A year ago
Bellingham will play in a forward position behind the front two as Real Madrid switches from its standard 4-3-3 formation to a 4-3-1-2.
a fresh look Real Madrid is starting a new season, one that is somewhat similar to the previous one but uses a completely different structure. Carlo Ancelotti has changed his lineup for 2023–24 after a number of players left and others joined, and the team was declared closed. Carletto's Real Madrid version 2.0 will go from the 4-3-3 style that produced six titles to a 4-3-1-2. The club has been working on a renewal process over the past few years, and the adjustments are a result of a generational transition. Jude Bellingham will be the cherry on top of this new tactical diagram.
Bellingham will play as a No. 10 despite wearing the No. 5 jersey. With the England international, Ancelotti and his staff are attempting to accomplish that. Bellingham scored 14 goals for Dortmund at the end of the last campaign, and Ancelotti wants to take advantage of that. Madrid will have a difficult time scoring goals in the upcoming season because they will be lacking a true center-forward. The plan is for Vinicius and Rodrygo to spearhead the attack in the absence of Benzema and with Joselu serving as the backup striker. The two Brazilians enter the new season with respectable stats from the previous one: 23 goals for Vini and 19 for Rodrygo.
Bellingham will be put in a supporting role directly behind them, and their job will be to pick up the ball from Benzema, set goals, and keep moving forward. The coach had intended for Harry Kane to serve as his replacement for Karim, with Havertz serving as a supplementary option. Financially speaking, Madrid was never really in a position to sign either of them. The club will launch a second bid for Mbappé in 2024, and that is where the attention is currently focused. It will be quite expensive to bring in the French star, and it makes little sense to bring in a center-forward now if they might compete with Mbappé when he gets there. Ancelotti was informed that he would be unable to sign a No. 9 because of this.
The heart of the Madrid team, the midfield, will remain mostly untouched. With all three players accepting new agreements, the uncertainty around Kroos, Modric, and Ceballos has been eliminated. With Bellingham's addition, Ancelotti will have seven midfielders to select from, in addition to Camavinga, Valverde, and Tchoaumeni. The goal is to gradually transition to a more youthful midfield as the senior players are eased out because the season will be long and everyone will get their fair share of playing time. Modric and Kroos will undoubtedly play important roles; otherwise, they wouldn't have agreed to contract extensions. However, based on the composition of Ancelotti's stellar XI, it is evident that the status quo will be shifting. The midfield's future is taking shape.
This is the plan, which also describes the type of players the club side has been adopting season by season until the transition is complete. As the game progresses, Madrid's roster will likewise do so. Despite this, Modric and Kroos' initial roles will be more complementary and centred on reserving energy so that they may be involved at particular periods. They will still play an important role, particularly on challenging evenings where their expertise will be essential. More crucially, the new setup, which has a four-man midfield, will provide Ancelotti the flexibility to switch up the lineup and rest some players throughout the course of the season. There will be possibilities for the recently renewed Ceballos as well.
Ancelotti will make the least amount of changes to the defensive.
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