Mourinho identifies next major area for improvement at Real Madrid – report

Mourinho identifies next major area for improvement at Real Madrid – report Real Madrid have made a perfect start to the new La Liga season, but Jose Mourinho is already demanding more from his team. The Portuguese manager is pleased with the attacking progress made during his first weeks back in charge but wants to see more defensively. According to MARCA , the defensive side of Real Madrid’s game has become one of Mourinho’s main areas of focus following the opening two league games. Mourinho displeased with defensive lapses Real Madrid have conceded once against both Espanyol and Real Sociedad, and it is not simply the number of goals that has concerned Mourinho. On both occasions, the Merengues conceded shortly after taking the lead. Mourinho views those moments as lapses in concentration. Jose Mourinho wants his defenders to cut out concentration lapses. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) Conceding immediately after scoring is effectively handing the initiative right back to the opponents after fighting so hard to gain it in the first place. Real Sociedad managed 10 attempts at the Santiago Bernabeu, including three on target, despite eventually losing 4-1. There was a similar pattern against the Catalan side, who produced eight attempts and tested Thibaut Courtois three times. For Mourinho, reducing such lapses is of utmost priority. Defending must become a collective responsibility The Los Blancos manager wants his entire team involved defensively, starting with the forwards and extending all the way back to Courtois. Mourinho’s teams have always been built on being defensively resolute and building forward from there, and he will want this current team to get to that stage too. So far, there has been little reason for concern from an attacking perspective. Madrid produced 21 attempts against Espanyol, with eight on target, before registering another 20 against Sociedad, with 10 on target. Real Madrid have looked dangerous from an attacking perspective. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) They have scored six goals in the two matches and also struck the woodwork twice, which is very impressive for a team still adapting to a new manager. Real Madrid are far from the finished product Mourinho has made a very good start to life back in Madrid and has had a great pre-season. Madrid have also secured six points from two games, despite the manager’s desire for them to become more solid defensively. There is still significant room for improvement after only four pre-season fixtures and two competitive matches under Mourinho. Yet, with the attack already clicking, the superstar trio working in unison and Real Madrid winning games, most of the pieces of the puzzle are coming together. The next step is clear: Real Madrid need to get better defensively, and it remains to be seen how Mourinho goes about achieving that.