Carlo Ancelotti is having serious problems getting the intensity he needs from his players to win matches.
Technically, they are the best, and some of them think their skills are enough to overcome opponents. But Carlo Ancelotti is clear that his team lacks an extra level of commitment.
Pedri as an Example of a Committed Player
The commitment Pedri is showing in every match, carrying the team on his back in the best season of his professional career.
Injuries are sparing him this season, and he is achieving the consistency he lacked in previous campaigns.
Pedri is excelling, and Ancelotti uses him as an example for Tchouaméni and Camavinga, who have yet to live up to the high expectations at Real Madrid.
In his new role as a pivot, coming from the back, Pedri covers the entire field. Both in offensive and defensive functions. He is everywhere and even scores goals and provides assists.
But it is not his goal-scoring ability or his ease in distributing play that Ancelotti likes, but rather his ability to recover balls in the midfield.
Recovers More Balls Than Anyone
Although Pedri is not known for his defensive efficiency, he is the player in the five major European leagues who recovers the most balls. And he still has the energy to build attacking play.
Pedri has recovered 161 balls this year in the league championship. Only Moisés Caicedo from Chelsea comes close with 159. Behind them are Adrien Thomasson from Lens with 158; Ryan Christie from Bournemouth, also with 158; and Ola Aina from Nottingham with 150.
According to Who Scored statistics, Pedri recovers an average of 6.44 balls per match. And he commits only 8 fouls.
It is understandable that Ancelotti seeks a player with these attributes for his team. Camavinga, who would be designated for this role, is far from Pedri's statistics.
Against Atlético de Madrid, Ancelotti's midfield fell apart. Tchouaméni and Camavinga neither build nor destroy. Real Madrid misses Toni Kroos greatly.