Mourinho inching ever closer to Bernabeu

SOCCER ANGLES:Gonzalo Higuain's open-goal miss against Lyon spoke of a sense of Tiger Woods-style entitlement. Look how rich and famous we are

LATE AUGUST, last year, Madrid. Those of us fortunate to be there stared into the fierce sun as we prepared for the dawn of a new era. Real Madrid, fuelled by the ability of their returning ex-president Florentino Perez to persuade banks Caja Madrid and Banco Santander to release unprecedented funds – in a deep, deep recession – were about to embark on Galacticos II.

Deportivo La Coruna were the token opposition at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium that sizzling Saturday evening. High behind one goal hung a banner. “Thank you for keeping your word. Welcome home,” it said.

The banner was for Perez.

Perez had overseen a summer of opulent spending. Real made Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo the most expensive player of all time at €90million. That was a week after they paid AC Milan €63 million for Kaka. Then there was Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema. That’s Benzema from Lyon.

It was Galactic recruitment. There was a new manager too, Villareal’s experienced Chilean Manuel Pellegrini.

But you worried from the start. You worried because Pellegrini was the 11th manager in 10 years; you worried because some referred to a “project” not a team; you worried because the pressure applied by Barcelona’s magnificent successes last season was too much. And you worried because this season’s Champions League final was scheduled for the Bernabeu.

It made you think that sooner or later, Real Madrid would topple over.

Deportivo were beaten that night, narrowly, but even after one match Alonso was prepared to talk about the importance of a team ethic. Not long after that Alonso was downplaying the Galactico label.

All of those type of remarks and concerns rushed back on Wednesday night as Real thrashed themselves out of the Champions League at the first knock-out stage – against Lyon.

It is too much to say that the complacent exit was encapsulated in Gonzalo Higuain’s open-goal effort that struck a post, but it did feel as if that was a flabby moment that spoke of a sense of Tiger Woods-style entitlement. Look how rich and famous we are.

Lyon’s players certainly felt that coming from Real, they mentioned it afterwards.

Wayne Rooney would not have missed that Higuain chance. There is something about Rooney, something about United and something about Alex Ferguson that would not have permitted such a miss. Rooney and United players may squander, and have squandered, other chances, but there would be no toleration of such slackness. It’s not part of who they are.

The contrast between the Real Madrid of Perez and the United of Ferguson is instructive. It was stark on Wednesday night as United blew away a near embarrassing effort from AC Milan.

But it was striking anyway because Perez’s strategy is top-down; Ferguson has rebuilt United from the bottom up.

Perez is imposing a club, a project, on a team, on a set of players, on a manager who deserves better than to be told: “These are great names, now make them a great, winning team. And beat Barcelona.”

Admittedly time is short when you spend €265 million in one go. But Perez had the example of the first Galactico period which, ultimately, was deemed a failure. So much so Alonso has spoken of the “damage” the Galactico term has caused.

A Perez request for patience as well as excitement would have been more intelligent, though he might counter it is this season’s Champions League final that is in the Bernabeu, not 2012’s. It is this year that Barcelona are reigning European champions.

But if you explain, people will listen and will be prepared to understand, pressure will be released. Perez chose not to.

Ferguson explained. Ferguson said that the reason he was not pursuing Benzema any further was because there was not enough value to be had at €35 million for a 21-year-old who had only played in France. Some United fans sniffed, particularly as Ferguson then took Michael Owen on a free, but his Benzema judgment has been vindicated. Imagine if Ferguson had bought Benzema for that amount; where would Rooney be in the formation?

Already knocked out of the Spanish Cup, Real now have only La Liga to focus upon. They are above Barcelona on goal difference, 15 points ahead of the rest. The two meet in the Bernabeu a month from now.

How will the mood in Madrid be then? How many feelers will have been extended to the likes of Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger? But what can Perez say to them? Can he assure them he won’t interfere? How could any manager of independent authority believe what Perez tells them? Wenger has already declined any potential approach, but Mourinho may offer Perez more hope.

It was three days after Real’s defeat in the first leg at Lyon that details of Mourinho’s get-out clause were published in Spain. Someone close to Mourinho must be talking for that to happen.

Mourinho is about to enjoy a landmark week of his own with Inter Milan. He returns to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night protecting a lead. If Inter hold onto it, Mourinho will be enhanced massively. If they don’t, his reputation will remain strong.

To an extent the credibility of Serie A rests on Mourinho’s team next week. Uphold it and he will surely be asked to restore Real Madrid’s.

Hamburg game highlights lack of quality

EVEN UNPOPULAR sports reporters have enough acquaintances to remind them that this is not the most exacting job in the workplace, so there is a degree of awareness behind the next sentence: I have seen domestic games in Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany as well as England and Scotland this season.

If there is a common factor, sadly it is declining standards on the pitch.

Watching Hamburg versus Anderlecht on TV on Thursday night confirmed previous impressions.

Here were two of Europe’s famous old names playing quite late on in the Europa League, the old Uefa Cup. The game was a reasonable contest but some of the basics of passing accuracy, weight of pass and so on were lamentable.

Under pressure away from home, Anderlecht lined up with two banks of four across their last third. They held this formation quite well at times, so they can be coached.

But the frisson that competence sparks these days is the giveaway.

Competence is now being marketed as quality.

There are exceptions, of course, and the last eight of the Champions League should showcase collective and individual skill. But that won’t prevent AC Milan’s non-existent central defending being one of the images of this season.