Mourinho second season syndrome kicking in
Reuters - Wednesday 19 October 2011, 10:00
Jose Mourinho has often said his
teams do better in his second season in charge and Real Madrid's
thrashing of Olympique Lyon in the Champions League provided
further evidence to back his claim.
Real were utterly dominant against an unambitious Lyon team
at the Bernabeu on Tuesday, running out 4-0 winners with goals
from Karim Benzema, Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Sergio Ramos.
Three wins from three games without conceding a goal left
the Spaniards top of Group D, five points ahead of Ajax
Amsterdam and Lyon, in their quest to improve on last season's
semi-final appearance.
Real are pursuing a record 10th European Cup, and Mourinho
his third all with different clubs, and it seems to be coming
together even without Cristiano Ronaldo getting on the
scoresheet.
The world's most expensive player notched an incredible 53
goals in all competitions last year but this season he has been
a more creative influence and he provided yet another assist to
set up the opening goal for Benzema.
"Ronaldo seems fine to me. I'm delighted with him," former
Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan coach Mourinho told reporters.
"It would be a problem if he didn't score and the team also
didn't win. It happened against Levante and Racing Santander. He
hasn't scored in the last few games but the team has so it's not
a problem.
"I also liked seeing him giving an intelligent and selfless
performance tonight. He won the Golden Boot and the La Liga top
scorer award last year and he wants to win things that are more
important this season," Mourinho added.
GROWING MATURITY
Real have turned the rapid counter-attack into an art form
of late but sometimes struggle when teams defend deep and deny
them space to run into.
In dismantling Lyon, who set out to do just that, they
showcased their growing ability to adapt against a team that
have caused them plenty of heartache in recent European
campaigns.
"The game was more about control, more about possession and
patience," Real midfielder Xabi Alonso said.
"It was about creating chances with less haste and we
achieved that. It´s a good sign because it proved we can do it
and that we can win that way."
Real have scored 21 goals and conceded three in their last
five matches and could even afford to start with Gonzalo Higuain
on the bench. The Argentina striker had scored three hat-tricks
in the previous two weeks.
"I like many things about my team but we have to improve.
That said, we're having a positive run," Mourinho added.