Real Madrid manager says it's 'normal' to have unhappy players

Carlo Ancelotti took charge of Real Madrid over the summer after the departure of Zinedine Zidane. Just a few weeks into the 2021/22 season, he has already made some big changes in the squad. As such, some players have excelled while others have found themselves in the sidelines more often that they would like.

Last week, reports came out that Marco Asensio is unhappy about his lack of playing time so far this season. He is under contract with the club until 2023, and would like to play a bigger role within the squad after spending a large amount of time recovering from a knee injury during the 2019/20 season.

He made a reasonable comeback in 2020, but hasn't found a consistent spot in the starting lineup. Ancelotti remained philosophical about the situation, saying that "It's normal that those who aren't playing aren't happy."

H also looked at the situation as a positive thing, saying that "If Marco Asensio or Isco or Luka Jovic aren't happy with not playing then that's normal, that's good." He then assured that all three players that he mentioned will have their time in the spotlight.

He said the same last week, emphasising that he fully intends to make regular rotations.

"I have to evaluate the condition of the players who have played. I'm thinking about making some changes [in the next match], but I need to see [Tuesday's] training session first," he said ahead of Los Blancos' La Liga clash against Real Mallorca on Wednesday.

"We're thinking about making some changes. It's difficult to pick the line-ups," he admitted.

Ancelotti then spoke about his strategy this season, and he put a premium on balance instead of focusing on the attack or defence. "The key word for me is balance, to do well with the ball and without the ball."

He then said that playing style must also depend on the players that are available on the roster. "When it comes to style, each coach has to look at the history of a club and qualities of the players the coach has available."

Overall, Ancelotti knows that things are going well for him in his second spell in charge of the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid are currently sitting at the top of the La Liga table, having remained undefeated thus far. The attacking duo of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. has been very effective, but the Italian knows that things can easily change as the season goes on.

"Every team has problems at some point during each season. Things are going well for us at the moment," he said, before praising the team for doing well despite having played five out of their six matches away from home.