Jose Mourinho has been the picture of calm since returning to Real Madrid, and that has set tongues wagging across the Spanish media. Will it hold once the pressure builds and results turn? Plenty doubt it.
Back in the Real Madrid dugout roughly a decade after he left, the Portuguese cuts a more serene figure this time round, both in press conferences and while managing matches from the bench.
Journalist Julio Pulido isn't buying it. Speaking on the "El Larguero" programme on "Cadena SER" radio, he made clear he doubts this composed version of Mourinho will last.
As highlighted by the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", Pulido said: "I don't believe it, and let that be clear from the outset."
Manu Carreno, the programme's director and presenter, agreed: "Let everyone who doesn't believe it line up in the queue."
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Pressing his case further, Pulido reckons the current style will vanish the moment Real Madrid hit a rough patch: "He has a road map that will explode completely when things go wrong."
"It's clear that he is trying to get closer to the press, but how long will that last?" he added. "Until the press starts to criticise him, when they begin to lose and the criticism comes."
The Spanish journalist didn't stop at Mourinho's relationship with the media. He turned to the coach's recent stance on referees too: "I have heard Mourinho say over the past few days that he trusts the refereeing system, but when will he stop trusting it? When there are two decisions that harm Real Madrid."
In conclusion, Pulido argued that this calm may be nothing more than a temporary phase, one that results and pressure will test as the season unfolds.
Real Madrid face hosts Real Betis this evening, Friday, in the fourth round of the Spanish league. The Spanish giants arrive having won their first three matches.
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