Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward likes social media post about Mourinho returning to the Bernabeu
With Alvaro Arbeloa’s future uncertain, Real Madrid have been linked with quite a few managers in the transfer market.
One of them is Jose Mourinho, the SL Benfica coach who is still the name on everyone’s lips, 13 years after his spell at Real Madrid came to an end.
During his stint at Los Blancos, Mourinho had played a key role in the rise of Cristiano Ronaldo and in creating a terrifying attack consisting of the Portuguese international and Mesut Ozil.
Now, with Mourinho once again being linked to Real Madrid, even though he does not seem to enjoy it much, Real Madrid fan blogs and football pages have already started thinking about what the team would look like under the Portuguese tactician.
Mbappe hints at desire to play with Mourinho
One such post from the Score 90 account, which boasts millions of followers, drew a direct comparison between Mourinho’s 2012 Real Madrid and the current squad.
The post highlighted how Ronaldo’s goalscoring numbers reached extraordinary levels under the Portuguese coach, before posing a question: Could Mourinho unlock a similar transformation in Kylian Mbappe?
The post clearly caught the attention of the French forward himself. Mbappe liked the post, a gesture that has been interpreted widely as a sign of openness towards the idea of Mourinho taking the reins at the Bernabeu this summer.
The fans were quick to point out Mbappe’s reaction in the comments section.
Mourinho’s record at Real Madrid speaks for itself: a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup across three seasons, combined with the second-highest win rate of any manager in the club’s history.
With two seasons without major trophies now weighing heavily on the club, the case for experience is growing louder by the day, and it will be interesting to see if Mourinho is the answer.
Jose Mourinho is looking for solutions to Real Madrid’s problems, and the extended international break has given him time to analyse the team in depth.
Now, according to Defensa Central, one of the conclusions from his assessment concerns Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler, the players Mourinho believes should be central to the team’s football.
Although they operate in different positions, the manager wants all four to take a step forward on the pitch.
He wants them to push their lines higher and move closer to the opposition penalty area, believing this would help Real Madrid both defensively and offensively.
Mourinho wants to pin opponents inside their own box
Mourinho wants Real Madrid’s play to go through Bellingham, Valverde, Bernardo and Guler, but he has also asked them to start creating attacks much closer to the opposition area and to link up more closely with the forwards.
The idea is to make the team more compact in possession and force opponents deeper into their own half.
If Real Madrid’s midfield can build play much higher up the pitch, opponents will have to retreat. That would allow Mourinho’s side to improve their pressing, make it more effective and increase the volume of attacks.
As a result, Real Madrid should create considerably more opportunities to score.
A compact Real Madrid for 90 minutes
Mourinho wants his team to stay together and remain compact throughout the full 90 minutes, rather than doing so only in short periods.
Defensively, this would reduce the spaces available for opponents to build their attacks and could force them to play more directly, looking to exploit the space behind the defensive line.
That is an area where the pace and defensive ability of Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries, alongside Aurelien Tchouameni, can provide protection.
The same compactness could also benefit Real Madrid in attack by keeping opponents pinned back. Mourinho wants to use the quality of his players to create a greater number of dangerous situations.
Mourinho’s idea is that Real Madrid’s most talented players must push the team forward and help them put opponents under pressure much closer to the box.
