"A big gift": Mourinho mocks the fixture schedule and settles his stance on Trent Alexander-Arnold
José Mourinho has come out swinging ahead of Real Madrid's eagerly awaited trip to Racing Santander, scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, at El Sardinero in the eleventh round of the Spanish league. The Portuguese coach tackled a host of hot topics, from the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold and the thinking behind his tactical calls to his frustration at fixture congestion and a run of away games.
Asked about the press conference reports that Trent could be weighing up a move in the upcoming winter window, Mourinho insisted his decisions always serve the team, even when they leave players unhappy.
"Firstly, it is painful," he said. "I do not like stirring up negative feelings among players, I prefer positive feelings to prevail. It is obvious that I do not like building a team with two players in every position and then being forced to field a third player, but there are things more important than these feelings, which is the interest of the team at that moment."
"I saw that the time had come to make a change in midfield and field Valverde, and my thinking was focused on the interest of the team, not on the players' calculations," he added. "And when I explained to Trent and Dumfries that the decision was not directed against either of them, but rather came to serve the team, I received a positive reaction from both of them."
Everyone would get their minutes, he promised. "Valverde will not start tomorrow, but one of the other players will play from the beginning. And in the Barcelona match, I brought on Dumfries due to certain circumstances, while Trent played for a few minutes, and I do not think either of them will ask me to let him go."
Mourinho rounded off the subject by pointing to the brutal demands of the current season, the pile-up of fixtures, the suspensions, the fatigue and the injuries. "With all these circumstances, everyone will get their chance in the end, and I do not think I will face a similar situation throughout the season."
Mourinho responds to accusations of being defensive
Has he grown bolder over the years, or does he still lean on defensive caution? Mourinho laughed off the question. "I have become more balanced, in the sense that I no longer care what others say. Criticism no longer affects me, and if they say I did this or that at Barcelona, I no longer believe those accounts."
"Honestly, I still believe that the credit for what was achieved at Barcelona goes to the players," he added. "And if I leave a match feeling that I contributed to achieving something, I am very happy. But I have become completely balanced, I am neither bolder nor less so than before."
His reputation as a defensive coach, the Real Madrid boss argued, has never matched reality, and he reached for the attacking numbers from one of his earlier spells to prove it. "The defensive coach I was in my beginnings is the same one who led a team to collect 100 points and score 120 goals or more. And I hope to achieve the same number of points and goals during the current season."
The biggest change, he stressed, is a willingness to embrace new ideas rather than dig in for the sake of it. "What distinguishes me is that I am not stubborn. I am open to studying and drawing conclusions from what I see, hear and discuss. And sometimes it is not only about listening, but about trying to sense what the players offer on the pitch. That is all."
He signed off on his philosophy with a line about temperament. "I am calm, and I want my team to be calm too, exactly as I like."
The fixture schedule provokes Mourinho's anger
The run of games away from the Bernabéu clearly rankles. Mourinho made no secret of his displeasure, insisting that travelling piles on extra challenges, not least the backing opponents get from their own crowds.
"It is obvious that the matter is difficult, as every match carries its own danger, whether we play at home or away," he said. "But it is natural to take into account the opposing team's supporters when we play matches away from our stadium, because opponents feel more comfortable with their fans behind them."
"Racing is a team that has not lost at home, and when we travel to Athens, AEK Athens will have played the derby against Panathinaikos tomorrow, and therefore it may arrive at our match in high spirits or going through a crisis," he added.
A Wednesday match, a Thursday morning landing, then the familiar grind. "The difficulties we are well aware of accumulate," he continued. "It will be extremely difficult, but this is where our ability to adapt and our desire to deal intelligently with the circumstances show."
The travel was one gripe. The schedule was another. Mourinho reckoned his side had been handed an exceptional raw deal through shifted kick-off dates. "I think we are facing an almost unique situation, playing four consecutive matches away from our stadium."
He finished with a sharp dig at the organisers. "Regarding the fixture schedule, we were supposed to play yesterday and then today, and we were also supposed to face Valencia on Sunday instead of Saturday. They compressed the schedule by two days, and 3 matches were scheduled in 7 days. It is a great gift they gave us, whether from the Spanish league association or the television channels, I do not know, but it is a gift we have to accept."
