Carlo Ancelotti's return to Real Madrid last year came as something of a surprise to most.
While the job he'd done at Everton was generally seen as fine, there was nothing about his time at Goodison Park that suggested the Italian would be back at the top of the game in his next job.
His appointment at the Santiago Bernabeu could've almost been interpreted as a pointed dig at Clasico rivals Barcelona, where managerial hirings tend to be based around 'philosophy' – few could say that about Ancelotti, a coach arguably regarded more for his motivational skills, tactical flexibility and winning than for sticking to one defined brand of football.
Regardless of how surprising Ancelotti's return was, he certainly got the job done. Madrid looked certainties for the title virtually all season and pulled off great escape after great escape to eventually win the Champions League, traversing one of the toughest routes to European Cup glory ever seen.
But let's not forget, Ancelotti's won the Champions League with Madrid before. Last time, in 2014, he lasted only another year and a day before he was discarded.
From Milan dynasty to short-term guarantee
Perhaps it shouldn't be a shock, given many of the clubs he's coached have been among the biggest – and that usually means impatient by extension – teams in Europe, but Ancelotti hasn't been in charge of a single club for more than two consecutive full seasons since leaving Milan in May 2009.
Granted, his spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Everton ended essentially because Madrid came calling, so who's to say how long he'd have been in charge. But clearly there has been a pattern in his working life since Milan.
Ancelotti will be acutely aware of the expectations upon him at Madrid as he's lived through them before and paid the price for failing to achieve his targets.
But you have to wonder if anything will be different this time around.
Ancelotti's dismissal in 2015 came down to the fact Madrid didn't win a (major) trophy in the 2014-15 season. Florentino Perez's decision at the time wasn't universally popular, though no one would've been surprised.
In the culture created by Perez at the club, a lack of success simply equates to failure, and clearly even the good will attained by winning La Decima – Madrid's 10th European crown – only lasts you so long.
Perez's statement to the media even seemed to admit there being a degree of not knowing what else to do, as he said: "It was a very difficult decision to make; the demands at this club are the utmost because Madrid always wants to win silverware.
"The affection that the players and the fans have for Carlo is the same as the affection I myself have for him. What did Ancelotti do wrong? I don't know. The demands here at Real Madrid are very high."
Essentially, since his Milan days, Ancelotti has been brought in by teams to achieve success quickly and, for the most part, he's done that almost everywhere he's been – but long-term success in one place has eluded him.
Presumably then, Ancelotti will have to again win at least one of LaLiga or the Champions League to stick around for a third season. That stands to reason at Real Madrid, and there's no reason they would be considered incapable on either front, but expecting everything to fall into place like last season is asking for trouble.
Tempting fate?
Who's to say Madrid won't cruise to the title again with Karim Benzema conquering every team in his path? It's entirely possible.
The key differences this time around are the fact Madrid are heading into the season without a defined back-up striker for Benzema, and Barcelona have strengthened significantly.
Firstly on Barca, if we assume they are able to register all of their new signings in time for the season's start, they'll have bolstered a team that finished the 2021-22 season very well. In fact, since the start of 2022, their 45 points was more than any other LaLiga team.
Granted, Madrid played one game less (19), but if they had contested a 20th match and won it, they'd still have been two points shy of Barca.
The change inspired by Xavi cannot be overstated and, as much of a mess as the club is off the pitch, there's every reason to expect them to be a force on it this season.
For Madrid and Ancelotti, again their hopes will be pinned on Benzema. Of course, on the face of it that's not an issue. He's scored at least 21 league goals in each of the past four seasons and never made fewer than 27 top-flight appearances for Los Blancos.
As a difference-maker and consistent presence, he's their Mr Reliable. But what if he does pick up a major injury: who will Madrid rely on to fill the Benzema void?
Vinicius Junior enjoyed a remarkable season but wouldn't be suited to the Benzema role, stylistically or as a leader. Again, when Eden Hazard is fit, he is not a central striker, while Mariano Diaz has started just 11 league games in four seasons.
Madrid's decision to get rid of Luka Jovic was probably the right one given how underwhelming the Serbian had been, and there's no guarantee anyone else brought in as a backup would've been more effective.
But it does seem an unnecessary risk for a club like Madrid to go into a season without a second striker – or without a second striker who's got a better track record than Diaz. That's the decision Florentino Perez has reportedly made.
Even if they were granted special dispensation to sign another LaLiga-based striker out of the transfer window, mid-season integration for that player would be tough in every way.
Yes, yes, yes, it's all hypothetical and no one likes to think about the worst-case scenario, but surely it's better to plan for that possibility than to leave it to chance? Perhaps Ancelotti has a master backup plan hidden up his sleeve in the event of losing Benzema for a while – we'll only find out if it happens.
But if it does and his answer is to rely on Diaz, there's little hope of Ancelotti reaching that elusive third season.
AC Milan see off Lazio with stylish second-half performance
AC Milan turned on the second-half style to record an impressive 2-0 Serie A victory over Lazio.
Christian Pulisic and Noah Okafor were on target to finally end stubborn Lazio resistance at the San Siro, but Rafael Leao was the star attraction in a commanding performance.
Leao set up both Pulisic and Okafor – and the Portugal winger now has 72 goal contributions since joining Milan in 2019.
Felipe Anderson and Valentin Castellanos had half-chances for Lazio during a first period that took some time to burst into life.
But Lazio, who kept Ciro Immobile until the final 15 minutes, were largely toothless up front.
Milan lost Ruben Loftus-Cheek – who had scored his first goal for the Rossoneri against Cagliari in midweek – to an early injury but gained momentum as the contest moved past the half-hour mark.
Leao saw his near-post effort from a tight angle saved by Ivan Provedel in the Lazio goal.
