Mourinho's debut; Madrid flopped against penniless Mallorca

• zocoss

  29 Aug 10, 11:56

  Mourinho: I've not come to Madrid to be a Real loser

  

  
  

  
  
  

   

   

  Jose Mourinho brutally accepts that to avert crisis talks at Real Madrid this season he will have to win La Liga and the Champions League.

  “Failure is unthinkable,” said Mourinho as he prepares for his new club’s opening league fixture of the season at Real Mallorca this evening.

  He told Sunday Mirror Sport: “I love pressure and thrive under a challenge and they don’t come any bigger than this.

  “I have not come to Madrid to be a loser.

  “Naturally I have confidence in my own ability.

  “I have a proven track record of success. I did it at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan.

  “I will do it at Real Madrid as well. If I didn’t feel I could ­deliver I wouldn’t be here.

  “Naturally the expectations are high and people expect Madrid to be a success under me. But I can live with that.”

  Mourinho’s analysis is spot on After leading Inter Milan to Serie A and Champions League glory he was ­persuaded to move to the Bernabeu.

  A year earlier Madrid had flashed their chequebook and spent £250million on new players as they indulged coach Manuel Pelligrini.

  The spending spree failed and arch-rivals Barcelona ­retained the domestic crown.

  Mourinho had been ­recruited before Pellegrini had even left the building. The former Chelsea ­manager signed a four-year contract worth a staggering £44m.

  Yet Mourinho insisted: “Money doesn’t motivate me. I just look at a project and if it’s challenging and ­demanding enough I’ll consider taking it on.

  “It has been a difficult ­pre-season taking into account we have six new players at the club and a new coach.

  “Tactically we have not been able to adjust to a new style of play under the circumstances, but I have no doubt in the ­ability of this team and what can be achieved.

  “This is a very young squad, but full of quality.”

  Mourinho – aiming to be the first man to win titles in three major European leagues – is also well aware that Spain is on a sporting high.

  The national team that won the European ­Championship returned from South Africa as World Cup winners.

  Nowhere has the honour of being the finest football nation on the planet been celebrated more than in Madrid.

  Mourinho can recognise the confidence coursing through Spanish football veins.

  And he also has a certain Portuguese star called ­Cristiano Ronaldo to add even more style to his team’s ­attack.He said: “We have European champions, World Cup ­winners and Ballon d’Or ­players.

  “We have the ­emotional quality needed to play in any competition.

  “What matters is that we have room to grow, to be solid and to play at a medium-high level while being consistent in our style and results.

  “I am satisfied with our work so far and we will improve with time. It will be easier to improve by winning games.”

  Despite the burden of ­expectations lying heavily on the players’ shoulders, ­Mourinho insists that they are hungry for success.

  He added: “The players want to win. Despite what many people think, these players are not in a comfort zone just because they are playing for Real Madrid.

  “It’s completely the opposite – the players want to win and to improve.

  “It’s a team I like to work with. It’s not a perfect team, nor is it a team that has just been put together, but it is a pleasure working with the players here.

  “I have been here just over three months and I can have no complaints. The players are working well and know what I require from them.

  “I want teams to feel nervous and under pressure when they play us.

  “If the opposition fear us then that is half the ­battle, anything is achievable.”

  Only success will do as Mourinho chases football’s equivalent of the Grand Slam.

   

• Poignant

  29 Aug 10, 14:50

  it rhythms!

• dragg

  29 Aug 10, 15:46

  i hope he wins it at Real too.

  even if he doesnt he is still the best coz he won it with different teams.

   

• voltrons.

  29 Aug 10, 16:41

  well, give him some time.

  i believe he can do what he has done in the past three clubs.

  :D

• dukedracula

  30 Aug 10, 00:18

  this guy has a winner's mentality, albeit abrasive personality...will give it to him for willing to move out of his comfort zone...unlike wenger, die die stay at arsenal playing fiddle to the top two, fergie may be a legend at manu but even he may not be willing to try his luck else where....

