Mourinho wants his full-backs to play an attacking style in every match. Jaime Marcos, psychologist: “Mourinho’s style can motivate players, but that approach sometimes also carries a great risk.”
We already saw glimpses in the practice match against Alcorcón of what Mourinho wants from his full-backs: maximum attacking depth. He asked this of Arnold and Carreras , whom he wanted to see almost as wingers at times, making very deep runs. And he’s going to ask the same of Dumfries and Cucurella when they rejoin training after their holidays. It’s fundamental to the manager’s philosophy, because he wants the full-backs to contribute to the attack whenever they have the opportunity .
It’s a fairly attacking approach, although everything will depend on the context of the match, because there are players like Vinícius Júnior who are very effective at getting past the opposing full-backs. And he’s not the only one, because the same thing happens with Kylian Mbappé when he drifts wide, or with Diomande, if his signing is ultimately completed. Therefore, they’ll have to find a balance in these overlapping runs from the full-backs, who will be a huge asset to the team at times, while at other times it will be better for them to hold their positions. That’s something they need to work on very carefully with the coaching staff.
Happy with the resources
For the moment, José Mourinho is very happy having Marc Cucurella, Álvaro Carreras, Dumfries, and Trent at full-back . He believes they are all very interesting players who can perform well for Real Madrid’s first team. What they need is to be in good physical condition to reach their full potential, and for the players around them to be in the same situation. In that case, and with tactical work, their performance level will surely improve significantly next season.
It will not be a defensive team.
Although Mourinho prioritizes building a solid defense to become a winning team, the manager doesn’t want to abandon an attacking approach. He has many talented players who can be adventurous, and therefore he won’t forgo attacking whenever possible. However, he cannot allow the same defensive weaknesses as in recent seasons, when any opponent could trouble Real Madrid. For this reason, he is focused on improving the defense.
The club is working intensely to ensure Real Madrid once again has the best team in the world , and there’s a strong possibility it will happen. With new signings, departures, and the motivation to win again after two consecutive years without major trophies… there’s a real sense of excitement to see Real Madrid become champions.
