What’s the Matter With? Jose Mourinho this time
Published:Jose Mourinho is never one to avoid confrontation, having his issues with Jorge Valdano, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos previously at Real Madrid.
His latest fall out comes with the manager of Real Madrid Castilla (the second team) Alberto Toril, following criticism that Mourinho is not bringing any of the club’s youngsters through to the first team.
Mourinho’s retaliation was to throw Toril out of training and then lay into him slightly ahead of the Copa Del Rey clash away at Alcoyano, which Real Madrid are 1/6 to win.
This is the sort of game that Mourinho could take a look at some talented youngsters, especially with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Ramos and Pepe left out of the travelling squad.
However, Mourinho raised an interesting point in relation to the purpose of the second string in that Toril needs to be utilising a similar system to the first team.
Barcelona’s tiqui-taca style is played up and down their youth ranks and the benefit is that if a youngster does deserve a first-team call up, he will already be familiar with the playing style.
At Real Madrid, Moril is employing a different formation with his team, which makes it tougher for Mourinho to call youngsters up.
The step up to the first team presents enough of an issue in terms of nerves and pressure, let alone if a player also has to adapt instantly to a new position in a different style.
The aim of all reserve and youth teams must surely be to develop players for the first team and therefore playing the same system and style seems imperative to make the change-over as seamless as possible.
Mourinho hit the nail on the head with his press conference statement: “Toril needs to decide if it is more important to finish seventh as opposed to eighth in his league or help the first team.”
Brendan Rodgers has already began to give youth more of a chance at Liverpool and undoubtedly he will be enforcing his preferred passing style on the whole club in hope of laying some foundations for the future.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
