After a 1-0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid, there are rumblings in Spain that new Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti is under a little pressure already.
Barcelona and Atletico have raced into a five point lead at the top of the table, ahead of a Madrid side that have started inconsistently this season.
Some may be wondering how the Italian can be under pressure already? You only have to look with how much the Galacticos have spent this season. Gareth Bale, Isco and Asier Illarramendi have cost in excess of £140 million and the pressure of that amount of money spent would trouble any manager.
Isco has started well but the mutterings surrounding Gareth Bale had been there since Ancelotti joined in July. In truth he probably had no choice in the matter when it came to signing Bale. But it will have served as an unwelcome distraction all through pre-season and right until the end of the transfer window.
In an almost carbon copy start to last season where Barcelona and Atletico raced off at the start of the season, Real Madrid are already playing catch up. Ronaldo has started off in the same goal scoring form as last season but it is the defence that still seems shaky.
Iker Casillas still isn’t playing. Pepe and Ramos have been out of form and Arbeloa isn’t a world class full back. Whatever the problem is with Casillas, it needs to be rectified quickly because Madrid have struggled for leadership.
Atletico outplayed them in the Madrid derby and if Real don’t wake up soon, they may be conceding defeat in the title race far sooner than they would’ve hoped.