Real Madrid: Why Marc Cucurella is attacking less than at Chelsea

Marc Cucurella has admitted that his attacking role has changed significantly since leaving Chelsea for Real Madrid, with the left-back revealing that Jose Mourinho's side can move forward so quickly that he often struggles to join attacks before they are finished.

Cucurella joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in a £52m summer deal and has quickly established himself on the left side of Mourinho's defence.

His role, however, has looked noticeably different from the one he occupied at Stamford Bridge.

At Chelsea, the Spain international regularly advanced into attacking areas and became increasingly influential higher up the pitch.

Madrid's attacking characteristics are forcing him to adjust.

With Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior capable of turning possession into a shooting opportunity within seconds, Cucurella has found that overlapping from deep is not always possible.

"When I want to attack, they are so quick that they have already had the shot," Cucurella told El Larguero.

Rather than expressing frustration, the defender sees it as part of a wider adaptation process involving both Madrid's attackers and defenders.

Madrid's speed has changed Cucurella's attacking role

Cucurella acknowledged that he is attacking less frequently than he did at Chelsea and explained that Madrid's preference for moving the ball forward quickly is a major reason.

"Because of the characteristics of our attack, once the ball goes forward it is more difficult for the full-backs to arrive," he explained.

That is particularly relevant on Cucurella's side because his relationship with Vinicius is still developing.

The Spaniard revealed that he has barely trained with the Brazilian and believes both players are still learning how to complement each other's movements.

"Playing with Vini is good, but in the end we have barely trained together," Cucurella said. "Connecting with me is different from connecting with other full-backs, but it is all a process."

Cucurella also suggested that the adaptation cannot come entirely from the defenders.

"The defenders have to adapt to their style and they have to adapt to us," he added. "There are moments when we need to have longer spells of possession and manage games."

That helps explain why Cucurella's reduced attacking involvement should not necessarily be interpreted as an instruction from Mourinho simply to remain deep.

Instead, it reflects an attack currently built around rapid progression.

Madrid had very little conventional pre-season together following a busy summer, and Cucurella is still in the opening weeks of competitive football with his new teammates.

His comments therefore provide another indication of why Mourinho's side have looked dangerous in transition but less settled when asked to control matches for longer periods.

Bernabeu pressure adds another layer to adaptation

The tactical adjustment is not the only difference Cucurella has noticed since leaving England.

He has also been struck by how quickly the Santiago Bernabeu can turn on the team.

Madrid supporters voiced their frustration during the Champions League meeting with Inter Milan, and Cucurella admitted being surprised that whistles arrived before his side had even properly settled into the match.

"There are things that have surprised me a little and I thought, 'They whistle quickly here'," he recalled. "Against Inter, they kicked off and we did not touch the ball until around the second minute, and the stadium was already whistling."

Cucurella nevertheless said he understands the standards created by generations of great players and famous European nights at the Bernabeu.

That pressure has intensified following defeats to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid, with the 2-1 derby loss leaving Madrid six points behind Barcelona after seven league matches.

Cucurella has urged patience, arguing that Madrid are still building their foundations and that an uneven start will quickly be forgotten if the team succeeds when the major trophies are decided later in the season.

"If the season ends the way we all want, nobody will remember this start, whether we switched off or lost two games," he said.

His own adaptation offers a small example of that wider process.

At Chelsea, Cucurella developed into a full-back increasingly comfortable influencing attacks.

At Madrid, he is discovering that getting forward is sometimes less about whether he wants to attack and more about whether Mbappe, Vinicius and company have left him enough time to arrive.