Real Madrid News
Mourinho must sacrifice one of two Real Madrid established stars to accommodate summer signing
One of the many players Real Madrid signed back in the summer was Bernardo Silva, who arrived as a free agent from Manchester City.
He began looking like one of the possible solutions for Madrid’s early-season problems in the absence of Aurelien Tchouameni.
However, he has seen his minutes diminish in recent games and finding a place in Jose Mourinho’s preferred XI doesn’t come without its challenges.
According to AS, Bernardo’s most natural route into the midfield would mean dropping either Fede Valverde or Aurelien Tchouameni.
The problem is that both are considered about as close to “untouchable” as anyone in Mourinho’s squad.
Bernardo offers something Madrid have been missing
The Portuguese midfielder’s absence was especially evident in the 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid, when their inability to control possession and dictate the rhythm of the game was again exposed.
Bernardo only played the final 15 minutes, but his introduction coincided with Madrid’s strongest period despite being reduced to 10 men.
It was a small sample, but an intriguing one. Bernardo was not necessarily signed to become Madrid’s primary creator.
Yet his enormous experience operating centrally for Manchester City means Mourinho has an obvious option if he wants greater composure in possession.
Of Bernardo’s 460 appearances for City, 264 came in midfield roles, around 57 percent of his total.
Valverde and Tchouameni complicate the equation
Getting him into the Madrid XI regularly is much harder.
Bernardo started the opening two league games against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, but has since started only once, against Rayo Vallecano.
He enters the international break with 282 minutes this season. The report outlines that this is because of the presence of Tchouameni and Valverde.
Both offer physicality, defensive security and tactical qualities that become particularly valuable in a side containing so many attack-minded players.
That leaves Mourinho with a dilemma. Madrid need more control, especially against opponents like Atletico Madrid.
Bernardo might provide precisely that, but adding creativity cannot come at the expense of completely destabilising the midfield.
The Portuguese tactician needs to come up with some other way of incorporating the control he brings without sacrificing his double pivot.
Bernardo has an important role to play for Los Blancos and it remains to be seen how Jose plans on using him after the international break.
Real Madrid News
English legend backs Real Madrid star to become one of the all-time greats: ‘He’s got everything’
Jude Bellingham has spent the past fortnight as the most talked-about footballer in England, and the superlatives show no sign of slowing down.
A masterclass in the Nations League, a clutch of records and a second straight Player of the Year award has not gone unnoticed in English footballing media.
Now one of the English game’s most respected voices has added his name to the growing list of believers.
Lineker backs Bellingham
Asked whether Bellingham can go on to become one of the greatest players of all time, England legend Gary Lineker left no room for doubt.
“Yes, I’ve been saying it for a long time now. If he avoids serious injury or falls of the rails which he won’t I’m sure.
“He’s so good at football, he’s got everything. He’s a superstar and carries himself like a superstar,” he said (h/t Track Radio).
The verdict chimes comes in the midst of a wider chorus of acclaim in recent days. Roy Keane tipped him to become one of the greatest of all time after the Croatia rout, with Ian Wright and Micah Richards among others queuing up to praise him.
Backed by the numbers
The acclaim for Bellingham comes on the back of an extraordinary international break for Bellingham.
Against Croatia, Bellingham scored one and created three in the 7-0 win, becoming the first England player to record four goal involvements in a single game since David Platt in 1993.
He finished the window with one goal and four assists and was named UEFA’s Player of the Round.
That international excellence has carried over to the Bernabeu, where he has settled into a free number 10 role under Jose Mourinho and sits as the club’s joint-leading creator.
Bellingham was part of Real Madrid’s recent 1-0 win over Villarreal as well, and was unlucky not to register an assist when Vinicius Jr.’s goal was disallowed.
The Englishman will be looking to make an impact once again when Real Madrid take on AS Roma this Wednesday.
