Real Madrid manager sees one major hurdle between the team and silverware

Real Madrid manager sees one major hurdle between the team and silverware Real Madrid’s summer transfer window was focused primarily on the defence and Jose Mourinho spent big to bring in the profiles he deemed right for his dynamics. They roped in Denzel Dumfries at right-back, Marc Cucurella at left-back and Ibrahima Konate at centre-back, thereby bringing in three new starting quality names to the team’s dressing room. Needless to say, it became instantly clear that the defence was what Mourinho saw as Real Madrid’s biggest weakness, and that it was his priority to improve the defensive record. Concern with the defence As reported by Defensa Central now, Mourinho acknowledges that the defence continues to be one of the team’s biggest weaknesses after the first phase of the season. In fact, he considers the fragility at the back to be the primary factor keeping the team away from trophies. Real Madrid’s new signings have not had the intended impact yet. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) The manager is very unhappy that Los Blancos have conceded in seven of their last eight games and sees it as impossible to challenge for either La Liga or the UEFA Champions League with such a poor record.  In that sense, Mourinho has been working closely with his staff to find ways to cover the team’s gaping holes and hopes for an improvement after the international break. Mourinho’s plan for improvement Real Madrid have only managed to keep one clean sheet so far, and that came against Malaga in La Liga. That, combined with the fact that their attacking output has been subpar, makes the side weaker than they have been in recent years. Mourinho has a plan in mind. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) As clarified by the Spanish outlet, Mourinho has a clear plan in mind to improve the team’s defensive numbers and that is for the central defenders to push up. He wants his side to close the gaps between lines and press relentlessly to pressurise opposition forwards. The idea is that such a change will enable them to win more balls in the opposition half. Further, it will allow for more lethal counter-attacks and transitional play – something that is crucial in terms of the attacking profiles Real Madrid possess. It remains to be seen how effectively the coach can put his idea into practice starting this weekend.