Just to save striker "Big Ivan", Mourinho s experiment with three central defenders failed again

Mourinho used a three-centre-back formation for the second time this season. The result was still unsatisfactory, with a relatively bad first half. Fortunately, the opponent was Madeira Navigation, not Newcastle. So during the halftime break, Mourinho replaced four players in one breath and switched to a back four, and finally reversed the decline.

After the game, the old man pointed out angrily that the players' attitude was very bad and they didn't play seriously. I wanted to replace nine players instead of four. Of course, after substitutions and a hairdryer in the dressing room, Madeira Nautical could no longer play the ball as comfortably as before and was eventually pushed back.

Then, Mourinho explained why he used a three-back formation. He said that playing three-backs is not easy and requires tactical literacy, and we only trained for two days as a whole. This is a formation adjusted based on the fact that Benfica has fewer wing players (Lukebakio was seriously injured and needed to rest for four months).

At the same time, another important reason for me to do this is to put the club's high-quality asset, Ivanovic (forward), in an environment closer to what he was used to at United San Giros, where he had a more permanent center partner.

Having said that, the answer is obvious. When Ivanovic last worked with Mourinho at Chelsea, he was a central defender and right back, nicknamed "Ivan the Terrible". Unfortunately, he suddenly lost himself and became the colander of the team, which made Mourinho finally leave sadly.

This time Ivanovic's situation is even more serious. Fans have begun to call him a parallel import. In addition, the 27-year-old "Greek Kane" Pavlidis, who is 1.86 meters tall and has no inverse feet, is strong and relatively stable, and can play a fulcrum role.

This makes Ivanovic, a 22-year-old, 1.85-meter-tall, right-footed player, only a substitute. But it doesn't matter. The Croatian international, who was born in Austria, can play all positions on the offensive line.

Therefore, Mourinho's 3412 formation is almost specifically designed for Ivanovic's gradual growth. Play the shadow forward first, and then transition to the lone forward after the Greek Kane is sold. Moreover, in the team, Baking Soda, Kjeldrup, Prestiani and others can also play the second forward position.

But what is a little embarrassing is that in the Portuguese Cup match, Ivanovic only played for 45 minutes before being substituted. Obviously, this is Mourinho's knock on him. Attitude is very important. Don't slack off just because your opponent is weak.

And Ivanovic's state is not only in the Portuguese league, but also in the Croatian team. Having already secured qualification for the World Cup in advance, Ivanovic started the game in the 3-2 away game against Montenegro, but was replaced in the 55th minute. That performance is really hard to describe.

In his last season at San Giros United, Ivanovic contributed 17 goals and 8 assists, and his efficiency was quite good. His playing style is distinctive, with fast speed, delicate technique and a keen sense of smell in front of the goal. However, under high-intensity confrontation, sometimes it seems not tough enough.

Obviously, the Portuguese league is more intense in terms of confrontation than the Belgian league, so it will not be easy for Ivanovic to adapt, but the advantage is that he is young and is the key training target of Benfica Club.

Because the Croatian international's transfer fee is as high as 27.8 million euros (the basic transfer fee is 22.8 million euros, plus a floating amount of 5 million euros), the contract is signed until 2030, including a 100 million release clause, but from July 1, 2029, it will be reduced to 60 million euros, and Sanguiros will receive 20% of future transfers.

So it can be seen that on the one hand, there are high hopes, and on the other hand, centers are often a bit more expensive. Even the top three Portuguese Super League players who are good at secondary processing and have a keen eye for pearls have to pay a lot of money to buy centers. For example, Sporting CP paid 24 million euros for Zhekerais.

Follow me. Although the three-center-back formation experiment failed again, I believe Mourinho can cultivate "Big Ivan" in the future. After all, this is an era when good centers are scarce!