'They are NOT READY TO WIN' - Craig Burley 😳 Is Mourinho the solution? | ESPN FC

0:01 Hello, welcome into the latest edition of ESPNFC.

0:04 K Murray, Craig Burley,

0:05 Shaka Hisop here in the studio over in Barcelona ahead of Eláico.

0:09 We've got Luis Garcia and Alejandro Moreno.

0:12 And coming to us from Madrid,

0:13 our Spanish football correspondent and Madrid correspondent,

0:17 Alex Kirkland, who we very much

0:18 the fighting capital of Madrid, it seems.

0:21 Don't use that today.

0:22 No, no, no.

0:23 I'm staying out of it.

0:24 Don't throw a left hook at me or a left jab.

0:27 So, that's one of the topics.

0:27 There's another one today because we've heard of Jose Mourinho's

0:30 name being linked with a return to Real Madrid, Alex,

0:33 but it does seem to be that he is emerging

0:36 as a serious contender right now and those reports have got stronger today.

0:40 Is this going to happen?

0:44 Yeah, multiple reports today as you say K that there has been

0:47 direct contact with Mourinho with his agent George Mendes that Mourinho has

0:51 even been informed about what's been going on behind the scenes

0:54 at Real Madrid in terms of that dressing room bust up this week.

0:57 We had said he was one of the names that's being discussed,

1:00 a name that was on the the short list.

1:02 It does feel like it's becoming more of a reality now.

1:05 And I've got to say after just a a bizarre, you know,

1:08 mad week here in Madrid in terms of what's going on in that dressing room,

1:12 I don't know about you, you kind of get to the point where you think, well,

1:14 may maybe Jose is the answer as as as as wild

1:18 as it sounded when his name was first linked because look,

1:20 he has been kind of, you know,

1:22 in the relative wilderness as a coach for the last sort of decade or so.

1:26 Hasn't been winning things.

1:27 Hasn't been a topline manager given the mess that there

1:30 is to sort out here at the Bernard Beu.

1:33 you know, like I say, you're going to get to a point where you like,

1:35 well, yeah, may maybe this is the the way forward.

1:37 We don't know.

1:38 We can't report here at ESPN that this is kind

1:40 of a a done deal yet that he is the guy,

1:43 but certainly no question right now, given what we're hearing,

1:46 it looks like he is the the best placed candidate to take charge this summer.

1:49 What do you think of these links, Craig?

1:52 Well, it's not exactly progressive, is it?

1:55 Do you think it's what they need at the moment,

1:56 though, with what's going on there?

1:58 Well, I don't know because, you know, Jo Mourinho is not going to, you know,

2:01 he he likes to butt heads as well,

2:04 excuse the pun with all that's going on, but he

2:06 he does like to to butt heads with players.

2:09 And look, he could go in and is he as calm a man manager as Carlo Angelotti?

2:17 No.

2:19 No.

2:19 He's much more robust.

2:21 He's much more confrontational.

2:24 And you know if the likes of anes Junior and others

2:27 are not pulling their weight or they're not working hard

2:30 enough or results are not going their way there's not

2:33 going to be enough buses for everybody to get thrown under.

2:35 So you know Joy Mourinho at one point Porto Chelsea Real Madrid

2:40 enter was arguably at that point the best manager on the planet.

2:46 He walked into Chelsea.

2:47 He said, "I'm the special one." And he was

2:49 at the time he was and he did some great things.

2:52 But as Alec mentioned, Alex mentioned the last years,

2:56 I don't know how many years, he has been in the wilderness.

2:58 He hasn't had that midas touch.

3:00 He hasn't been able to get the same out of certain players,

3:03 albeit he's managed teams at a slightly lower level.

3:06 When you think about, you know, his time in in in Turkey,

3:11 his time in England, when he went to Tottenham, there's been other jobs.

3:15 Uh, so it's not the same Mourinho that's walking

3:17 back in who walked into Real Madrid the last time.