• zocoss

  30 Aug 10, 11:15

  Real Mallorca 0 Real Madrid 0: Jose Mourinho's debut a damp squib with Special One already playing catch up to Barcelona
  

   

  

  His usual quiet self: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho on the touchline

   

   

  It was Jose Mourinho 0 Barcelona 1 in Spain as Real Madrid flopped against penniless Mallorca while Pep Guardiola's champions cantered to a 3-0 win. 

  Asked about already trailing the Champions in the table Mourinho said: 'We play Barcelona twice a season not every week and I need to concentrate on what we do, not them. We spent 45 minutes in their half and you can't say that we didn't have chances; we had three or four.  

  'One thing is a finished product like Barcelona; another is a team in construction. I don't think this is a drama. Of course I would like us to be ahead of Barcelona, not behind but Mallorca drew - congratulations to them.'

  Madrid could easily have come away from Mallorca with a point against opposition who spent the summer in administration while Mourinho brought in six new players.

  Without an heroic tackle from last man Ricardo Carvalho on Fernando Cavenaghi late in the second half it could have been a three point gap that Barcelona opened up with their victory over Racing Santander that came courtesy of goals from Leo Messi, Andres Iniesta and David Villa.  

  Cristiano Ronaldo had Real's best first-half chances, peppering the Mallorca goal with three first half efforts and shooting wide when put through by Karem Benzema late on, but Mourinho will now hope the club change their mind about ignoring his petition for a striker before the transfer window closes on Monday.  

  
   

  

  Firing blanks: Cristiano Ronaldo missed several chances for Madrid

   

   

  He didn't take the points but he did take all the attention ahead of the big kick-off. When he went for his customary pre-match wander on to the pitch and all the lenses pointed his way ignoring the £200million worth of warming-up to his right. 

  Mourinho has told his squad that reputations count for nothing from now on and the first team selection of the new season reflected that. Two big signings - German World Cup stars Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira - were left out and 19-year-old Sergio Canales was picked to start.  

  'The fact that he started the first match reinforces my message to the players that with me in charge it's not the one with the most prestige who plays, or the one who has most status, or the one who cost the most money,' said Mourinho  

  
   

  

  Debut: Real Madrid's new Argentina winger Angel di Maria

   

  

  Benched: Mesut Ozil did not start

   

   

  It was Canales who showed the early intensity that Mourinho is demanding of his players in the opening exchanges closing down Mallorca defenders and combining with Ronaldo who had three first half shots on Dudu Aouate's goal. 

  But Ronaldo's efforts whistled wide and with Argentine World Cup stars Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain struggling to hold the ball up Madrid were sucked into a dogfight with a Mallorca side playing their first match under new coach Michael Laudrup.

  Winger Chori Castro could have sent Mourinho down the tunnel 1-0 down at half time but his effort just before half time after quick break following a mistake from Sergio Ramos went just wide.  

  The second half started as the first half ended with another lucky escape for Madrid as Victor headed Emilio N'Sue's cross just over Ronaldo forced a save from Aouate with a vicious free-kick but there was little to suggest Mourinho's Madrid were about to make the breakthrough and it was panic-stations on the hour when Karem Benzema and Ozoñ came on and Real switched to 4-4-2. 

  Mallorca had further chances and Casillas had to save smartly from Jonathan De Guzman. Ronaldo, Benzema and Higuain then all missed late chances as Mourinho took his frustration out on the fourth official leaving his technical area as the referee's assistant appeared to hold up the taking-up of a Madrid throw in the dying seconds.

   

• dragg

  30 Aug 10, 11:32

  Originally posted by dukedracula:

  this guy has a winner's mentality, albeit abrasive personality...will give it to him for willing to move out of his comfort zone...unlike wenger, die die stay at arsenal playing fiddle to the top two, fergie may be a legend at manu but even he may not be willing to try his luck else where....

  i agree with you.

  fergie may be have won many trophies with man u  but he has not proven his worth elsewhere.  in fact he has not won many trophies outside england.

• SGporkz

  30 Aug 10, 12:17

  he is overrated.