Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed the possibility of abandoning his system after growing criticism from fans and pundits, insisting "we won't be changing our identity."
Madrid surrendered top spot in La Liga at the weekend after the lost 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona romped to a 6-1 win at home to Rayo Vallecano.
The form of the BBC -- Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo -- has been brought into question, with over 90 percent of respondents to an AS poll calling on Ancelotti to switch back to a traditional 4-4-2.
More than 32 percent of respondents said Madrid should drop Ronaldo, though Bale was the man most wanted to see make way, attracting 46.1 percent of the vote.
But Ancelotti is standing firm on his tactics, with his team having gone on a Spanish-record run of 22 consecutive wins through to the turn of the year.
"While they are working well together, nothing will change because they have given so much to this team," Ancelotti said at his news conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League date with Schalke at the Bernabeu. "I have total faith in them, there is no doubt at all about that.
"They have suffered a slump in form but not all three of them. The team hasn't been helping the forwards as much as they should.
"We won't be changing our identity because it has produced results for us and it's the system that we're all comfortable with. When I make changes to the midfield, it's to give the team more balance or to inject freshness but the system, whether we're playing 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, remains the same."
When asked what is going wrong for his side right now, the Italian said: "I've already explained -- we are labouring too long with the ball, we're spending too long on the ball in midfield and we're not moving it about quick enough.
"Our movement and distribution has to be quicker and we're not making the most of the quality of our forwards. After that, the movement of our front three needs to adapt so that we can get the ball forward quicker."
Ancelotti also revealed that wonderkid Martin Odegaard will remain with the B team for the time being, while Sergio Ramos should be back in action at the weekend. Sami Khedira is part of the squad while Luka Modric will make the bench.
Schalke, meanwhile, are aware that they are nothing but clear outsiders having lost 2-0 at home to Madrid last month -- but they intend to give a good account of themselves.
"It's definitely not only a trip to make pictures of the Bernabeu," midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta told the club's official website. "When you play Real Madrid you also want to show a good match."
"Nothing is impossible in football," captain Benedikt Howedes said.
At the weekend, a 3-1 victory against TSG Hoffenheim ended another unfolding crisis at the Gelsenkirchen club, and also kept the club in the race for Champions League qualification next season. The three points at the Veltins Arena were down to youngster Max Meyer, who not only scored a brace, but gave Schalke some much need inspiration.
"Because of the first leg, it's sadly unrealistic that we will advance," the 19-year-old Meyer said. On Tuesday, with Kevin-Prince Boateng suspended, Meyer should win his second consecutive start, and he vowed that Schalke are in Madrid "to get the best possible result."