Makelele Calls on Mourinho to Fix Real Madrid Tactics

Real Madrid head into the international break in fourth place after Saturday’s 2-1 Madrid derby defeat, with Claude Makelele calling on Jose Mourinho to urgently fix what he sees as major tactical flaws.

Key takeaways

Madrid have 15 points and sit one point behind second-placed Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona lead the table on a flawless 21-point return.
Makelele believes Madrid’s attack lacks organisation and players are occupying the same areas.
He rejected referee complaints after the Cristian Romero incident as an excuse for wider problems.
Villarreal, Sevilla, Roma, Leipzig and Barcelona are next on Madrid’s demanding schedule.

Makelele targets Madrid’s lack of direction

The former Real Madrid midfielder delivered a fierce assessment of Mourinho’s side after the derby setback, which has intensified pressure following a high-expectation summer and the manager’s return to the Bernabeu dugout.

Makelele’s central concern is the absence of a clear attacking framework. He believes Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr have too often moved into similar spaces, leaving the front line without the combinations or balance needed to hurt opponents.

“There is no connection, either among the players or with the coach,” Makelele said. “Mourinho has to speak with them. The side is fragile, there is no plan or clear idea. There is nothing at all. They have to deliver more.”

He said the performance against Atletico exposed those issues, with Madrid failing to show sufficient cohesion despite the quality available in their starting line-up.

Referee row cannot hide bigger issue

Real Madrid TV reacted angrily to an incident involving Cristian Romero that they felt could have produced a red card. Makelele, however, insisted the officiating debate should not divert attention from the team’s performance.

“The referee is not the issue; the weakness in the team is obvious,” he said, pointing again to Mbappe’s role and the lack of understanding across the XI.

Mourinho now has limited time to respond. Madrid return from the break for league meetings with Villarreal and Sevilla, while Roma and Leipzig await in the Champions League. The run ends with a potentially decisive Clasico against Barcelona on October 25.