Jose Mourinho was in great form from the off when he was on talkSPORT’s Sports Breakfast show on Tuesday.
The Special One is working as a pundit during the Euros and has so far provided fascinating insight into the game and the management world.
Richard Pelham
He’s also brought wit to his time on the airwaves as shown right at the start of his hour on our Breakfast show.
Host Laura Woods couldn’t help but notice the impressive trophy collection in the background when Mourinho did his broadcast from home.
The Premier League and Champions League trophy can be made out but a few weren’t hugely clear.
When asked what was on display, Mourinho, who has won 25 trophies as a manager, replied: “Half of it!”
talkSPORT
Mourinho was on Breakfast ahead of England and Scotland’s final Euro 2020 group matches, with the Three Lions needing to beat the Czech Republic finish top of Group D, while Scotland must beat Croatia.
England are through to the last-16 no matter what and Mourinho believes this is the perfect opportunity for Gareth Southgate to change his starting XI.
Mourinho suggested the England boss should bring Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish into the line-up, ahead of Kalvin Phillips and Mason Mount, who misses the match after being forced to self-isolate.
Meanwhile, he’d also like to see Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling play either side of Harry Kane up top.
He added: “If a national team manager brought very young players to the team, Gareth is someone who has done it more… England’s average age is really low.
“Before the first game [against Croatia] I was saying Grealish, Bellingham [could play] but I totally agreed when Gareth didn’t pick them because it’s the first game, lots of pressure and the way Croatia play.
“But I believe in this nature of matches it is better to have Bellingham than to have Declan Rice and Phillips at the same time. Both are playing well but England now needs something different.
“When a team lacks confidence, is playing with fears and caution, you have to play the one that doesn’t hide and the one that doesn’t hide is Grealish. He can make his mistakes, he can lose the ball but he doesn’t hide.
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“He wants the ball. I don’t know if he vocally says ‘give me the ball’ but if he doesn’t he does it by body language. Against Scotland, in the last ten minutes he got two or three free-kicks, he got the team up, he tried, he got kicked, he created stability.
“I believe in this moment England need something like that. If Mount is out it’s easy, you play Grealish as a no.10. Give him the freedom to go to the sides, especially to the left but give him the freedom to go next to Harry too.
“I would play Grealish behind Harry and Bellingham in midfield. It’s a difficult decision because players as coaches don’t want to leave out players they are happy with but between Rice and Phillips having to stay out it’d probably be Phillips. So Rice, Bellingham and Grealish.
“Kane needs to play in his normal position and on the two sides one of Sterling or Rashford, if not both. England needs to scare a little bit and not to let defensive position lines feel very comfortable, everything happens in their face and nothing behind their shoulders.”
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The inclusion of Sterling and Rashford means there would be no place for Phil Foden in Mourinho’s XI, however.
On Foden’s inclusion, Mourinho said: “Not for this match I don’t think. When you have these kind of squads there cannot be any drama, not for the players, the fans, the media. When the squads are very good this is a normal situation.
“To leave Foden or Phillips out is not to say I’m not happy with them, not at all. It’s a big squad with 26 players, lots of players and everybody is ready to play.
“In the next match, if you play Portugal, France or Germany you maybe have a different approach.”
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