Mourinho's revolution in Madrid: Silva and Guler end the era of the solid double pivot

Jose Mourinho's return to Real Madrid is no longer merely a change of personality. It's a radical tactical transformation, and its features have begun to emerge before the new season has even kicked off.

With the team counting down to its first matches in La Liga, a lengthy preparation period full of experiments has revealed a completely new approach from the Portuguese coach. Analyst Aritz Gabilondo, speaking on the "El Larguero" programme on "Cadena SER" radio, called it Mourinho's "real footballing change".

Talking to the "Sanedrín" programme with Álvaro Benito, Gabilondo explained that the new Mourinho has abandoned his old ideas, which leaned on a rigid, physically strong double pivot. He said: "In the previous era, it would have been impossible to see Bernardo Silva play as a second holding midfielder alongside Tchouameni. He is a player under 1.70 metres tall and physically light. That was impossible in Mourinho's difficult era."

This transformation is no isolated case, he added, but a complete philosophy the coach has applied since his final years at Benfica, where he relied on a playmaker close to the defensive holding midfielder.

The same goes for Turkey's Arda Guler, Gabilondo pointed out. Guler now plays in a slightly deeper position behind Jude Bellingham to support the central midfielder, a role the old Mourinho would have viewed as an unmeasured risk.

Bernardo Silva starting Real's first match against Espanyol next Saturday is, in Gabilondo's view, a foregone conclusion. That makes it the first official test of this new model.

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Real Madrid begin the campaign a match behind after their first-round fixture was postponed. They start from the second round three points adrift of their rivals, a fresh challenge for Mourinho, who wants to prove his change ran deeper than personality and reached the football itself.

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