Emmanuel Adebayor has voiced concerns that Jose Mourinho is struggling to connect with the top talents at Real Madrid upon his return. The former Madrid striker underscored the importance of players such as Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham in this dilemma.
Having played under Mourinho during the latter's first stint with Real in 2011, Adebayor feels that while the Portuguese manager is still capable of throwing down the gauntlet, his standing among players isn't what it used to be.
Adebayor commented:
When you've got players like Mbappe, Vinicius, and Jude Bellingham, ego can quickly become a problem. Don’t be fooled: they appear to get along beautifully on screen, but that’s not the reality every day.
When you have Mbappe and Vinicius, you’re dealing with some of the world’s elite. It’s hard to just tell these players what to do.
Recalling his experience with Mourinho, Adebayor clearly remembers the manager's authoritative tactics.
He elaborated:
I know Mourinho well. He’d stand before them and say: ‘Either you do what I say, or you sit on the bench.’
I played alongside stars like Higuain, Benzema, and Ronaldo. We had egos too.
When Mourinho joined us, he’d already collected a lot of trophies, so his ego towered over ours.
Don’t get me wrong, Mourinho is still my man, but the last five or six years have been tough for him. Returning to Real, he doesn’t have the same clout he once did.
Mbappe will listen to him because it’s Mourinho, but he won’t take orders blindly. When Mourinho was at his peak, Mbappe was just a kid. The current players might not fully grasp who they’re dealing with.
Following Real's 2-1 defeat to Atletico, they are now six points behind leaders Barcelona. Adebayor expects Mourinho to ask for full backing from the hierarchy during the upcoming international break.
Adebayor speculated:
Knowing Mourinho, I can almost guarantee that he’ll be off to see the president this week and lay out his demands.
And when the players return from national duty, he’ll probably tell them: ‘It’s either you or me. Either I’m sacked, or I’ll be the first to get rid of you.’
