Real Madrid Will Be Far More Functional Under Jose Mourinho

Real Madrid fans will be wondering what to expect from the team under Jose Mourinho this season.They want matches to be won in swashbuckling style but Mourinho's sides are renowned for functionality rather than flair

Mourinho's methods have brought him sustained success in Portugal, England and Italy and he will probably not be inclined to change them in Spain. The demands of Spanish football are a little different though and the kind of defensive performances upon which Inter Milan's successful Champions League campaign were built are much less likely to be tolerated at Real Madrid.

When it comes to winning silverware Mourinho has a proven track record and this is the main reason he has been brought to the Bernabeu. Two seasons without a league title are two too many for Real Madrid and the cub have not won the Champions League for almost a decade.

The expectation is that the arrival of the self proclaimed 'special one' will have an immediate impact with Real Madrid rapidly re-establishing themselves as the most dominant team in Spain. Mourinho has dealt with this level of expectation before, at Inter Milan he was expected to win the league and the Champions League and he duly delivered, throwing in a Coppa Italia for good measure. He never had a team of Barcelona's stature to contend with in Italy though and overtaking the reigning Spanish champions will be no easy task.

As if getting the better of Barcelona was not enough of a challenge for Mourinho he will also be expected to entertain Real Madrid fans with attractive free flowing football. The early signs are encouraging and Real Madrid have scored ten goals in three pre season friendlies. They have also conceded six goals in these three matches which must surely be a concern for Mourinho.

I suspect Mourinho will employ three central midfielders in order to give the side a more solid core with one of the usual two strikers making way to accommodate the additional man in midfield. No obvious replacement has been signed for either Raul or Ruud Van Nistelrooy who were both on the books this time last year and Real Madrid's previously excessive collection of strikers is being gradually depleted.

Meanwhile Mourinho has been busily stockpiling midfielders such as Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Pedro Leon and Angel Di Maria.The plan is presumably for the side to be able break fast while maintaining a solid defensive base and Leon and Di Maria will be able to provide some of the width which was missing last season.

Real Madrid's policy of acquiring the best players in the world regardless of which position they played in, or whether they would actually fit into the team, has finally been abandoned and the squad is already starting to look far more balanced as a result.

Mourinho will be looking to turn Real Madrid from a loose collection of mercurial superstars into a functional unit in which every player knows his role. There might be another arrival or two before the season starts and at least one central midfielder will need to be cut from the squad but Mourinho already has the basis of the side with which he will look to surpass Barcelona.

Goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been the Real Madrid number one for a decade and this situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. Despite intensive media speculation Ricardo Carvalho remains the only former player who Mourinho has signed and he will be joined in central defence by either Pepe or Raul Albiol. Sergio Ramos will start at right back with either Marcelo or Alvaro Arbeola at left back, although this is an area which Mourinho might still be looking to reinforce.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Di Maria will almost certainly be the first choice wingers but competition for places elsewhere in midfield is much more intense. Of last season's central midfielders only Xabi Alonso is still guaranteed his place in the team and new signings Ozil and Khedira could be thrust straight into the fray alongside him.

Gonzalo Higuain scored a career best 29 goals last season and is a virtual certainty to start up front meaning Karim Benzema will probably have to settle for a place on the bench. Where Kaka will fit in once he returns to fitness is anyone's guess although he could be used as an advanced central midfielder if Mourinho favours a more attacking formation.

The players could line up in a variety of formations varying from 4-3-3 if the wingers are pushed far enough forward to 4-2-3-1 if two defensive midfielders are employed. The traditional 4-4-2 formation is slowly becoming a thing of the past and although Real Madrid have used it in some recent friendlies Mourinho will probably dispense with it once the season starts. 

Mourinho knows that he will not get the better out of players like Higuain, Ronaldo, Kaka and Di Maria by burdening them with too many defensive duties. The rest of the side will probably be structured so as to provide a stable platform from which these flair players can perform.

Achieving the required results without compromising on the quality of the football will be the main challenge for Mourinho. If Real Madrid are not as easy on they eye this season it is essential that they compensate by being far more effective.

The tide of popular opinion at Real Madrid turns fast and Mourinho's side will have to hit the ground running this season. A more defensive approach will be tolerated only as long as the team are winning games. If results go against Mourinho the white handkerchiefs will soon be out.