Continued attack on the "Special One"
The knives are out for José Mourinho after Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat to fierce rivals Atlético Madrid in the capital derby. The seventh-round result dropped Los Blancos to fourth, six points adrift of leaders Barcelona.
Arda Güler started on the right wing, only for Mourinho to haul him off in the 54th minute.
With Güler gone, Kylian Mbappé took over set-piece duties for around half an hour and made little impact. Real's only goal came from a set piece delivered by Bernardo Silva, who came on in the 82nd minute.
Questions over Mourinho's calls only grew louder, especially the reliance on Güler for set pieces. Paco González, commentating on "Cadena COPE" radio, wondered aloud what options Real had once Güler left the pitch: "Is there not a single player apart from Arda Güler?"
According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, he added: "Is there a player at Real Madrid who has become better compared to last season or is in better technical form? Or in which aspect has Real Madrid become better compared to last season? When Arda Güler is not on the pitch".
He continued: "Is there not a single player at Real Madrid who can take set pieces? There is only Bernardo Silva, but he does not get enough of a chance to play. When Arda is absent, Mbappé, the team's top scorer, takes over the set pieces. This should give us an idea of the quality of Real Madrid's squad."
González pressed on: "The squad is the same compared to last season, and there is a shortage of players who possess the technical skill needed to deliver crosses. Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva are the team's most creative players, but Mourinho will never consider fielding them together in midfield during important matches, because he still grants the big names more respect than is warranted."
He signed off with a damning verdict: "The style of play that Mourinho applies and his footballing philosophy have not developed at all. It is the same style he was applying 20 years ago."