Mourinho begins to be singled out
The merengue team is not performing as Florentino Pérez expected and the Portuguese player is beginning to accumulate many criticisms.
José Mourinho has accumulated 15 out of 21 possible points after seven matchdays, and the news from Real Madrid is not good, as he is being compared to last year when Xabi Alonso managed to get three more points at the same stage of the season. The 2-1 defeat against Atlético de Madrid also leaves the white team six points behind Barcelona.
The record includes five wins and two losses, both away from the Santiago Bernabéu. Real Madrid lost 1-0 to Betis and suffered another loss at the Metropolitano, making this the worst start for the club since the 2018/19 season.
José Mourinho falls short of Xabi Alonso's numbers
ElDesmarque makes a comparison with Xabi Alonso showing a direct difference. The Basque coach achieved 18 points in his first seven matchdays of the previous season after winning the first six games. His first defeat also came against Atlético, though the scoreline was 5-2 back then.
On the other hand, José Mourinho's team has already suffered two defeats in seven matches. Two of their five victories came with goals from Carlos Espí in the final minutes, against Espanyol and Elche, while the other three wins allowed the team to collect points despite facing phases of lack of control during the matches.
The current 15 points fall below the early-season starts of previous years. Carlo Ancelotti obtained 17, 18, 19, and 17 points in the first seven matchdays of his four previous campaigns, while Zinedine Zidane scored 16 in 2020 and 15 in 2019.
One would have to go back to 2018 to find a lower number. With Julen Lopetegui, the team collected 14 points out of 21 and the coach was ultimately dismissed weeks later.
Florentino Pérez faces the challenging opening of the Mourinho era
Florentino PérezJosé Mourinho after Xabi's departure, but the first seven matchdays have left the team six points behind the top spot. Although there is still a significant margin in terms of the calendar, the deficit now requires Madrid to regain ground.
The derby intensified the focus on the coach. Before Dean Huijsen's expulsion, the team struggled to create danger against Oblak and ended up losing 2-1. The match was also influenced by several refereeing decisions, including Kang-In Lee's foul on Fede Valverde that the CTA later deemed deserving of a red card.
Mourinho dedicated a significant part of his subsequent press conference to these refereeing actions, but the standings remain: 15 points, two losses, and a six-point gap from the top position.
Comparisons with Xabi Alonso
The reference from last season also doesn't bode well at this moment. Xabi ended his tenure with 44 points in 18 La Liga matchdays, before being dismissed in January following the Spanish Super Cup.
The situation doesn't currently imply a decision regarding the coaching position by Florentino Pérez, but it does establish the initial point of pressure for José Mourinho. The upcoming matchdays will determine whether the team manages to reduce the gap with the top spot or if the 15 points from the first seven fixtures transition from being a poor start to turning into a more profound issue.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Mourinho comienza a estar señalado