Arda Güler's evolution and Ancelotti's management: "He's been a great fit."

Arda Güler has four goals and eight assists in 1,478 minutes. That's a goal every game and a half. That's taking into account that he's only started 16 times, that many of those (5) have been in the Copa del Rey and that others have come in four of the last six La Liga matches. And it was there, at the most complicated moment of the season for Madrid after the Champions League elimination against Arsenal , where he didn't play a single minute, when the Turk took a step forward, crowned with the goal, his second in a row, and the assist yesterday against Celta .

" The Güler of September is not the same as the one he is today ," Carlo Ancelotti admitted in the press room. The Turkish player's name has been a constant throughout the Italian's appearances this season. The public wanted more playing time , journalists asked about his playing time, and the player's entourage, somewhat desperate at times, hinted directly or indirectly that the coach was being unfair to the young midfielder.

Between September and October, he was left on the bench without playing in four matches, which caused anxiety for Arda, who was trying to shine for Turkey during the international breaks. He wanted more after a first season in which he had scored six goals for Madrid and had ended up being one of the revelations of the European Championship.

But Ancelotti wasn't sure what to expect. He didn't play a single minute in any of the Champions League qualifiers , nor in the two Saudi Arabian Super Cup matches, and in February he went four consecutive matches without playing and several in which he barely featured. He grew desperate, and in Turkey they grew desperate with him, while Ancelotti publicly pleaded for " patience " from the player and those around him.

The "stick" to the environment

Now the situation is different. Ancelotti has given him minutes, and the Turk has responded. " Two months ago, I gave his entourage a hard time , and now I have to congratulate them because they've done a good job," said the Italian yesterday, pleased with the "natural progression" of his young talent. However, he has a message for those who have doubts about how he has managed the Turk's season and also that of the Brazilian Endrick , another of the players whose management he has received comments about.

"I have the responsibility to manage the squad, not the individual. Sometimes not getting playing time affects some players more than others, it's normal. They're young players (Endrick and Güler), and I've said it before, you have to sit on the bench to be an undisputed starter for Madrid," declared the Italian coach.

"Arda did well in the past, he's done well this year, and he'll do well in the coming years. He has the profile of an important player for Madrid, but I think the bench has embraced him very well; it hasn't bothered him, it's embraced him well ," he insisted, focusing on the player's physical work.

"He has a lot of quality and has worked hard; he's never lost confidence. It's clear that the Güler of September isn't the Güler of today. He's changed a lot, including his physical profile, where he's more forceful and maintains his quality. It's the normal progression of a young player at Real Madrid," he added.

The Turkish player's progress gives him a good chance of starting in the Montjuic derby against Barça, where Madrid, four points behind the Catalans, are playing for La Liga. "I have a clear team. Rodrygo had a fever for this game, but he will recover, and we have time to prepare for it. Güler will compete to be in the starting lineup," Ancelotti concluded.