New Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has a lot of key tasks this season after two straight seasons without a trophy, and while it is not unfamiliar territory for a man who came in and fixed up Real during a time when they had to compete with the greatest ever Barcelona squad assembled, the enormity and sheer number of quagmires Mou has before him makes this a particularly unique challenge.
Getting superstars Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham on the same page with now Yan Diomande thrown into the mix for good measure - not to mention Rodrygo Goes returning from a torn ACL - is the main task, but Bellingham also overlaps with another important job for Mourinho, too.
There is this myth that has also divided the Real Madrid fan base between sections around two star players, and it is that Bellingham and Arda Guler cannot coexist together. Some seem to think that Real Madrid can only start one or the other, and that Guler and Jude are competing interests for the No. 10 position.
Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler are not in competition
But Mourinho has to show that this isn't the case and that both players are going to be very important to him. Already, people are drawing parallels to Guler and Mesut Ozil, as the German international had an insane 80 assists in three seasons under Mou, while Guler is already, through the Spanish media, viewed as a crucial player under the Portugese manager.
Mourinho has also praised Jude Bellingham highly in the past and present, and the England international was arguably the best player in the World Cup in the biggest games for the Three Lions. And he was the same for Real Madrid in his first season when they did the double in 2023/24.
Real Madrid have options with both players for Jose Mourinho. He can play Guler as a 10 and Jude as an 8. Or, like he teased in the dominant preseason win over local rivals Leganes, he can play Guler as a deeper Andrea Pirlo style playmaker in the double pivot next to Rodri or Aurelien Tchouameni with Bellingham as a more pressing, defensive No. 10.
The truth is both players can play together and have done so successfully in big Champions League games. There is no reason why they should clash when their styles and positives are so different, even if the management last season made it seem like they are competing in the No. 10. Now, it is up to Mourinho to optimize them tactically in the same lineup.
Add us as a preferred source on Google