Jose Mourinho: A New Side to the "Special One"

I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking Jose Mourinho might not be the ideal candidate to take the reigns at the Santiago Bernabeu.

I would never question the quality and ability the Portuguese manager has, but I think it is pretty fair to say his teams are never the most attractive to watch.

Chelsea were a hardworking and talented side under Mourinho, but never particularly flashy, with Internazionale the Italian league is a very tactical competition anyway and ‘total football’ just isn’t on the agenda in Serie A, while earlier in his career Porto were an efficient but not a particularly attractive side.

Chelsea had not enjoyed the success of winning the league when Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge, so the supporters, quite rightly, weren’t too bothered by how he did it.  Real Madrid are a different prospect altogether, though. The Real faithful not only want success; they also want entertaining football (they’re a fickle lot, eh?).

However, when asked about how the fans want to see both successful sides and entertaining football, he said: "Me as well, let them have no doubt about that."

"My Madrid will always play well, attack, and be winners. However, there will be times when we will have to face the game in a different manner...Having said that, my team always goes out on the pitch with a clear idea: to win. If we are winning 3-1 and we only have 10 players on the pitch, then my players will have to sit back to defend. That's the way it is.”

I’ve probably been a bit unfair so far, so I’ll redress the balance a bit. To say Mourinho’s sides don’t play entertaining football is ridiculous. Of course he can forge a side capable of passing the ball around and we saw some exceptional tactical displays when he was in charge of Chelsea, but as the "special one" himself states—winning comes first and entertainment comes second.

It will be very interesting to see just how the former Chelsea boss gets on in Madrid. Considering they’ve been overshadowed by Barcelona in the last two years, the supporters may be less concerned with how the team plays as long as they’re keeping up with their Catalan rivals. 

I hope it works out for Mourinho in Spain. The guy is a top personality and a brilliant coach, there is little doubt about that. I’m pretty confident he can find the balance between flair and efficiency. La Liga will be a much better competition next season with a strong Real side, and Pep Guardiola and Mourinho could develop a fantastic "Ferguson Vs Wenger" type rivalry if we’re lucky.

Meanwhile, with World Cup 2010 nearly upon us, make sure you check out the latest World Cup Betting articles to help you decide who to back in South Africa this summer.