Ancelotti: I've changed formation to suit players

Carlo Ancelotti has praised the form of Sergio Ramos and explained the methods behind Real Madrid’s miserly defence.

Madrid have conceded only three goals in La Liga since the turn of the year, compared to eight for Barcelona and Atletico Madrid respectively.

Ancelotti, speaking to Canal +, said that the balance in the team combined with the upturn in form of Ramos have contributed to a more robust defensive unit.

“[Balance]  is the most important thing in football,” Ancelotti argued.

“Defensive work doesn’t require creativity or skill. You can quickly fix any mistakes and we’ve done that, not just by changing our system but also because the players now understand how important it is to recover possession.

“The squad is very able in carrying out defensive work. And we’re seeing the real Ramos now, not the player from November or December.”

Ancelotti added that the formation deployed by Madrid is not necessarily the one he prefers, but simply the one he feels best suits the squad he has to hand.

“My system is the one in which the players feel most comfortable and convinced - not the one I might have in my head,” the former Paris Saint-Germain Coach confirmed.

“The system has changed as the season has developed because at the start, we were without Xabi [Alonso] and [Asier] Illarramendi.

“The players feel comfortable now, not because I say so, that’s what they tell me.”

Ancelotti expanded on his bond with the Madrid players, stressing how vital it is to any success Los Blancos will have.

“It’s very important to have a good relationship with the players - you need to understand them and analyse their characteristics,” Ancelotti said.

“I have an idea about football and I have to construct that using the characteristics of the squad and transmit that to them out on the pitch.

“If the relationship [between Coach and players] is good, it’s easier to get that message across.

“Any team needs to resolve problems as quickly as possible,” he continued.

“I have two ways of getting angry - one is mental anger when I think we can do things in a different way, the other is being angry in my heart which is the most effective.

“But it’s difficult to express emotions in a language which is not your own. I usually do it in Italian.”