3:20 So I can't answer this question if all of a sudden Jose Mourinho is going to be

3:25 this marvelously calming influence in the dressing room

3:28 which he hasn't really been for quite some time.

3:31 So I think Alex word for the week in Madrid is correct.

3:35 Bizarre and this falls into that category a little bit.

3:39 I I I have to say you asked me this two weeks ago.

3:41 It makes absolutely no sense.

3:43 But to to Alex's point, um well,

3:46 kind of given Jose Mourinho being out in the wilderness

3:49 is a term that's being used um having a decent season,

3:53 undefeated season with with Benfica.

3:55 And then given what you saw in the tie between Real Madrid

3:58 and Benfica in the Champions League uh earlier this season with Pristiani

4:01 and Venicious Junior and how Paul Jose Mourinho handled that, it it

4:06 seemed even more a far a far shot in in in that regard.

4:12 But everything you've seen this week,

4:14 it it just screams that it needs a disciplinarian.

4:16 And while Craig mentions Carlo Ancelotti,

4:18 you look at managers who may be able to come in and turn

4:22 turn things around in in in just in this dressing room.

4:25 Managers who may be available and Carlo Angelotti is now one.

4:29 The only name that kind of makes sense

4:31 from a disciplinarian point of view is Jose Marinho.

4:35 Maybe not from a footballing or a results perspective,

4:38 but for what is clearly an unraveling dressing room.

4:41 Jose Mourinho takes the most boxes.

4:43 Well, just before we go to the boys, I know they're waiting patiently.

4:46 Just quickly, you're not going to solve

4:48 this by continually changing the manager.

4:50 It's the players and Lewis Enrique and PSG are

4:53 a great example of the big eagles, the big stars left.

4:58 Neymar, Mbappe, Messi were replaced by very good players who worked

5:03 hard and they were hungry and and that was the difference.

5:06 I think Florentino Florentino Perez has to realize it may

5:09 have to be some of the players he has to replace.

5:12 Uh because it seems to me he has no idea

5:15 of what way what path he wants to go down.

5:18 You know, he went down the Chabby Alonzo.

5:20 It was very progressive, but the the the dressing room uh revolted in that.

5:28 And so it seems honestly seems that Florentino Perez is

5:32 lost in the direction he wants to take this football club.

5:36 Whereas at Barcelona, they have a manager in Hanzi Fleck who's been

5:40 very progressive and they're going to win the league again.

5:42 There's a big game this weekend,

5:44 but they're a very entertaining team and and he does have discipline as well.

5:48 So you can have both.

5:50 Uh but I I just I just don't see how hiring Jose Mourinho just to sort of solve

5:56 a few issues within the dressing room is going

5:58 to make Real Madrid better on the field again.

6:01 What are the thought from you guys out in Barcelona?

6:03 Let me start with you Luise.

6:07 Actually listen to to the guys I think is um Shaka made a fantastic point.

6:11 I mean having someone who knows the club and he can bring

6:14 a little bit of discipline and address the situation that that Real

6:17 Madrid has been having for I don't think that it's only

6:19 a year it's he's been for for quite a long period.

6:22 I think he could be something that he Mourinho can help.

6:25 He's got a background that people will respect, players will respect.

6:29 He's got that discipline side that I think is very important to implement

6:33 right now at Real Madrid after not only the issue that we've seen

6:36 with the with the with the latest um situations on the dressing room

6:41 but apart from that the way of this Real Madrid how they've been

6:45 understanding on trying to use the man the the message that they were

6:48 received from Chaveos from Arloa and the lack of probably um respect that they

6:52 had in between them during the past few months that we saw not

6:55 only the the discipline into the pitch but also outside of the pitch.

6:59 So I think to bring in a manager like him

7:01 h it could help on that side that situation and also

7:04 because of that history of knowing the club the history

7:07 of being one of the best manager in the past.

7:09 I understand what Chris is talking about the future.

