Ancelotti explains how he would use Cristiano Ronaldo in his team

The Real Madrid boss believes Ronaldo must be treated as a player “who makes a difference”.

Cristiano Ronaldo has worked under three different managers in the past year. The appointment of Massimiliano Allegri after Andrea Pirlo was reportedly one of the reasons Ronaldo ended his stay at Juventus.

However, barely four months after Ronaldo’s return to Man United, the club decided to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Ronaldo or Gegenpressing?

The Portuguese superstar will soon be working under a new coach, with Man United closing in on signing Ralf Rangnick.

Rangnick is a pioneer of the Gegenpressing system, which is based on team pressing for quick ball recoveries. In recent months, several observers have criticized Ronaldo for his underwhelming defensive work rate.

Man United fans are eager to find out how will Rangnick handle Ronaldo in the next few months. However, It is unlikely that the German boss will implement a different system at Old Trafford.

Ancelotti prefers a different approach

Carlo Ancelotti believes using Ronaldo for defensive runs will cause unnecessary limitations for his abilities.

“If I have Modric and Kroos I can’t expect to do high pressing,” the Real Madrid boss said (via 101greatgoals).

“I’d be an idiot if with a striker like Vinicius, who has a motor under his feet, I didn’t rely on the counterattack.

“I’ll give you one last example: if I have Ronaldo in front of me I study how to get the ball to him often, I don’t ask him to exhaust himself by tracking back. It’s the same with Ibra.

“There are two types of players: those who make a difference and those who have to run. Conte must have said that, and if he didn’t it’s fine too. I’ve never cultivated an ideology like Guardiolismo, Sarrismo. My creed is team identity.”

Manchester United will face Chelsea in a crucial Premier League game on Sunday. The Red Devils will then prepare for their next league game against Arsenal on Thursday.