Mourinho’s preferred midfield double pivot at Real Madrid fails to deliver desired results so far

Mourinho’s preferred midfield double pivot at Real Madrid fails to deliver desired results so far When Jose Mourinho was appointed the new head coach of Real Madrid, one of his biggest tasks was to bring back cohesion and understanding in the team. Mourinho’s biggest work required convincing Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde to play together, after last season’s dressing room debacle . Mourinho left no stones unturned in trying to make the two players move on from the incident, and has even used them together in the double pivot on more than one occasion. A partnership yet to click However, the Valverde-Tchouameni pairing has struggled to make an impact in the two matches they have started together, against Elche and Atletico Madrid. Tchouameni Valverde duo has struggled to perform so far this season. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Against Elche, the duo played 86 minutes together and posted acceptable, if unspectacular, numbers. The pair completed 78 passes between them, 25 of which came in the final third. However, neither featured among the team’s top five for ball recoveries, and their combined involvement in plays was bettered by full-backs Marc Cucurella and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Their output in the derby was even more concerning. Valverde and Tchouameni managed just 55 passes between them across 71 minutes on the pitch together. By contrast, Atletico’s Koke, who only played the second half, made more passes than the pair combined, while Marcos Llorente and Cardoso distributed 140 between them, more than double. The one area they did excel in was ball recoveries, with Tchouameni making five and Valverde four in the derby. A work in progress Mourinho must find the right formula in midfield when the season restarts. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) The personal relationship between the two appears to have healed, with the duo embracing after Tchouameni’s return from injury and Valverde applauding his teammate’s introduction against Rayo Vallecano. However, the wider concerns around stability and composure in the Real Madrid remains and the duo clearly hasn’t been able to answer them. Mourinho’s coaching staff value Tchouameni as a figure who brings order and stability, yet the pairing has not provided the balance and progression Real Madrid require in the middle of the park. Keeping that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Mourinho tries to find the right formula in midfield, when season resumes next month.