Real Madrid News
Real Madrid having doubts about 27-year-old star’s attacking ability and form – report
Marcelo’s departure from Real Madrid left a void that was seemingly impossible to fill. A young talent from France stepped forward and took the burden of sealing that gap, but with every passing week, it becomes clearer that it is not Ferland Mendy’s cup of tea.
Truth be told, the left-back has not done much wrong. He has been solid defensively for Los Blancos throughout his spell in Madrid but just lacks the X-factor going forward which is a necessity for any fullback at Real Madrid.
According to reports from ABC (h/t Madrid Xtra), Real Madrid are now having serious second thoughts on Ferland Mendy. They are unsure about not only his attacking ability but his overall form this season.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Los Blancos were eyeing Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich as a possible recruitment for 2024 to help solidify the position. However, a move for him seems unlikely as Die Roten will not sell him.
At the same time, Real Madrid are also considering re-signing Fran Garcia from Rayo Vallecano following his impressive showing in La Liga over the past year.
As for Mendy, he has played 11 La Liga games for Real Madrid this season and has provided just one assist in that period. Further, he averages merely one key pass per game.
He was not called up to the French National Team for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last month, and it is clear that his stocks have gone down.
While manager Carlo Ancelotti trusts him, the Frenchman will have to up his game immediately post the restart of club football to convince everyone behind the scenes that he can continue to be Real Madrid’s first-choice left-back for years to come.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
