Source: Team_Talk
Mourinho reveals admiration for duo
Jose Mourinho admits England duo Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are the type of players he will look to lure to Real Madrid this summer.[LNB] The Portuguese boss, who is set to be named as Madrid coach in the coming days after Manuel Pellegrini was sacked from the post last night, also outlined his preference for full-backs in the mould of Ashley Cole and Maicon.[LNB]While Mourinho is also yet to officially leave Inter Milan, he has already spoken freely about his plans at big-spending Madrid.[LNB]Those plans could involve raids on his former clubs, Chelsea and Inter, after he spoke glowingly about Blues duo Lampard, 31, and Cole, 29, as well as Maicon - the 28-year-old Brazilian who helped Mourinho lead Inter to a trophy treble in 2009/10.[LNB]Mourinho has also previously admired 29-year-old Gerrard - he attempted to sign the Liverpool midfielder while he was in charge of Chelsea - and today described all four players as ideal to fulfil his ambitions in the Spanish capital.[LNB]"I like players in the final part of their careers," Mourinho told Spanish sports daily AS.[LNB]"I love to have some players who are 33 or 34 years old... they are players that you buy and you won't recover this money, but if they give you good performances for two or three years you've got your money's worth.[LNB]"Both (Gerrard and Lampard) are great players who always give everything."[LNB]Mourinho added: "I like to play with four at the back, although my teams are always ready to play with only three - a system I have used to win many games over the years.[LNB]"But normally we will play with four, but with two offensive full-backs in the style of Maicon and Ashley Cole."[LNB]Mourinho's arrival is at the very least set to usher in the start of another long summer of transfer rumours at the Bernabeu, after their record-breaking summer spending last year that brought in big names Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso.[LNB]Those signings, however, failed to deliver the Primera Division title for a second successive term - with rivals Barca again successful - while they failed even to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.[LNB]Mourinho is set to ride into Madrid having won Europe's top club competition, following Inter's 2-0 win over Bayern Munich last Saturday, while also boasting back-to-back Serie A successes.[LNB]The 47-year-old, however, stopped short of promising Real's fans a Primera Division title next season, although he did seek to quash concerns he will employ a more defensive style.[LNB]"I want to win the league, because no player or coach has won the English, Italian and Spanish leagues and I would like to be the first to do it, and also to be the first coach to lift three Champions Leagues with three different teams," he said.[LNB]"I would also like to discover a player from the youth team and make him into a star.[LNB]"I have a lot of motivations. I don't want to lose humility, so I cannot come out and say that I'm going to win the league when you are up against a super team like Barca."[LNB]Responding to a question about how Madrid fans want to win with style, he added: "Me as well, let them have no doubt about that.[LNB]"My Madrid will always play well, attack and will be winners. However, there will be times when we will have to face the game in a different manner.[LNB]"Having said that, my team always goes out on the pitch with a clear idea: to win. And if we are winning 3-1 and we only have 10 players on the pitch, then my players will have to sit back to defend. That's the way it is.[LNB]"It's very difficult during 90 minutes to always be better than your opponent. There's always a time in which you need to be a team and make sacrifices."[LNB]He added: "It will be a balanced team. A team that plays to win titles must be aware aware of its virtues and its defects and has to work as a unit.[LNB]"A team that wants to win titles has to win games and a team that wants to win games has to play well.[LNB]"We will be a side with its own identity. We will not imitate anybody. The identity will be set by the players and me.[LNB]"For this we will have to work very hard."
