Jose Mourinho talks Vinicius, Militao, Guler, Valverde ahead of Real Madrid vs Sevilla

Real Madrid once again had to fight against all odds to get a win when they travelled to the Italian capital to face AS Roma in their second UEFA Champions League game of the season. After going down 3-1 at one point in game, the Merengues fought their way back to a 3-4 win in the final few minutes of the match.

This win would have significantly boosted the team’s morale, and there is plenty of reason for Los Blancos’ fans to hope that their performance in that game will help the team turn around their form. However, they face another difficult test, this time in La Liga, as they will host Sevilla on Sunday.

As MARCA has reported, Jose Mourinho addressed his customary press conference ahead of this league match. The Portuguese coach admitted that some of his players are tired, but assured that they will be ready for the upcoming game:

We are tired, but not tomorrow. From what I’ve seen in the medical department, the players who played the most minutes are tired. Tomorrow is another day. We have good options at home to make some changes and bring in fresh legs. Sevilla are doing well, and they have been competitive in the matches they have lost. Luis García is doing a great job. They survived last season. We want to win.

The midfield been one of the main areas of problem for Real Madrid, and the coach was asked about his plans for this position:

I ask midfielders to be midfielders. I expect them to do the work a midfielder is supposed to do. Someone who only defends is limited. If they only attack, they would be better off playing out wide or as a No. 10. It is a very difficult position to play. To be a top player, you need a different level of quality.

Mourinho was highly criticial of Javier Tebas after his recent comments comparing Real Madrid TV to Nazi propaganda machines:

You’ve already seen what I think. He has ventured into an area where the only excuse would be a clinical condition. Madrid fans understand what Real Madrid are up against. Even considering the enormous prestige Spanish football enjoys abroad, the World Cup and the most prestigious club in the world, it is better that he keeps those comments to himself.

While praising Arda Guler, the Merengue coach did not reveal what position he is planning to play him in:

There is work being done. You find it difficult to give credit for the work. It seems that the more negative things have someone to blame, while the positive things are attributed to failure or luck. Arda is a very talented player; we know that. Obviously, he is not yet a finished product because he is 21. He has the attributes to play in several roles. I’m very happy with him.

The Portuguese tactician talked at some length about Vinicius Junior:

Let me ask you a question. Are your followers interested in what time we arrive at Valdebebas? Are people interested in that? And what about when we leave? It’s funny.

Vinícius had a very difficult match. Gasperini was primarily responsible for that because he attacked us down just one flank, with three men against Cucurella and him. It is difficult to make changes as a manager when some of the information doesn’t come through properly.

What annoyed me was the nature of the second goal, which came at a time when the match had settled down and was balanced. We knew how they pressed man-to-man, and Vini needed to protect the ball or win a foul in that situation. But that’s that. Nothing happened. I made five substitutions; it’s part of football. The intensity is extremely high, and it is difficult to play at 200 kilometres per hour for 90 minutes.

Vini’s future lies in working harder than those who get to play every match. Without making any promises, I think he will start on Wednesday in the Champions League. As for the four-match suspension, I’m happy because I thought he would receive a longer ban. I thought those hidden agendas would get him another one or two matches. We won’t discuss it any further.

Further commenting on the Brazilian forward, Mourinho assured that he is a very good individual to work with:

He is a spectacular young man, and it is very easy to have a good relationship with him. I like him a lot; he is fantastic. He has tremendous strength because he manages to live and survive with a smile on his face. If I were in his position, I probably wouldn’t still be here. This past summer, I would have forced a move to a country or a group of clubs and opponents where I would be respected.

Out of love for the club and the city, and because he believes things can improve, he renewed his contract and continues to smile. People can affect him negatively because he is human, but I don’t think anyone will be able to take that joy away from him.

The Real Madrid coach also shared his thoughts on meritocracy in his team and rued that he cannot play all the players:

I think we sometimes struggle to give credit to people who do things well. You hammer them when things go wrong. The credit belongs to the young lad who came on and gave everything. Look at the three goals from corners and how we won those corners. In 10 minutes, we had around seven corners because we were overwhelming them with our football.

There are many players who deserve to play. More than 11 deserve to play — there are 15 or 16. Lunin deserves to play, and I’m not joking. He works every day alongside the best goalkeeper in the world, stays positive, and still doesn’t play. I can’t put both of them on the pitch. It is the same story with outfield players.

We can all agree that the five players who came on and changed the match deserve to play tomorrow. But what about the others? Doesn’t Diomande deserve to play? Doesn’t Cucurella deserve to play? Doesn’t Valverde deserve to play? Doesn’t Mbappé deserve to play? That is what makes a manager’s job difficult. My colleagues who manage teams with fewer resources will say I’m lucky. It is both a blessing and a curse to have journalists like you, who make things more complicated.

The Portuguese coach also shared some good news and assured that he does not want any new players:

Militão will be in the squad tomorrow. The good thing is that I don’t have to name the squad just yet. I’m not asking for signings; I’m happy. The players are improving, especially when we have time and peace. I have to develop them.

I’m not in a position to ask for more players. I like having a small squad. For someone to come in, someone would have to leave. If the club’s management considers making a move, we will assess it, but I’m not taking the initiative to ask for players. I’m not asking for one or two signings.

When once again asked about Vinicius, Mourinho refused to reveal what he has told the player:

Those are private conversations. When I arrived, he renewed his contract and signed because he considers Madrid his home. He was excited about continuing to make history and win trophies. He gets along with everyone in the dressing room and brings a lot of joy. I have serious doubts that I would have had the strength to stay here with all the offers he had.

The Real Madrid coach also kept his cards close to his chest when asked about the positions of Guler and Valverde:

I’m here to do what I believe is best for the team. The day will come when polls or artificial intelligence pick the teams and managers are limited to working on the pitch. For now, we are still the ones who select the teams.

I’m not talking about criticism or opinions; I don’t consider those opinions more valuable than the manager’s. A manager who is not open-minded is limited. At the same time, I believe a manager who simply follows polls and opinions is not really a manager.

I’m not stubborn. I’m open to the opinions of my staff and to analysis. Can I change my mind? Yes, but I can do so based on my own analysis and work. I always want to improve. A match lasts 90 minutes and has many nuances and different phases. The five substitutions are important from a tactical perspective.

This was quite an interesting press conference from Jose Mourinho, with several of his comments standing out. However, the best part of this presser was his confirmation that Eder Militao is ready to return to availability. Hopefully, the defender will continue to regain fitness and return to his best level in the coming few weeks to help Real Madrid as the season advances.