Real Madrid's Challenge: McManaman on Mbappe and Vinicius
Steve McManaman believes the talent at Real Madrid is “off the scale” – but insists the pieces still don’t quite click when Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior share the same stage.
Speaking to GOAL on behalf of ESPN on Disney+, with Jose Mourinho set for his first La Liga game back in charge when Real visit Espanyol on Saturday, the former Madrid midfielder painted a blunt picture of the expectations at the Bernabeu.
Two kings, one kingdom
For McManaman, there is no doubting the individual brilliance of Mbappe and Vinicius. Separated, they dominate.
“Individually when they're suspended or one's injured or one's off the field, both of them are the kings of the jungle,” he said. “They're the best players on the pitch, they're the ones who really stand out and look like incredible superstar players.”
The problem, as he sees it, comes when they line up together. The spotlight grows harsher. So does the judgement.
“But when they're together, what has shown over the last couple of years is that they haven't won anything,” he pointed out. “And if you follow Real Madrid, you follow La Liga, you know it’s either win or it's a disaster.
“When Barcelona are winning everything else and beating you in finals along the way, it is a disaster.”
Close, but not enough for Madrid
McManaman acknowledged that Madrid have not been miles off. They have pushed deep into competitions, only to fall short at the decisive moment.
“They've come very close in Copa del Rey games, in the Super Cup, losing last-minute goals, missing chances but you have to get over the line,” he said. “And when it's Barcelona who have also strengthened, that's when it starts to get precarious.”
The fans have made their feelings clear. Second place and brave defeats do not soften the blow in Chamartin.
“You know the fans let it be known on a number of occasions last year about the team - even though they finished second and went down fighting to a Bayern Munich team in the Champions League and I thought the performance against them was good.”
So the margins are fine. The demands are not.
Mourinho’s mandate: beat Barcelona, repeatedly
Into that pressure cooker steps Mourinho, back at Real Madrid with a simple brief: win. Above all, win against Barcelona.
“So they're not far away, but they just need a little bit of powder, a little bit of special magic and whether Jose brings that or whether the new signings bring it, we'll wait and see,” McManaman said. “We all hope it's going to be a magnificent year and I think it will be and I think there'll be fireworks.”
The rivalry has been stoked further by Barcelona’s own moves, including the arrival of Rodri, which McManaman believes only raises the stakes.
“I think it'll be great as well with Rodri signing for Barcelona - that just chucks another superstar into the mix.”
Against that backdrop, Mourinho’s job description could not be clearer.
“But it doesn't matter, Jose's been brought in to finish Barcelona, to beat Barcelona and beat Barcelona again and again and again and that's all it is,” McManaman stated. “Anybody can go into Real Madrid today, you could go in and finish second, I could go in and finish second, what they've been doing and letting the superstars run the show, but Jose's been brought in for a reason.”
Trust, egos and the line Madrid must cross
McManaman stressed that club president Florentino Perez has turned back to Mourinho because he trusts the Portuguese to impose order and extract every last drop from a dressing room full of stars.
“Florentino trusts him, he believes that he can get the best out of whoever it is, control the egos, whatever the dressing room says,” he explained.
He does not buy into the idea that the squad is unmanageable, but he knows exactly what the coach will be judged on.
“I don't think it's as bad as it's being portrayed because there's always egos in that dressing room and they're all very professional, but it's up to Jose to get over the line. Simple as that, no more no less, he just has to win.”
