Jose Mourinho is famous for criticising attacking players who have not delivered as well as he expects. He is also quite famous for praising those who have been excellent for him. The latter seems to have happened in the case of Karim Benzema, who has finally won the praise of manager José Mourinho.
The 23-year-old striker arrived from Lyon with much fanfare, but struggled during the initial months of his Real Madrid career. It was soon speculated that he would soon be leaving Real on a loan deal, but that never materialised because Benzema was considered an important member of the squad.
Now, under José Mourinho, he seems to have taken another step in becoming one of the most important players for Real Madrid. He scored in the 3-2 win over Villarreal during the weekend, which helped Real Madrid maintain the three point advantage over Barcelona. It is extremely vital in the title race and José Mourinho seems to have understood it – he came out in full praise of the French striker, who has been in troubled times of late.
Speaking to the press after the match, José Mourinho said “Benzema has improved all-round, every aspect of his game. He is stronger, both in his body and in his mind, and understands the game a lot better. We know taht he can be a clinical striker of the ball, but he has also improved his defensive game. For me, finally the real Benzema is playing for Madrid.”
This is quite a lot of praise for the youngster who had become accustomed to criticism from coach Mourinho. He said that one of the reasons for Karim Benzema not being able to perform for the French team is because they lack a playmaker like Loic Remy.