Jose Mourinho suggests playing Lukaku in defence after setting team up in 2-4-4 formation

Jose Mourinho floated the idea of moving Romelu Lukaku to central defence after taking a “big risk” for Roma to beat Cremonese in the Coppa Italia. Lukaku sparked a late comeback by equalizing for Roma in the second half before Paulo Dybala scored from the penalty spot. to make it 2-1 with five minutes remaining.

Roma used a tactic in their search for a late winner, with Mourinho attacking alongside him in a nearly 2-4-4 formation with no centre-back available. The 60-year-old explained that he was willing to do anything. it was necessary to secure results, even if it meant putting Lukaku on defense or getting his players into an unfamiliar form. Mourinho also noted that congestion fit as something in his thinking. And he said: “I don’t know how we’re going to continue. There’s a very important game to play on Sunday, and that’s the one we’ve got. If we want Lukaku to play in central defence, then he will.

“We play with our hearts, with respect for the fans. First we have Atalanta and then Lazio in the Coppa Italia. [Sardar] Azmoun leaves next week, [Gianluca] Mancini is injured and yellow carded, [Leandro] Paredes and [Bryan] Cristante are in play.

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“I don’t know what condition we’ll be in for the games against Lazio and then Milan. All I know is that we give everything we have. How many clubs can say they played 43 home games against a sellout?”I’m tired too, tonight I ran a few miles on that sideline. “Mourinho went on to say that he had to take risks to give Roma the best chance of victory due to his injury problems. saying: “I doubt many teams have won a game betting without a single centre-back. We put more people to fill the final third and the penalty area. We had Dybala to create, Azmoun, [Leonardo] Spinazzola and others to move forward.

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“If we had gone out, we’d have been dead tired and also know we had tried literally everything against a Cremonese side and a coach who do not belong in Serie B. I am pleased with the performance but it’s tough. This is an enormous risk that we only take in an emergency. The team is accustomed to a high press but we had no centre-backs.”Mourinho also had a few stern words for pundit Massimo Mauro, who recently criticised the Portuguese boss for using ‘disrespectful’ and unprofessional tactics to win games. The Special One took the opportunity to fire back at Mauro’s earlier comments, saying: “For an ex-player, he does not respect people from his own business.”There are pundits who spent time on the field, on the touchline. They all respect and know that we are eating from the same plate, whereas he does not do that.”

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