7:12 Yeah it's true that is maybe not going to change the whole

7:15 situation the structure and the bringing 10 players because he understand

7:19 the situation of the club is that um economically or financially

7:23 is not the the best situation for Real Madrid at the moment.

7:26 So bringing a manager who can understand that it

7:28 can help to rebuild the situation but definitely if you

7:32 look around there is not many manager who can

7:34 bring that discipline back that respect earned from the players.

7:39 Um so so far Ali it is not that that bad

7:43 idea that we thought maybe a couple weeks ago.

7:45 Uh, let me just tell you this, Luis.

7:47 You have made a terrible, terrible, and I mean terrible mistake in listening

7:52 to Shaka when it comes to Jose Mourinho.

7:55 See, you don't know this.

7:57 You don't know this, but when Shaka interviewed Jose Mourinho a few years back,

8:02 he melted during the interview.

8:04 He melted.

8:05 He was so starruck.

8:07 So, if you ask Shaka Hop about Jose Mourinho,

8:09 he'll always going to tell, "Yeah, that's a right call, Real Madrid.

8:13 Good job, Florentino Perez.

8:14 It's a good point by whom by Shaka.

8:17 No, it's a good point.

8:18 It doesn't matter if it's Shaka was saying it's

8:20 a good point bringing someone who can bring the discipline.

8:23 No.

8:23 Well, all look all for me.

8:26 This is going to be a spectacular car crash.

8:29 It is.

8:29 Now, it's going to be fun.

8:31 It's going to be interesting given the history

8:33 and what we know of Jose Mourinho.

8:35 Jose Mourinho by himself.

8:36 He's an interesting personality and an interesting interesting character

8:40 and he's going to give this a whole lot of spice,

8:43 but this is not a locker room that is currently

8:46 set up to succeed in the long term under Jose Mourinho.

8:50 So, this may be a short-term solution to just

8:53 kind of keep things together for a little while.

8:55 But if this club is to take their position

8:58 among the elite clubs in the world on the field,

9:01 they're going to have to make more changes than just the manager.

9:04 and they're going to have to look into the future as to what

9:07 this club is going to look like under a different manager than Jose Mourinho.

9:11 So once again, let me just reiterate, Luis,

9:14 when it comes to Jose Mourinho, do not listen to Shaka.

9:18 Well, it's not well,

9:18 it's not just Ali Jose Mourinho just it's there's a Real Madrid uh

9:22 there's a Real Madrid theme here because when Gareth Bale come into the studio,

9:27 former Real Madrid player a few months ago,

9:30 I I wasn't actually there at the time.

9:31 I was and thank God cuz I needed a sick bag.

9:33 I was told he fawned over him.

9:36 He fonded him around the studio, didn't he?

9:38 Gareth.

9:39 Gareth, can I have photos?

9:41 What's wrong with you, man?

9:43 We have some football to discuss here.

9:45 No, you know, what just want to say quickly

9:47 what what what did what did, to be fair,

9:50 me, Alli, and I are not the sort of fawning over people kind of type, you know.

9:54 So, if you want to do that, Shaq, that's that's your own business.

9:57 What did Real Madrid fans be?

9:58 And I get this.

9:59 Listen, I agree with Alli.

10:00 I think it would be for people that cover La Liga like us, it will be fun.

10:06 It'll never probably be dull because Mourinho's in town

10:08 and sparks normally fly and that's I get that.

10:11 I think for us it will be great and the TV

10:13 and the cameras and everybody you know all that stuff.

10:17 Uh but even if there's some sort of short-term solution,

10:21 what did Real Madrid fans what were

10:24 the two things they bemoned this season the most?

10:29 a results which are ultimately the most important thing

10:32 but B they bemoaned and they booed and they

10:36 whistled about performance right do you think a Jose

10:41 Mourinho appointment is going to do anything for performance

10:46 for entertainment it's going to go the other way

10:50 so that puts even more pressure on results because

10:54 we know the type of football that Mourinho wants

10:57 to play or price to play particularly these days.

11:00 Uh, so that's for that reason I'm I'm like, "Yeah, for us, great.

11:04 I'll sit here and watch the spark the fireworks

11:06 and the sparks go off, that that's fine.

11:09 But if you're a Real Madrid fan and you want

11:11 to see something better on the field as well as results,

11:14 is this going to bring it?" I think history would tell you no,

11:19 it's not the way he plays the game.

11:22 But back when he was at the club, they were playing an exciting brand.

11:26 albeit his brand of football.

11:27 Of course, he had the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema back then.

11:32 But the fans, if they're winning, well, he went into Milan.

11:34 He won the Champions League, the beat.

11:36 Say that Real Madrid need to go back to basics

11:38 though to actually just start getting the results to begin.

11:40 Real Madrid need to figure out the bad apples

11:42 in the dressing room and eventually get them out.

11:45 If you don't want to be working hard and pulling your weight

11:49 and agreeing to do what a coach wants you to do,

11:54 that you're not going to be at the football club.

11:56 Listen to what Usman Dembele,

11:58 the Ballindor winner from last year said in the last couple

12:00 of weeks ahead of their uh momentous victory over Bayern Munich.

12:06 It's crystal clear he said under this manager

12:08 Lewis Enrique that if you don't run, you're out the team.

12:12 That's very simplistic, but it's very easy to understand as a player.

12:17 If I don't work hard enough, I'm not in this team.

12:20 There will be consequences.

12:22 A lot of Real Madrid players don't understand that sort of connotation.

12:27 They don't.

12:28 It's what that's not that's we do it sort.

12:32 We run when we want to run.

12:33 And I'm not not everybody, but you know,

12:35 some of the big ones, we run when we want to run.

12:37 We press when we want to press.

12:39 And that's not how the best teams operate these days.

12:43 It's not it's not how Liverpool were successful.

12:45 It's not how PSG are successful.

12:47 It's not how Bayern have had a great

12:49 season in terms of domestically up until PSG.

12:51 They work together.

12:52 All these teams work together.

12:54 Real Madrid uh clearly do not.

12:58 When we talk about the players, obviously a big talk and it was mentioned

13:00 earlier is the Vinnie Junior situation, Alex, here.

13:04 And what would happen if Mourinho was to come,

13:06 especially after what happened with Pristiani

13:08 in that game against Benfica when I'll remind

13:10 you that Mourinho said afterwards there is

13:13 something wrong because it happens in every stadium.

13:15 Every stadium where Vinnie plays, something happens always.

13:23 Yeah.

13:23 And look, we thought that the way that Mourinho handled that situation

13:26 was a huge roadblock in terms of any possible return to the club.

13:29 It looks like the club at least don't think that's the case.

13:32 What we don't know is how Vinnie Jr.

13:35 might feel about it.

13:35 Remember the context is that Venicious Junior's

13:37 contract is running out at Real Madrid.

13:39 It's up in 2027 and we've been told consistently

13:42 that contract talks have been stalled for a long time now

13:44 that his camp don't expect any movement at least until after

13:47 the World Cup when he'll have a year left on his contract.

13:50 And is he going to be willing to extend if

13:52 the coach is Jose Mourinho who said the things that he did?

13:55 Really, really quite an attack remarkably an attack on Venicious Jr.

14:00 after he had been abused in that game.

14:02 So yeah, I think it's it's a major issue,

14:04 but clearly it looks like the club at the very top of the club,

14:08 they don't think that that is, like I say,

14:11 that is a something that prohibits a move for Jose Mourinho.

14:14 Whether that means the club thinks that, you know,

14:16 potentially a move for Vinnie is in the the offing,

14:19 whether they think that it's something that can be smoothed

14:21 over over and and talked through somehow, I don't know.

14:24 But that is I think yet another issue in what

14:26 is already a complicated matter which is that contract renewal.

14:31 Okay.