Jamie Carragher points out Jose Mourinho’s biggest issue with a tough Real Madrid review, even after Roma’s win.
Jamie Carragher thinks Jose Mourinho is already having a tough time at Real Madrid, even though he just started his second spell as their coach this summer.
Real Madrid won 4-3 against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, keeping a perfect record in the Champions League group stage. Goals from Kylian Mbappe, Carlos Espi, Endrick, and Antonio Rudiger made it happen.
But at one point, Mourinho’s team was losing 3-1 with just eight minutes left in the game. That’s when Espi, a new signing from Levante, sparked an amazing comeback. Speaking on CBS Sports, Liverpool legend Carragher said he’s worried about how Mourinho’s role at the club is shaping up.
CBS Sports host Kate Scott asked Carragher if it felt strange to see a Real Madrid team that looks weak in defense under Mourinho, and if they even play like a Mourinho team yet.
Carragher said, “No. It’s really hard for them to play like that because there are so many top attacking players. When you’re at a big club like Real Madrid, you have to use your best players. It’s not like you can just take out a winger and add more midfielders. It’s tough for any manager to be themselves here. Mourinho is known for being very organized, but even he can’t fully do that at Real Madrid.
“It almost feels like he’s barely holding on, especially with these last-minute goals and comebacks. They don’t look solid, but they’re doing just enough to stay in games. There’s a big points gap to Barcelona in La Liga. They play them soon, and if that match goes badly as many expect, the league might be out of reach. Mourinho has to stick it out and try to win something this season because this Real Madrid team hasn’t won a trophy in almost three years.”
After the match, Mourinho called Roma “incredibly strong and tough” but said he expected his team to fight back despite a tough first half.
He told reporters, “I believe in merit, but football is a 90-minute game and very strategic. The opponent matters, and Roma was very strong. I knew their energy would drop. I made the changes I thought were needed. The first half surprised us because they played so well. In the second half, we got more organized, though we still conceded a goal we shouldn’t have.
“They scored three, and if they’d scored more, people would have said I’m crazy. But we won 4-3, and some say my first-half line-up was wrong. That’s football. Roma and Inter are the two strongest teams in Italy—they both have six points now.”