Carlo Ancelotti Is Enthusiastic About Raúl Asencio's Performance. He has gotten him out of a tough spot at a critical moment due to injuries. But he still thinks he's green.
He sees enormous potential and a promising future, but if he could count on Militão, Rüdiger, and Alaba at full capacity today, Asencio wouldn't play.
In fact, when Rüdiger returns, if Alaba regains his best form, those two will be his central defense pair.
Ancelotti Sees Asencio Physically Overqualified
He will continue working with Asencio to polish his flaws. He applauds his physical prowess and positioning, but he sees him so physically overqualified that he thinks it could be a danger.
It's a Tactical Problem More Than a Technical One. In yesterday's press conference, Ancelotti made it clear that "if I said Asencio had a technical weakness, I was wrong. He's young, we work with him like with all the young players from the academy and he learns a lot."
He discovered what Asencio still needs to improve: "We haven't worked on the technical aspect with him, we've worked on the tactical. Sometimes aggressiveness isn't the most appropriate, especially in the area, because a penalty could be called."
He sees him so overqualified that he suffers when he goes all in inside the area. He's unbreakable, he can handle everyone, but he has to learn to measure the timing of the matches, especially inside the area.
"But we've worked on this and he's doing very well. Raúl has been a surprise for everyone, really. For me too," Ancelotti insists.
He Won't Hesitate to Send Asencio to the Bench
The Italian coach sees Asencio as the Sergio Ramos of the Next Decade. But he doesn't want to rush or burn him out prematurely. He won't skip any steps for Asencio to progress in the best way.
He's in a learning phase and Ancelotti won't hesitate to send him to the bench when Rüdiger returns. From there, he can also complete his training by watching how the veterans solve complicated situations.
Ancelotti has very clear ideas with the academy players. It's not that he doesn't trust them, but the level of the squad doesn't make things easy. "It's the best squad in the world," he said yesterday.