Mourinho unable to solve Real Madrid's crises before the season starts: will he pay the price?

Real Madrid have won every pre-season match so far. That hasn't been enough to ease concerns about their level of play.

Mourinho, it seems, is still hunting for the right blend between the team's lines. The side tends to lose cohesion at certain points during matches, letting opponents exploit the spaces and forcing the coach to reshuffle his cards after every game.

According to the newspaper "Sport", Mourinho believes the team is "progressing". Yet his reactions during matches lay bare just how much work still lies ahead, even as sources familiar with daily life inside the club report an improved atmosphere in training.

Bernardo Silva has emerged as one of the most important keys to the new project, bringing greater organisation to the midfield since his arrival at the club.

The Portuguese isn't just a player who can make the difference in the final third. He offers a solution for building attacks from the back and linking the lines, a role that has made him more influential in recent matches.

Camavinga, by contrast, has yet to provide the contribution needed in creating play. His qualities look completely different from Bernardo's, leaving Real Madrid crying out for greater harmony among their midfielders.

Now, with the stars' return to the starting line-up drawing near, Mourinho faces a genuine test in how to distribute the roles. The Portuguese coach kept several key players involved in the last friendly against Schalke.

With signing Rodri proving impossible, Real Madrid do not appear to have a direct solution capable of addressing all their problems in build-up play.

Mourinho may therefore lean more heavily on the players who can make the difference with a single moment of magic. Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz and Thiago Pitarch all fit the bill, whether through a decisive pass that pierces a packed defence or an individual move that changes the course of the match.

Yet leaning on individual solutions carries plenty of risk. That is especially true against teams built on defensive compactness and closing down space, the kind of opposition against which Real Madrid's weaknesses tend to resurface.

Midfield remains one of the areas most in need of resolution, with Aurélien Tchouaméni yet to return to the group.

Güler is still searching for the role that lets the rest of the players benefit from his abilities. Federico Valverde, meanwhile, has not hit the level expected of him since the World Cup, despite his repeated attempts to push up from the second line.

How do you divide spaces and roles between Valverde and Camavinga? That is the biggest question. The intensity of the competition between them inside Valdebebas has eased, but only the official matches will reveal whether that harmony is real or simply a temporary truce.

Mourinho is running the rule over a group of academy players and squad options as he settles on the final list he wants to build around, one he has trimmed to a core of roughly 20 players.

That selection sends a clear message to the players outside his main plans. The presence of certain names who are difficult to offload has shut the door on new signings in some positions.

Camavinga and Raul Asencio stand out among the players surrounded by question marks. The club is trying to reshape its squad without the issue of departures spiralling into a fresh crisis.

Mourinho places great importance on collective work, considering that the best version of his coaching emerged when the team turned into a single unit that surpassed the abilities of its individuals.

That approach also exposes the players who don't fit the system. It has sparked debate inside the club about the changes the squad has gone through after two seasons without a trophy, and whether those changes tackled the root of the problem or merely patched up a few weak spots.

Antonio Rüdiger remains part of the back line despite his recurring knee problems. Pressure is building on others, such as Asensio, who renewed his contract but has no real guarantees over his place in the new project.

Ibrahima Konaté, meanwhile, faces a tough task to prove himself after an inconsistent season with Liverpool. He arrives eager to rediscover his level and show he can lead Real Madrid's defence.

Up front, Carlos Espí has arrived to provide a welcome boost, much as Gonzalo García did before him after forcing his way into the manager's thinking.

Both players embody a certain type of young talent, the kind who prove that sacrifice and commitment matter every bit as much as ability. That counts for plenty in a side that has too often lacked decisiveness and solidity when it mattered most.

Endrick still has work to do in exactly this area. The Brazilian can conjure a dangerous chance in a heartbeat, then throw himself into a challenge or an action that makes no sense for the moment.

In its assessment of the situation, the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" felt that Real Madrid, whether with Mourinho or without him, and with the arrival of a player like Bernardo Silva or without him, is still searching for an answer to the problem that has dogged them in recent years: the absence of a clear attacking identity.

Summer is running out, and Mourinho has little time to find solutions. Once the season gets under way, friendly tests become a thing of the past. All these observations will then turn into real crises if the team cannot address its weaknesses.

Results alone may hide the flaws during pre-season. They will not be enough when the matches that decide titles begin.