Unjustified recklessness: when will Mourinho dare to kill off Vinicius's arrogance?

Vinicius Junior's future dominated the transfer chatter all summer. Reports linked him with a Real Madrid exit as Arsenal pushed hard to land the Brazilian, and the Spanish club's supporters were left sweating over the fate of one of their brightest stars of recent years.

Madrid settled the matter in the end. They tied Vinicius down to a new deal that keeps him at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2032, a huge relief for fans who saw his signature as vital to the club's long-term plans.

With his future sorted, supporters expected a calmer, more focused Vinicius, a player free to deliver his best now the uncertainty was gone. The reality has fallen well short of that picture.

He has cut a pale figure in most matches since the season began. Gone are the runs in behind, the dribbles, the relentless threat that Madrid grew used to. Questions now hang over what lies behind the slump, and whether Mourinho will keep backing him despite the drop in output.

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If Vinícius's overall form raises question marks, his goalscoring numbers sharpen them into focus. The Brazilian has scored just one goal in his first 6 La Liga matches, a woeful return for a player meant to spearhead Real Madrid's attack, especially with teammate Kylian Mbappé leading the La Liga scoring charts on 7 goals. The gulf between the pair at this early stage is stark.

Some might assume Vinícius's meagre tally comes down to a lack of clear chances. What happens on the pitch says otherwise. The Brazilian is getting into dangerous areas time and again. The problem lies in what he does when he gets there, and that was laid bare against Elche.

Vinícius had 4 clear-cut chances to score in that game. Almost all of them fell during a spell when Real Madrid controlled the tempo completely. Los Blancos could have used that dominance to run up the scoreline and put the game to bed early, but the Brazilian's carelessness in front of goal stopped them. He handled his openings in a way that fell well short of his true ability.

Squandering those chances was no mere individual failing. It shaped the entire match. Rather than extend the lead and kill off the contest, Real Madrid handed Elche a way back into the game and left themselves under heavy pressure in the closing minutes. The hosts came within a whisker of snatching a point, only for a late twist to swing things Madrid's way and seal the win.

That late winner eased the pressure on Vinícius. Real Madrid took all three points, and the talk of his wasted chances that should have settled things early faded into the background. This problem, though, cannot keep being brushed aside week after week.

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Jose Mourinho kept up his defence of Vinicius Junior after last Tuesday's Champions League win over Inter Milan, waving away the boos the Brazilian had drawn from Real Madrid's fans during his slump in form.

Mourinho said: "In Portugal there is a saying, I don't know if it exists in Spain in the same form, 'you only throw stones at the trees that bear fruit'. What has Vini done here over the past years? How many Champions Leagues has he won? How many goals has he scored? He is a tree that bears a lot of fruit. And people throw stones because they want the fruit."

He added: "The best version of Vinicius will arrive. The version of last year, when the Bernabeu was afraid against Benfica and he ended up settling the tie. That version of Vinicius will arrive."

The support did not last long. Vinicius squandered a string of chances against Elche, and Mourinho hooked him in the 68th minute after another flat display.

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José Mourinho is known for his boldness in making tough decisions, and for not hesitating to leave stars out of the starting line-up when he believes the team's interests demand it. The Portuguese has done exactly that with big names throughout his career. That is why handling Vinícius's dip in form looks like one of the great tests of his character at Real Madrid, particularly if the Brazilian winger keeps producing the same level of performance.

Remember, too, that Vinícius clashed with Xabi Alonso last season over being substituted too often, at a time when he saw himself as one of the key men who should enjoy the coach's trust on a continuous basis. The matter ended with Alonso leaving his post at Real Madrid. Things are different now. Mourinho has a completely different personality and may not hesitate to send a clear message to every player: the level shown on the pitch decides who starts and who sits on the bench.

Tactically, Mourinho appears to have solutions if he decides to rest Vinícius and reshuffle his options. He can turn to Yan Diomandé on the left flank, with Arda Güler on the right, while Jude Bellingham operates in midfield. He also has others to call upon during matches, such as Brahim Díaz. The Portuguese does not lack alternatives capable of covering Vinícius's absence from the starting line-up.

Dropping Vinícius to the bench may be more than a tactical punishment for his drop in form. It might represent a chance for the player to regain his focus and realise that his place is not guaranteed regardless of his name or standing within the team. The feeling that a seat is permanently reserved can kill competition. A substitute capable of filling his position, on the other hand, may push the Brazilian to recover the seriousness and decisiveness that deserted him at the start of the season.

In the end, this is not just about Mourinho having the options. It is about how ready he is to take the decision and carry it out on the pitch. One puzzling question hangs over it all: will the Portuguese dare to do it?

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