham & Arda Guler.