Six for Real as Mourinho bites back

Cristiano Ronaldo twice on scoresheet as coach Jose Mourinho hits back at media and warns that team is work in progress.

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Jose Mourinho rounded on sections of the Spanish media who seem unimpressed by his collection of major titles [AFP]

Real Madrid finally found their shooting boots in a 6-1 thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna but coach Jose Mourinho has told fans to keep the champagne on ice.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as the Madridistas swamped the visitors from the start at the Bernabeu but his fellow Portuguese Mourinho said the team was still a work in progress.

Mourinho was signed from Inter Milan at the end of last season to try to wrest the Spanish Primera Liga title from Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona.

Their record this season is six wins and two draws in all competitions, although until Sunday they had struggled to convert an abundance of chances and had drawn whistles from some of their demanding supporters at the Bernabeu.

Real are third on 14 points above Barcelona on 13 after the champions were held 1-1 at home by Real Mallorca, with Valencia top and Villarreal second.

‘Not the best’

“We are not the best team in the world yet for having beaten Depor 6-1,” Mourinho said on Sunday.

La Liga results

Saturday October 2

undefined Real Sociedad 1-0 Espanyol
undefined Zaragoza 2-2 Sporting Gijon
undefined Valencia 2-1 Athletic Bilbao

Sunday October 3

undefined Getafe 3-0 Hercules
undefined Osasuna 1-1 Levante
undefined Sevilla 3-1 Atl Madrid
undefined Almeria 1-1 Malaga
undefined Villarreal 2-0 Santander
undefined Barcelona 1-1 Real Mallorca
undefined Real Madrid 6-1 Deportivo

“We are under construction and neither the result nor the applause of the fans makes me think our work is done.”

Having only managed to score six goals in five previous league games, Madrid made an ideal start when Ronaldo headed home in the fourth minute.

German midfielder Mesut Oezil wrong-footed Deportivo’s defence 20 minutes later before firing in an angled shot that went in off the far post.

Then Xabi Alonso hit a long pass upfield for Gonzalo Higuain, who raced along the left flank before sending over a pinpoint cross for Angel di Maria to head powerfully into the net in the 35th minute.

Higuain made it 4-0 after a well-timed cross from Di Maria in the 54th
minute and Deportivo’s Portugal midfielder Jose Castro gave away an own goal under pressure as Madrid charged forward in the 61st minute.

Juan Rodriguez headed a consolation goal for Deportivo in the 79th minute before Ronaldo struck his second, a precisely placed low strike, in the 89th minute.

Mourinho had a difficult relationship with the Italian media during his time at Inter and has already upset some Spanish journalists who have complained he does not allow them enough access to the players.

Prickly response

He gave a prickly response on Sunday when he was asked whether the performance against Depor was a good response to those who questioned his abilities.

“If you have doubts about a coach who has won what I have then you have to explain what qualities a coach should have to have the right to work in your country,” he said.

“You have to tell me if I have to have won three Champions Leagues and seven domestic league titles.

“I have two Champions Leagues and six domestic league titles. Is that enough to have the right to work here? If so, great. I’ll continue with my work.”

Mourinho won the European Champions League with Porto in 2004 and Inter last season. He also won two domestic titles with Porto, two with Chelsea and two with Inter.

Barca, normally so dominant at the Nou Camp, were stunned 2-0 there by promoted Hercules last month and Mallorca, coached by former Barca player Michael Laudrup, became the latest side to check the Catalans’ title defence.

Messi celebrated picking up his European Golden Shoe trophy before kickoff by scoring the opening goal in the 21st minute, curling a shot into the corner of the net from just outside the penalty area after Pedro’s clever lay-off.

But Emilio Nsue powered a header into the net for the visitors just before the break.

Barca are third on 13 points from six matches, three behind leaders Valencia.

Villarreal are second on 15 after they recorded a fifth straight victory by beating Racing Santander 2-0 on Sunday thanks to goals from Nilmar and Giuseppe Rossi.

Sevilla are fifth, also on 11, after Alvaro Negredo scored one goal and set up another to give the Andalusians a 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid in coach Gregorio Manzano’s first home match in charge.

Manzano, who led financially-troubled Mallorca to fifth last season before quitting, replaced Antonio Alvarez last week and has two wins out of two following Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League victory at Borussia Dortmund.

Source: News Agencies