Jose Mourinho labelled Croatia’s midfield as one of the best in the Euros – and would start Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Jack Grealish if he was in England manager Gareth Southgate’s shoes.

The former Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham boss will be part of talkSPORT’s Euros coverage this summer and joined the Breakfast show as the tournament prepares to kick off tonight.

Mourinho joined talkSPORT for an hour on Friday to speak about Euro 2020

The Special One was eager to stress he fully supports Southgate and the England players, many of whom he knows well, but gave his honest opinion on the Three Lions and how they should line up in their opening game.

Intriguingly, he would find no place for Luke Shaw or Marcus Rashford in his team, despite working with them at Manchester United.

Here’s what he to say ahead of England’s clash with Croatia on Sunday…

Croatia’s midfield

Mourinho spoke at length about just how good their midfield is and believes this is the vital area of the game.

The Portuguese knows Luka Modric well having coached him at Real Madrid, and is a huge fan of Marcelo Brozović and Matteo Kovacic.

“Looking to the first match against Croatia, and I think this is a tournament where you have to go match after match and forget what is coming after,” he said.

“England is going to face one of the best midfields in the tournament. Brozovic is the top of the top. He’s a fantastic player. Aggression but at the same time great technique and arrival in the box and coming from a more defensive position.

“Modric has had a fantastic career. Kovacic is better than what people say. He’s played in every club I’ve been but never with me. He played for Real Madrid, but not with me, he played for Chelsea, but not with me and played for Inter but not with me.

“I love the guy and he’s following my clubs.

“When you play against a strong midfield, it’s there you have to control. Why to play with three at the back when their power is not there. 

“Since Manduzkic finished where is the top striker for Croatia? It’s their problem. They have Perisic on the side, but is not a striker. Rebic plays around but it’s there in midfield.

Kovacic, Brozovic and Modric are an impressive midfield three
GETTY

“For me, you play with two centre-backs and concentrate on your midfield. Midfield to play there.

“I think to be offensive, you have to be in control of matches. How can you be offensive if you don’t have the ball. It is important to control that midfield and it’s more important to play with three midfielders, I didn’t say which ones as you haven’t asked me yet.

“I think it’s important to be in control of that area and not be scared of playing with a back five. I think it’s enough to play with a back four and the full backs with the freedom to go. 

“When I saw three midfielders, one of them can be, for example, Phil Foden. It’s not like we are speaking about Henderson, Rice and Kalvin Phillips. 

“I believe it’s important to be in control. You let them play, they play. They play and take the initiative from you.

“Emotionally it’s not good because you are at home and you want to start. It’s important to dominate and don’t let them play. Dominate is to be solid and be in control. When you have a good midfield like England can have and then in attack, you are adding three attacking players to this midfield.

“I think England has everything. Gareth has tried many times with five at the back, so I don’t see a problem if he wants to go with that.

GETTY

Mourinho thinks Foden could be part of a midfield three against Croatia[/caption]

England’s record at the European Championship

Mourinho was presented with the incredible stat that England have never won their opening game of a European Championship.

He said: “You English are always pessimistic and you look to the negative stats. I prefer not to look at it when it’s negative. Just forget it.

“You have the opening match against Croatia, it’s the opening match, it’s difficult, they are a good team.

“Forget the negative record and just think about the game and think about winning.”

When asked if England can win, Mourinho added: “Can, 100%. Should? I think is a little bit too much is an extra pressure they don’t need. Of course they can and have the potential.

“To say they should you could say the same against France and Portugal. Should is too much. They should be positive and believe in themselves and go to every match and think they can win it.”

Mourinho gave his advice to Gareth Southgate and England

Harry Kane and Euro 2020

A lot of England’s hope will be pinned on Spurs striker Kane, who Mourinho managed over the last 18 months.

He said: “He pays the price of his success and he pays the price of his numbers. People expect him to score goals all the time, which is what he does.

“I don’t think he’s very comfortable with it. I don’t think he’s even used to it. What I think is needed is what we tried at Tottenham is that he drops so much and gets in between the lines and is such a technical player that he can assist and can link the play.

Mourinho sent his best wishes to Kane ahead of the tournament
Getty

“If you do that then you don’t have a player who looks for that then you find someone who moves the ball and looks dangerous. In the end, he would naturally drop and leave his area. Great vision, passing and change of direction and explore the opposite full back.

“You cannot say only him can score goals. 

“I did message yesterday. Now it’s time to (stand back). Now it’s time to close the door and leave them in their room with family and close friends. 

“From my side, when a player is my boy, he’s my boy even when we don’t work together.

His England XI vs Croatia

Mourinho went on to name England XI he would start for the Three Lions’ Euro 2020 opener against Croatia.

And there’s no room for two of his former Manchester United players, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford.

“I think Gareth Southgate has great potential in his hands,” he said.

“I would go with Dean Henderson in goal. Without Harry Maguire, I would go John Stones and Tyrone Mings as the centre-backs.

“Conor Coady is clearly a three defenders, defender. The kid from Brighton (Ben White) is a good player but he has just arrived so it doesn’t make any sense to go directly in.

“Mings has good leadership qualities, he’s aggressive, good personality. Stones is very fast to deal with space.

“Right-backs you can throw a coin but I would say Kyle Walker because you need pace, and a little bit of experience, an older guy, he closes the space inside maybe better than Reece James and Kieran Tripper.

“Left-back I would go with Ben Chilwell, I wouldn’t think twice. He is intelligent, he covers the space, the diagonals inside very well, he is dangerous in attack, he is good in the air, good on set-pieces.

“On Luke Shaw, he said: “He had a good season and clearly an evolution in terms of emotion, professionalism. But Chilwell has something more, especially with the ball, he way he thinks, he is very calm under pressure. I like Chilwell.

Mourinho had an uneasy relationship with Shaw at Man United
GETTY

“To play with Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham would be perfect but maybe this first game play Kalvin Phillips with Rice.

“I would have doubts here because Bellingham is the perfect player to play as the second midfielder with a guy like Rice.

“Harry Kane is untouchable, Jack Grealish is untouchable and the best position for Grealish is coming in from the left. For me, Marcus Rashford can only play there. When he plays on the right, he is completely lost.

“He is dynamic but on the right totally broken. He very good on the left attacking spaces. But Grealish for me is tremendous – what he creates and his personality. I don’t like comparisons, but he reminds me of Luis Figo. I like him very much.

“The way he gets the ball, the personality, the way he attacks people, he gets fouls, he gets penalties. He is very powerful. I like him very much.

Mourinho is a huge fan of Aston Villa star Grealish
GETTY

“So I would say Grealish on the left, Mason Mount as the number ten and because I like the wingers to come inside, I would play Phil Foden on the right.

“I would play Foden, Mount and Grealish, that is why I’m saying Phillips and Rice (behind them). Mount has an incredible football brain.”

The team Jose would pick to start the Euros

talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 will have live commentary of EVERY game of Euro 2020. You won’t miss a thing as we bring you round the clock coverage, reaction and analysis from June 11-July 11. Listen online HERE.

talkSPORT Selector Big5

talkSPORT Selector is back this summer with a brand new predictions game – Big5.

Fancy a shot at winning a share of ten thousand pounds? Turn your predictions into cash with one in four entries guaranteed to win!

Entries cost £3 and the first game closes at 1:45pm on Saturday, June 12.

Go to talkSPORT.com/selector NOW!

18+. Ts&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. Begambleaware.org/

By

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *