“Nobody is indispensable”
The question was simple. Has Arda Guler become essential to Real Madrid? Jose Mourinho gave a five-word answer. “No, nobody is indispensable.”
The Portuguese manager did not bother dressing it up after Tuesday night’s late 3-2 win at Elche. His Turkish playmaker had opened the scoring with a superb free kick and started as the No 10. It still did not stop Mourinho from taking him off while Real were 2-0 up.
Mourinho stood by the call and pointed to fitness. “Arda, who played in that No 10 role, was also starting to drop in intensity.” That “also” says plenty about the level of energy in his side at that stage of the game.
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A coach who could feel the game slipping away
The change was not a whim. Mourinho says he saw the team losing its grip long before the scoreline changed. “I brought on fresh Jude and Brahim when we were 2-0 up, but I could feel we were losing control.”
Vinicius was among those running on empty, dragged into plenty of defensive work. Real had a two-goal lead and an engine coughing and spluttering.
What followed proved him right on the problem, wrong on the fix. Elche fought back to 2-2. The substitutions meant to steady things did nothing of the sort.
Heavy artillery to stop the rot
Mourinho then went for broke. Less caution, more firepower. “After that, we brought out the heavy artillery and got away with it.” Real leave Elche with three points and a stack of questions about their ability to see a game out.
And then there is the message sent to Guler. The Turk keeps turning heads, but his coach refuses to give him protected status. Guler scored. Guler came off. Both happened in the same match.
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