Kylian Mbappé, without a doubt is a superstar, possessing blistering pace that no one can catch up with, and technique a tier above anyone else’s. Guiding France to their second World Championship at age 18 is enough to stamp his name down in footballing history as one of the most talented players to ever touch a football.
In fact, many people were saying that Killian would be the one to take over the throne as Messi and Ronaldo would decline and exit football.
However, for the past year or two, the headlines surrounding Mbappé have been worrying. From being pampered and catered to at PSG, to a potential feud with his national team and manager, Didier Deschamps.
A slow start to the season for a player who’s deemed the best attacker in the world has raised questions: is there something wrong with Killian? Has his ego gotten too big? Maybe, but let’s look into it a little closer.
The Recent Worries Surrounding Mbappé
It feels like he’s detaching himself from the national team, who catapulted him to stardom. He has not been selected to play for France’s national team in their two closing group games against Israel and Italy in the Nations League.
French manager Didier Deschamps stated that Mbappé wanted to come, and it was a one-off decision, just for these games. However, this comes after headlines that suggest Mbappé is not on good terms with the manager.
I mean, he said that Killian wanted to play, and he himself is not injured, so what would be the reason to not at least include him in the squad? Mbappé is the captain of the side and is supposed to be one of the leaders, and he is someone who, no matter what arguments come his way, is always on point for the national team.
As we all remember, at the World Cup final, he single-handedly willed his side to the penalty shootout and converted his penalty as well, but just a few months ago, another headline would come out stating that Mbappé only wanted to play in big tournaments for the French side.
This is simply unheard of, and to be honest, it’s unacceptable. For example, imagine if Messi didn’t want to come and play in their most recent World Cup qualifier match against Bolivia because Argentina would probably win anyway. It just feels so disrespectful to your nation.
Does Mbappé have the power to kick Deschamps off the team? Nobody knows, but it would set a bad precedent for the rest of the team to know that your best player has the ability to command the National Football Association.
Mbappé PSG Experience: Power and Egos
To segue to my next point, I think the reason he thinks he could do anything he wants is due to his time at PSG, who would do anything to keep him happy.
He was made the sporting director, he could choose the managers, the transfer policy of the club, his position on the pitch, as well as his salary, which was increased year by year by drastic amounts just to get him to stay.
In his last two years at PSG, to keep him from going to Madrid, they paid him well over a million EUR a week, essentially making him bigger than the club and in turn, this would inflate his ego. Although, I don’t think he could be blamed for this, as if it was anybody else in his position, they would feel the same way.
He would still fall out with the PSG owner, and reports came out that he would constantly complain about something. It just looked like a bad look, and he was constantly using Madrid as leverage to gain more and more power from his old club.
Look, even after saying all of this, his time at PSG could still be seen as successful, as PSG would get to their first Champions League final in 2020 before losing to Bayern Munich.
In his last season, PSG would be very unlucky to not go through to Dortmund in the Champions League semi-final, as they would hit the post six times. He did stack domestic trophies and awards while also being PSG’s all-time top goal scorer.
A New Reality at Real Madrid
Now, he is at Real Madrid, where he knows he will never be bigger than the club. Real Madrid even parted ways with Cristiano Ronaldo, who was at the peak of his powers, instead of bending to his will. Mbappé will never have power, just like any other player at Real Madrid.
Adjusting to this type of treatment will be difficult, as going from a club that caters to every need, cruising to League and domestic titles without much competition, to now fighting tooth and nail for every trophy.
In my opinion, staying in PSG and playing in a domestic league that isn’t really challenging for them due to the financial disparity has led him to stay static with development.
Sure, he’s already one of the best players in the world, but it seems as though nothing in his game has gotten better overall since his.since his rise to stardom, and his progression is flatlined. I mean, a few seasons ago, you would be laughed out of the room for comparing Vinícius Jr. and Mbappé, but now it’s genuinely a conversation that could be had.
While we’re on the topic of Vinícius Jr., we may see a potential clash between the two, as both operate on the left flank. Sure, Mbappé has been playing on the number nine role for Madrid, but it’s clear that he works better on the left wing.
There’s just one obvious problem: Vinícius Jr. is the best left winger in the world, who guided Real Madrid to two Champions League titles and has a much closer connection to the fans, as he’s grown from a scrawny 18-year-old kid who Benzema swore was playing against them to a top-three player in the world. So, Vinícius Jr. is basically immovable at Real Madrid.
Can Mbappé Find His Form Again?
Some people say that they’ve seen this coming, as this summer at the Euros, Mbappé would play much lower to his usual standard, scoring just one penalty against Poland in the group stage. Mbappé would look much less dangerous and didn’t participate in the penalty shootout against Portugal, which saw them reach the semi-final.
It seems as though this form may have carried over to his Madrid start, as he has played in 11 matches in La Liga, scored six goals, and also notched one assist. However, three of his goals have come from the penalty spot, which isn’t a diss at Mbappé, of course, he’s supposed to score the penalties he’s given, but at the end of the day, it is the easiest way to score in a football match.
Combining that with Real Madrid’s uncharacteristic performances in the Champions League, they find themselves 18th in the table, right below German giants Bayern Munich. And it’s clear to see that something is wrong.
Although these stats are not terrible by any means, it’s not the level of Madrid. And if he doesn’t adjust to playing striker well, there will be big question marks as to if he’s really the world’s best player. Unlike Vinícius Jr., Mbappé has come at the age of 25, where most players are already developed, so we can’t use that as an excuse.
And with some pundits on Canal+ like Bertrand Lor saying Mbappé will be on the bench soon, it’s worrying, as this shouldn’t even be a conversation. However, if he is benched, I don’t think it will be too long, as that would just cause more problems. If your highest earner and biggest name is on the bench.
Real Madrid’s Current Crisis
Real Madrid are in a crisis right now, with Carvajal and Eder Militão closing the season with their ACL tears, and the attack struggling to find creativity. All of Real Madrid’s problems can’t be put onto Mbappé, but I think changes to the attack must come.
As a midfield trio of Valverde, Camavinga, and Bellingham are not creative enough to supply Vinícius Jr. and Mbappé with the through balls they need. With retired Kroos and Luka Modrić getting one year closer to that fateful retirement, Madrid definitely needs changes.
There’s a clear solution to the creativity problem, and I think his name is Arda Güler. I think if Arda was able to operate in the right flank, he would be able to feed Mbappé better, But Ancelotti will not trust the youngsters with both Arda and Endrick sitting on the bench.
Look, all in all, I have no doubt in my mind that Mbappé will figure it out and get back to his superstar ways. But for right now, we have to be honest about his regression.
Well, it’s only November, so I know he still has time to turn things around. I think Mbappé needs to apologize to the national team and be ready to play in every fixture necessary, even if they are “small games”.
Also, he needs to swallow his pride and understand that Vinícius Jr. is not going anywhere and get used to playing that number nine role.
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Thank you for reading.