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Asier Illarramendi has not had an easy time during his first season with Real Madrid, but he hasn't been that bad either. While some expected a bit more out of Illarramendi after Real Madrid paid 32M€ to sign him away from Real Sociedad, his lack of confidence and Alonso's good form after recovering from his pubalgia finally kept him out for most of Real Madrid's games. But still, when he's played as a deep midfielder -his natural position- he has shown potential. He's not Xabi Alonso yet, but he's definitely a much better player than his central midfielder version.
Carlo Ancelotti and the board know how hard it is for a young player to perform well in his first season with Real Madrid and will give Illarramendi a chance next season. With a full preseason -he was injured during the summer of 2013- and some confidence, Illarramendi can grow into the player everyone expected.