Real Madrid went from optimism to further crisis in the space of about an hour on Sunday night as the Los Blancos fell to a disappointing 5-2 defeat at Barcelona. Much of the focus has been on manager Carlo Ancelotti and his decisions.
After giving a tense press conference ahead of Real Madrid's Copa del Rey clash with Celta Vigo, Ancelotti He appears to have met with General Manager Jose Angel Sanchez, one of the key figures in the club's hierarchy. ESPN explained that it was not an emergency meeting, and that this is routine behavior for Ancelotti and Sanchez.
During the meeting, they analyzed what went wrong with the team this season, and indeed, the transfers. Ancelotti refused to discuss any potential business in his press functions, but he and his staff have not given up hope Real Madrid will make one or two signings in January in order to cover injuries to Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal.
As has been noted on several occasions, Real Madrid managers are generally reluctant to make deals in January, feeling that there is little value in the winter market. That has been the case since the Blancos were burned by previous deals like Reinier Jesus. Ancelotti will no doubt claim that he is operating under extreme circumstances, and that must be taken into account.
