Wow! On January 14th, Beijing time, David Ornstein, the ace reporter from The Athletic UK, updated his weekly transfer report: Real Madrid has closed its winter transfer window.
A great move! Real Madrid is moving further and further towards Liverpool!
Losing to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup caused internal shock, which was the third consecutive loss to their derby rivals this season, including a friendly match in August.
Don't laugh yet; last season, Real Madrid also had three victories over Barcelona.
It's just a turn-based game.
There is pressure on fans, players, and the coaching staff, but none on the management.
After the game, Florentino Perez told Modric, "Sometimes we have to lose a final too, right?"
When I saw this news, I felt that there might not be any new signings in the winter window.
And it turned out to be true.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti must take some responsibility for the loss, criticized for relying too much on Aurelien Tchouameni. Why can't Marco Asensio be used?
In fact, throughout his coaching career, he rarely uses young players.
His style is old-fashioned, with a strict rotation system based on ability and position, rarely changing.
The advantage is that it helps the core lineup build confidence, but the disadvantage is that it lacks flexibility when facing weaknesses.
This is also a way to interact with big-name stars.
However, after being hit hard, there will naturally be a desire for change.
Spanish media Relevo reported that Real Madrid player Marco Asensio will start in the match against Celta Vigo on Thursday.
At the same time, tactics may undergo significant changes. According to team reporter Mario, Carlo Ancelotti is seriously considering changing tactics for major matches and will not let Vinicius, Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Bellingham all start together.
This implies a switch to a 4-3-1-2 formation, so...
Rodrygo will be sacrificed.
Due to injuries and experiments, Rodrygo's playing time has significantly decreased.
He started 12 times and came off the bench 4 times in the league, scoring 5 goals and providing 3 assists.
Without him on the field, scoring becomes difficult, and they've lost more than three times.
Combined with the situation with Mbappe, he has recently been "disliked" by the fan base.
This term is quite fitting.
In fact, Rodrygo's coverage, linking play, and tackling are very strong; he is one of the few Real Madrid players who can continuously disrupt opponents' pressing.
We must admit that this season, both tactical support and public support for him have significantly declined, leaving him feeling like walking on thin ice.
There's no possibility of saying goodbye this summer.
Real Madrid team reporter Mario reported that Real Madrid player Antonio Rudiger has persistent knee problems.
No surprise here; he's an iron man, always playing through injuries.
Rudiger is really tough.
He suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in the 2015/16 season and is still playing at such high intensity for Real Madrid in his thirties.
The reason for playing through injuries is simple: a defensive injury crisis left him as the only healthy central defender for a while (excluding Jesus Vallejo).
Accumulated fatigue means we can only wait to see when it will blow up.
Even so, President Florentino Perez still does not sign a central defender, waiting for David Alaba to recover.
Alaba is said to have recovered for several weeks now and will gradually gain playing time after the Spanish Super Cup.
I hope he's fully recovered; the team is also relying on the veterans.
Additionally, Valverde and Bellingham also have injury concerns; they are among the players with the most playing time on the first team.
Bellingham, in particular, has a record of discomfort.
Last February, he suffered a severe ankle sprain, and on January 9th, he experienced ankle discomfort against Mallorca.
Since December, he has reported discomfort in both thighs four times and has often not trained with the team.