Real Madrid in free fall? The issues Ancelotti needs to sort out
Who would have thought that taking two key pieces out of midfield and then not replacing them would end badly for Real Madrid? Oh, everybody.
Everybody that is, apart from president Florentino Perez, who must now be surveying the wreckage and starting to regret what he's done. Perhaps.
Signing James Rodriguez was a long-term move - albeit made on a knee-jerk basis - so it wouldn't be right to criticise the signing. But allowing Angel Di Maria to go to Manchester United, and Xabi Alonso to Bayern Munich, was a foolish move.
Both players turned in man-of-the-match performances for their new sides this weekend, which really rubbed it in as Madrid fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to rivals Atletico.
So, what can Carlo Ancelotti do to stop this being a disaster of a season?
The first move he should make is to employ an actual defensive midfielder.
Whether that means giving Asier Illarramendi another chance, despite mediocre displays last term, or playing a centre-back out of position in an anchorman role, it's worth a try.
When Real Madrid sold Claude Makelele back in 2003, people said that they were selling the engine of their gold plated car.
Losing Alonso and Di Maria means they have put themselves in a similar situation. Neither Toni Kroos nor Luka Modric are suitable as defensive midfielders.
The pair both have good work-rates and can play deeper alongside another defensive player, but when deployed together it weakens the core of the side.
Sami Khedira is currently injured but he might be able to play in this role.
Putting him here would be a solution of sorts, although you would lose some of the attacking elements from the German's game.
Another huge problem is the team's frailty from set pieces.
There is no easy answer for this, but by installing Keylor Navas in goal ahead of Iker Casillas, they solve a third issue.
The fans have turned on the Spain keeper and whistled him during the defeat by Atletico on Saturday night.
Navas coming in would calm supporters down and, in turn, he might be able to restore calm to a defence that has lost faith in Casillas.
Pepe said after the game that the "fans are right" if they whistled Casillas. While he meant that supporters are allowed to voice their opinions, the Portuguese centre-back would have known that his comments would be seen as inflammatory.
And while there's no sign of impending doom, Ancelotti will be aware that under Jose Mourinho there was a huge rift in the club, which cannot be allowed to be reopened.
The row between Casillas and Alvaro Arbeloa is still ongoing, with the defender refusing to acknowledge the keeper before a recent game.
Finally, there is a problem up front.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema are almost nailed on starters, but as the main summer signing, James may also need to start regularly for political reasons. An excellent player, granted, but still developing and someone who contributes little to the team's overall work-rate.
Playing the more functional Illarramendi alongside Modric, with Kroos further forward, behind Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, may pay dividends.
But the worst thing about it is this: when you fix Real Madrid's team balance, it still looks worse than last year's XI.
And although they won the Champions League, but for a last-gasp Sergio Ramos intervention it could have ended up being a disastrous season.
They came third in La Liga after running out of steam, and but for achieving La Decima, Ancelotti may have been sacked as well.
There is a lot of work to do at Real Madrid.
