The Real Madrid star Arda Guler has convinced coach Jose Mourinho that he deserves a bigger role in central midfield. His presence in the heart of the pitch transformed the team against Sevilla, where he produced his best performance of the season and set records for possession and passes.
Spanish newspaper "AS" report that Mourinho was already planning a tactical change before the Sevilla clash. "I am here to do what I believe is best for the team," he said. "I think the day will come when artificial intelligence technologies will determine the best possible line-up, and the role of coaches will be limited to working on the pitch only, but until today, the coaches are still the ones who make the decisions."
The Portuguese never spelled it out before kick-off. One limited change was all it took, sparking a strong reaction within the team and driving it to its best match of the season.
Shifting Guler to the base of the build-up from the start proved the most striking of those tweaks, and it changed the face of the team.
Mourinho had hesitated to trust the Turk in that specific role through the first half of the season. The Sevilla clash finally sold him on the idea.
Expect Guler to play more matches in this position and feature more regularly in midfield, especially when Real Madrid need to boost their attacking threat through possession.
None of this rules out a return to the right wing or the playmaker role for spells of the season. Yet within the gradual process Mourinho has been implementing since his arrival, aimed at reaching the best possible line-up, Guler has become a very realistic option alongside Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield.
The keyword is control
Guler in midfield hands Mourinho the ability to control the tempo, something the team has yet to achieve.
From that position, the coach believes the Turk can read the game while facing the pitch, dictate the rhythm, organise the circulation of the ball and find the through balls that exploit the pace of the forwards.
The way Guler and Jude Bellingham swapped positions during parts of the Sevilla clash also won Mourinho's admiration, given the problems it poses for an opponent's defensive shape.
That balance every elite coach craves arrived through the Turk's presence in midfield, helped by Diomande's willingness to work hard on his defensive duties when tracking back.
Cucurella himself praised that effort openly, more than once, during the Sevilla clash.
Fede Valverde on the wing added to the balance too, with the option of pushing him further forward in future. The tactical experiments are still ongoing, tricky as they are when victories remain a must.
What truly sets Guler apart in midfield, the technical staff believe, is his ability to link the lines of play. His short passing and understanding with teammates stand out, as does his knack for threading balls to Diomande and Kylian Mbappe and sending them racing towards goal.
He still has a lot of development ahead of him
Before the Sevilla clash, without hinting he would field Guler in midfield, Mourinho said: "Arda is a player with great talent, and fortunately, he has not yet reached the stage of a complete player. But he has the potential that allows him to play in different positions. I am very happy."
The team hit their highest possession figure of the season against Sevilla, 65%, and set a passing record of 666, beating the previous mark of 599 against Malaga.
"The midfield position is the most difficult," the coach added. "If a player only attacks, then it is better for him to play on the wing or in the playmaker position. And to become a top-class player, he must possess a different quality and understand the course of play."
Guler still needs to refine parts of his game before he masters the role. Even so, he has earned the chance to feature there more regularly and get used to its demands.
Mourinho's first instinct had always been to shield the midfield with Tchouameni and Valverde. His analysis of the last two matches against Villarreal and Elche after the break pushed him to try something different, hunting more control and balance, and that something is Guler.
Pushing the Turk into midfield against Sevilla was a tactical gamble. In the picture Mourinho is gradually sketching, a role for Valverde still needs defining after the switch to Guler's position.
"He is one of the most versatile players in football in terms of positions, and he can play in almost any position at a very high level," the coach said of the Uruguayan. "And if he were forced to play goalkeeper, he would put on the gloves and stand between the posts."
Mourinho now has three ways to keep Guler in midfield: leave Valverde at full-back, return him to the right wing Guler had occupied until now, or keep Valverde in midfield and bench Tchouameni so the Uruguayan plays alongside the Turkish star.