English Premier League
Mourinho’s Real Madrid revolution signals end of rigid midfield approach
Jose Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid is already bringing a major tactical change, with Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler helping to move the side away from the rigid, physically demanding double-pivot system associated with the Portuguese manager’s earlier teams.
The shift has emerged during pre-season, before Real Madrid have played their first competitive match of the new La Liga campaign. A series of tactical experiments has offered an indication of Mourinho’s new approach, which analyst Aritz Gabilondo described as the manager’s “real footballing change” during the El Larguero programme on Cadena SER.
Speaking on Sanedrin alongside Alvaro Benito, Gabilondo said Mourinho had moved away from the ideas that previously defined his teams, particularly the use of a fixed and powerful double defensive midfield.
“In the previous era, it would have been impossible to see Bernardo Silva playing as the second holding midfielder alongside Tchouameni,” Gabilondo said. “He is a player who is less than 1.70 metres tall and physically light. That would have been impossible in Mourinho’s tough era.”
Bernardo Silva is now expected to operate in a deeper midfield role alongside Aurelien Tchouameni, despite being a technically gifted player who does not fit the physical profile traditionally associated with that position under Mourinho.
Gabilondo stressed that the change was not an isolated decision involving Silva, but part of a wider philosophy that Mourinho has been developing since the final years of his time at Benfica. The manager has increasingly used an attacking midfielder positioned close to the deeper midfielder, rather than relying exclusively on a physically imposing pair at the base of midfield.
The same principle has been applied to Arda Guler. The Turkey international has been used slightly deeper, behind Jude Bellingham, allowing him to support the central midfielder while remaining involved in the construction of attacks.
According to Gabilondo, that role would have been viewed by the earlier version of Mourinho as an unnecessary and potentially dangerous risk. The use of Silva and Guler in more withdrawn positions therefore represents a significant departure from the methods that once shaped the manager’s strongest teams.
Gabilondo believes Bernardo Silva’s place in the starting line-up for Real Madrid’s first match, against Espanyol on Saturday, should be regarded as certain. The fixture is expected to provide the first competitive test of Mourinho’s new midfield model.
Real Madrid will begin their season from the second round of La Liga after their opening-round match was postponed. As a result, they go into the campaign one match behind and three points adrift of their rivals, adding pressure to Mourinho’s attempt to demonstrate that his return has involved more than a change in personality.
The early evidence suggests the manager wants to prove that his evolution is visible in his football as well as in his public approach. Readers can discuss the issue and other football news in greater depth on the Kooora forums.