The deadlock was almost broken on the stroke of half-time after Olivier Giroud brought Provedel into action again.
Provedel could not hold the shot and the loose ball fell to Tijjani Reijnders, who took it around the goalkeeper but, off balance, back-heeled it against the outside of a post.
Milan really upped the tempo after the break and took a deserved lead after an hour.
Leao surged down the left and his cut-back found Pulisic unmarked on the penalty spot.
The American’s shot had enough to get past Provedel for his third goal of the season, although the goalkeeper got a hand to the effort.
Provedel distinguished himself by saving from Yunus Musah after the American had brought the ball down and fired goalwards in one sharp movement.
Reijnders fired into the side netting before Milan put the issue beyond doubt two minutes from time.
Leao was again the instigator with another excellent run and cross which allowed Okafor to convert with a simple tap-in.
It was Okafor’s second Milan goal after his first for the club in the 3-1 win at Cagliari.
Lazio were denied a spectacular consolation in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Spanish substitute Pedro sent a 25-yard shot into the top corner of Mike Maignan’s net.
The officials had spotted an offside in the build-up and there was to be no joy for Lazio after a VAR check.
This was Milan’s third successive league win, while Lazio’s season has yet to get going after this fourth defeat in seven games.
Man City failed to execute their ‘process’ in defeat at Wolves – Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola said Manchester City failed to properly execute their “process” and was keen to praise Wolves after his side’s 100 per cent start to their Premier League title defence ended with a 2-1 loss at Molineux.
City went into the contest looking to make it seven league victories at the start of a campaign for the first time.
But the treble-winners were condemned to defeat by Hwang Hee-chan’s 66th-minute finish, eight minutes after an early Ruben Dias own goal had been cancelled out by Julian Alvarez’s free-kick.
City boss Guardiola, who watched from the stands as he served a one-match ban for picking up three yellow cards, said: “Congratulations Wolves, they defended really well.
“We had our moments. We didn’t do properly our process, to attack (with) a little bit more fluidity and that’s why we struggled a little bit.
“And the transitions – (Pedro) Neto (who was key for the first goal) was better than us, so they beat us in that situation.
“When they defend that well, (Mateo) Kovacic or Ruben has to attack central defenders of the opponents and we didn’t do it, that was why it was more difficult.
“The opponent played really good, defended really well, and after, when they contact with the players up front, they had the ability to keep it and drive and dribble and drop you. They are so strong.
“Today some details didn’t happen, because it’s football, because the players, it happens, maybe I apply bad some decisions, I don’t know.”
City’s starting line-up included Matheus Nunes, signed from Wolves last month, with it reported that he had stopped training with the midlands outfit ahead of the move.
The Portuguese was the subject of boos and chants from the crowd during the first half before being brought off at the interval for Oscar Bobb.
Guardiola said, when asked why he had made the change: “I needed more dynamic. Oscar is really good to find in small spaces, the creativity he has.
“That was the reason why – not because he wasn’t playing not good at all. It’s just because I thought Oscar could give us something different.”
On having to watch from the stands, Guardiola said: “The view is perfect. The problem is when you are banned and you are in the hotel. But they allow you to be here…in the Champions League it cannot happen.
“I spoke before the game, half-time and after the game. During the game you can be involved in something, but not much.”
Rob Edwards ‘very, very proud’ of Luton after landmark Premier League win
Rob Edwards expressed his pride after a landmark win for Luton at Everton.
The Hatters’ 2-1 victory at Goodison Park was their first ever win in the Premier League and first in the top flight since April 1992.
Tom Lockyer and Carlton Morris scored from set-pieces in the first half, with Everton pulling one back before half-time through Dominic Calvert-Lewin but unable to find an equaliser.
“I’m just very, very proud of the players and pleased for the club,” said Hatters boss Edwards.
“I know it’s a big moment, I get that. I don’t want this to come across in any kind of arrogant way but I expected us to (win) today, I really did. I told the boys before the game, ‘I know this is going to be a good day’.
“We really believed we could come here and win the game. We had a really good plan. Everton have got some good players and they were very fluid, especially in that first half.
“At 2-0 up there was a lot of movement, a lot of stuff going on. We had to adjust, which we did at half-time, then I thought we looked more solid again. I thought we deserved it. It felt great.”
Luton’s band of supporters celebrated with glee at the final whistle, and the three points were enough to lift the newly-promoted side out of the bottom three.
“Amazing day for the supporters,” said Edwards. “They deserve it, our board deserve it. They’ve really stuck with us. I know they’re going to because we’re on a brilliant journey and where the club has been. They’re going to enjoy this.
“But it’s important we give them something to shout about as well, and not just, ‘Well done lads, unlucky’. They’re amazing supporters, I love them. They’ve travelled a long, long way today in the rain and they get to enjoy their day.”
Everton began the game on the front foot and with optimism flowing that they could build on victories over Brentford and Aston Villa during the past week.
But instead they suffered a fourth straight home victory, leaving manager Sean Dyche hugely frustrated at a big opportunity lost in front of their prospective new owners.
“I’m disappointed in the result, obviously,” he said. “Performances, broken-record time – dominated so much of the game, give away really poor goals and don’t take our chances.
“Changing the story, which I’ve spoken about endlessly this season, is our responsibility. We had a brilliant chance I thought today, a platform to begin the process of changing the story, the depth of it the last two years, all the noise and the rest of it, and we don’t take it.
“It’s very frustrating because the team are there, it’s like, ‘Go on then, change the story, be the person that makes the difference, don’t wait for someone else to do it’. Then it spreads like wildfire.
“And we sort of nearly do. Today just that weird thing when everyone’s sort of looking for someone else to change it. It’s an odd thing and I’ve been trying to break it since I’ve been at the club. And we keep trying.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
