While the pain of Real Madrid’s defeat in the Clasico against Barça last Saturday has not yet faded, Kylian Mbappé received a significant reprimand from Stephen Brun on RMC Sport.
As the new number 9 for Real Madrid, the 25-year-old French striker has raised considerable doubts in recent days. Although he started the season well with the Madrid side he joined this summer, Kylian Mbappé completely disappointed last Saturday in the clash of the eleventh round of La Liga. Indeed, starting in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting eleven for the first Clasico of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu, the former PSG player delivered an unexpected performance.
Perhaps too caught up in the significance of the match, which he wanted to stamp with his mark, the Bondy native fell into the trap of the Barcelona defence, which has been playing very high up the pitch for several matches now. On eight occasions, Kylian Mbappé was caught offside. Throughout this match, which ended in a comprehensive victory for Barça (4-0) at the Santiago Bernabéu, the former PSG player never managed to adapt to the style of play offered by the Catalans, which should have greatly benefited him given his pace.
“He’s making the team regress”
Pointed out as one of the main culprits for Real Madrid’s first Liga defeat in 42 matches, the captain of the French national team is not spared by anyone. If the press in Spain pulls no punches, the situation is no different in France. On RMC Sport this Sunday, presenter Stephen Brun, in his show Stephen Brunch, did not hold back on KM9. Speaking candidly, the French media figure identified Mbappé as the main actor in Real’s complicated situation.
“Are the criticisms excessive? It’s completely deserved,” Brun began before switching to hands-free mode. “Kylian Mbappé arrives in an exceptional Real team, champions of the Champions League last year, winners of La Liga, they haven’t lost a single match, and he comes in. Normally, that adds value, but now you get the impression he’s making the team regress. For this first Clasico against Barcelona, he completely missed the mark.“
“He played a match of absolute naivety”
While Carlo Ancelotti defended his player at the press conference after the Clasico, the RMC host did not mince his words. “When you bring in Kylian Mbappé, he’s a great player who should perform in big matches. Eight offsides – he played a match of absolute naivety, worthy of an 18-year-old you put on a football pitch. He is one of the greatest football players in the world, but he’s not able to adapt to what (Barça) offers in terms of formation. Eight times offside – do you realise what that means?”
This is a very clear criticism that several share. Despite his goals, Kylian Mbappé must quickly regain his composure to turn things around. With seven months left in the season, the French player has time to rediscover all his sensations in front of goal, or he risks having a difficult season. It is up to Carlo Ancelotti and his staff to find the best ways to put the players in the right conditions.
Leave a Reply