C & P
Win or you’re axed, Jose
By Antony Kastrinakis
Jose Mourinho must win the Champions League AND La Liga to keep his job at Real Madrid. Spanish giants Real are five points clear at the top of the table. But they crashed out of the Spanish Cup after Wednesday's 2-2 second-leg draw at Barcelona.
And Real president Florentino Perez is running out of patience with the Portuguese boss creating controversy with media, rivals and officials. Mourinho needs to make it impossible for Perez to sack him if he is to see out the remaining two years on his contract.
A Bernabeu insider said: "It's not really a question of results, it's about the club's image. "No one doubts Mourinho is a great coach but the situation is becoming more and more difficult. Perez brought Mourinho in to win trophies. If he delivers all may be forgiven. If not then all Madrid will be left with will be the bitterness and controversy that surrounds Mourinho."
Mourinho has been criticised for his tactics and was booed by some Real fans during last week's 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao. That was just hours after Spanish newspapers revealed a bust-up with stars Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas following the home defeat by Barca in the cup. And Madrid's switch to an attacking style at the Nou Camp is believed to be down to player-power.
WENGER
Wenger linked with Real Madrid as pressure mounts on Jose Mourinho ahead of Barca tie
As Jose Mourinho's position as head coach of Real Madrid comes under increasing pressure, reports have resurfaced linking Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with the Bernabeu hot seat., a position he has turned down in the past. Despite challenging Barcelona for the La Liga title, Mourinho has come under fire recently from Real fans and Spanish media alike.
This has sparked rumours that the Portuguese will quit Real at the end of the season, most likely for a return to the Premier League. And Tuesday's typically obdurate press conference, ahead of last night's Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg away to Barca, did little to dispell the feeling Mourinho is unhappy in Madrid.
When asked about the unsourced report that he plans to leave, Mourinho said: "Did I say that? Ask your colleague." And when the subject changed to whether he is happy at Real, he merely shrugged.
Mourinho's relationship with the Real hierarchy is already strained, having previously stated he wants to return to England "in as couple of years". And, on Tuesday night, 'The Special One' wound up his employers even further by saying: "I don't know if I will be at Real Madrid next season."
Should Mourinho decide enough is enough and walk away from the Spanish giants, Real have reportedly already drawn up a two-man shortlist to replace him, and on it are the names of Wenger and Germany national team coach Joachim Low. Wenger has been linked with Madrid for the past few years and turned down the chance to move there in 2009.
However, with Arsenal no longer the force they once were in England's top flight, Real believe now is their best chace to lure the Frenchman away from north London and to the Spanish capital.
A move to Madrid could be the only Real way to save Wenger
By Leo Spall
If Real Madrid want Arsene Wenger to replace Jose Mourinho and a genuine opportunity arises for him to do so, maybe he should go. Not for the sake of Arsenal, who would face the unenviable task of finding an adequate replacement and a tricky transition to a new era. But for the good of the Frenchman, who looks increasingly like a manager on the road to nowhere.
Let's face it, Wenger's task at Arsenal is a thankless one. His job is to build brilliant, trophy winning teams on a budget far smaller than those of the club's main rivals. The evidence of the last few years suggests he is falling just short and there is no doubt that the frustration of that is eating away at him. Even if the club’s moneymen are happy as long as Champions League qualification is secured, there is an additional negative element for him to cope with now, too.
Arsenal’s fans - and possibly even some of his players - are turning against him or doubting him. His competence has been questioned and the dignity which he has so often showed is being eroded. Exactly whose fault it is that Arsenal are in the position they are, is not crystal clear. The board and manager have not always given out the same messages about their transfer policy.
However, it is clear that at some point, if they are not to accept second best as the height of their ambitions, it will have to change. Getting the extra investment in the club that it would require will not be easy, but the current approach is not working, however laudable it is. Moving on to a different way of thinking with Wenger at the helm is highly unlikely. He is wedded to Arsenal's failing strategy for success regardless of whether he is its driving force or was its architect.
Wenger is stubborn, too, and seems to have become obsessed with proving he can beat the odds - and the vast wealth of his rivals - in the Premier League. But if he is waiting for UEFA’s financial fair play rules to level the playing field, the 62-year-old will be waiting an awfully long time.
European football’s governing body have so seldom showed their teeth in the past that one could be forgiven for thinking they had taken them out. Whatever threats they make about penalising Europe’s biggest, overspending clubs, it cannot be assumed they will make sure they bite. So, the prospects for Wenger at Arsenal are relatively bleak and he deserves a better ending at the club than an ignominious exit accompanied by bleating about Michel Platini letting him down.
Whether he can let go of his demands for responsible spending at another club, remains to be seen. Leaving for a club like Madrid would require Wenger to eat rather a lot of humble pie on how the game and its people should conduct themselves. But even that stain on his record, after joining a club who would genuinely want him and give him a chance of finally beating Barcelona, would be better than the slow death he seems to be suffering at Arsenal.