Mourinho Turns Arnold into a Triple Agent
Trent Alexander-Arnold was given an unexpected role in Real Madrid's midfield during the friendly against Fiorentina, revealing Mourinho's tactical plan while the Rodri signing is on hold.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was given an unexpected role in Real Madrid's midfield during the friendly against Fiorentina, revealing Mourinho's tactical plan while the Rodri signing is on hold.
Although the official lineup for the friendly against Fiorentina in Klagenfurt, Austria, listed Trent Alexander-Arnold as right-back and Denzel Dumfries as the winger ahead of him, the reality on the pitch was completely different. José Mourinho had prepared a special tactical role for the Englishman, which became evident as soon as the match began.
According to Spanish newspaper As, in the 2-2 draw, Alexander-Arnold became Mourinho's "triple weapon." He retained his primary role as a full-back, remained a set-piece specialist with sharp deliveries, but also took on a completely new task-becoming a key option for building play from midfield.
Mourinho's plan became fully clear after Endrick scored to give Real Madrid a 1-0 lead. The Portuguese coach called only one player to the touchline-Alexander-Arnold. The instructions lasted exactly one minute and 29 seconds, during which Mourinho detailed which spaces to attack with passes that cut through the opponent's lines.
This tactic is reminiscent of what Huijsen offered at the FIFA Club World Cup. Alexander-Arnold would drop back to full-back in defense, but the moment Real regained possession, he would move into central zones, opening more passing lanes than Valverde, and especially Camavinga, who again failed to impress.
Reading Alexander-Arnold as a midfielder reveals the additional duties he can perform, but also exposes the fact that Mourinho lacks a player better equipped for building play with the ball in midfield than Valverde or Camavinga. Camavinga is currently temporarily covering Tchouaméni's role, and it is clear to everyone that Rodri, the world champion from Manchester City, embodies that position that combines linking, control, and orchestrating play.
The plan to bring in Rodri, however, is temporarily frozen. As reports that the club president gave the green light for the transfer earlier this week, but the focus is currently on finalizing the Diomandé deal before moving forward with the world champion's arrival. Manchester City is not pressuring to speed things up, and Rodri himself believes the process is moving in a positive direction.
Mourinho, meanwhile, is not sitting idle. While the Rodri saga awaits its final verdict, the Portuguese is seeking answers among the players available to him at the Valdebebas training center, and Alexander-Arnold is emerging as one of those solutions.
