Mourinho warns Real Madrid players must overcome frustration as Bellingham role comes into focus

Jose Mourinho said Real Madrid’s players must learn to handle their frustration after admitting he cannot find room for everyone in his squad, following a dramatic 2-1 victory away to Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday.

The Portuguese manager also explained why he believes Jude Bellingham is at his best when operating close to the opposition goal, rather than in a deeper midfield position.

“Jude is very strong physically and mentally, and for me this is his ideal position because he is a player with a goalscoring instinct,” Mourinho said at his post-match news conference.

“If he plays as a number six or an eight, we lose his proximity to the goal. I like Jude in this role. When he is at the top of his physical condition, he gives you 90 minutes of hard work and high quality.”

Bellingham’s positioning was one of several tactical issues Mourinho addressed after Real Madrid secured victory in the second round of the Spanish league season.

The manager also discussed the balance between Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva. He said Real Madrid benefited from Bernardo’s ability to organise the game but lost some of Valverde’s attacking threat when the pair were used in their respective roles.

“Today we started with Bernardo and Valverde behind him. We lost some of Fede’s attacking danger, including the shot that hit the post,” Mourinho said.

“If he had played alongside Aurelien Tchouameni or Eduardo Camavinga, he would have been able to reach those areas more often. With Bernardo, we gain control and organisation in our play, but we lose a little of Fede’s attacking threat.”

Mourinho’s comments came after he used five substitutes against Espanyol, with those players helping Real Madrid maintain their momentum during a closely contested match.

“If they had not worked and had lacked passion, I would not say we won because of the five substitutes who came on today,” he said. “But the five players entered the game to help and did so with a positive spirit.”

The manager said the depth of his squad had created a difficult selection problem, particularly when the majority of his players are available.

“The difficult thing is starting a match with 11 players when you have 12 more on the bench, as well as the injured players,” Mourinho said. “If we did not have injuries, we would have to leave some players at home.”

He added: “I told the players that I cannot solve this problem. I cannot start a match with 14 or 15 players. I told them that they themselves have to fight against the frustration.”

Real Madrid’s win at Espanyol came in an eventful match and extended the positive start to their La Liga campaign. Mourinho’s post-match assessment focused not only on the result but also on how he can manage the competition for places within a squad containing a large number of first-team options.