Mbappe to Real Madrid - Official

I was skeptical about shoehorning Mbappé into a starting lineup with Vini since they essentially play the same position, but this is worse than I though. His presence is also negatively affecting Bellingham and Valverde. This one transfer has derailed the great momentum from last year. This is such an old school Florentino galactico signing. He fixated on getting Mbappé and ultimately got him with no regards to what the squad actually needs. Shades of signing Beckham when you already had Figo and have just lost your starting defensive midfielder.

There are no easy solutions here, Vini isn't gonna be moved from the left and Mbappé isn't likely to turn into a world class 9.

The biggest problem right now isn't even that he plays n9. The guy can't beat a man, can't create chances, can't shoot, takes double digit shots every game, has Lukaku's first touch, doesn't lift a finger to help in the press and drifts in and out of games. You could literally replace him with Rashford and you wouldn't see the difference.

We were told that he'd be better than Messi/Ronaldo but the French league could be deceiving.

I get that this is probably not his actual level but I have been very dissapointed with him so far. Thought he'd be far better than this

Won't be long until the SB turns on him

The last 5 seconds oh my god man pic.twitter.com/ondKtGj7UR

— � (@idoxvi) November 6, 2024

Even semi-retired Messi pressed more. This shit is unprecedented

It's honestly ridiculous. Messi got away with it at times, but he also had an entire system built around making up for it. RM don't have that luxury, not like Vini and Jude are going to step up for him.

Carlo's problem to solve.

Messi did some pressing in his prime though. Like he wasn't a liability til like 2014ish??

Myesyats wrote:Even semi-retired Messi pressed more. This shit is unprecedented

Mbappe makes old Messi look like prime Baresi. Last season in PSG Messi had 30 tackles to Mbappes 10, this season Messi had 15 tackles in 19 games to Mbappes 1 in 10.

Dropped for the November friendlies

Saving his energy for another run of stinkers, legend

I was quite certain he’d not be Hazard 2.0 but now I’m not sure.

He'll never be Hazard of course. That lazy guy didn't even play a single Clasico for nearly the entirety of his RM career. At least Mbappe is there to face the music even if his attitude stinks

Any takers???

Mbappe or Anus Fati. Who ya got?

If he doesn't turn it around by January he should be benched.

There's been plenty of Hazard comparisons made recently in relation to Mbappe but there's actually one comparison I haven't seen making the rounds as much and that I think feels more apt.

The Real Madrid version of Kaka.

Similarities:

1. I feel a similar "too good to be true"/uncanny valley surreal sensation that I used to feel with our Kaka in the sense that here was a bonafide "galactico", once Balon D'or level star who now seemed diminished not only as a player but mysteriously health wise as well. A very weird character to their diminished presence.

2. The galactico comparison also stands in that both purchases feel nonessential, ill conceived, and incorrect when it comes to player profile and squad needs. Although both could hypothetically justify themselves if they played up to the task. Mbappe still has a fighting chance, as did Kaka circa the league away match against FC Barcelona in the 09/10 season, a world class performance from him that I know his fans hold dearly.

3. More significantly, he also reminds me of Kaka in that it seems like too much of what made them extraordinary at their best was the physical gifts/pace and main character confidence that they had in their primes. Their brand of elite profiles seem too reliant on pace, as opposed to other elite players who perhaps have profiles that are based more around having elite turning ability, dribbling, ball control, passing, defending, intensity, stamina, work ethic, and/or vision, for example.

3.5. With both Kaka and Mbappe, when I look at them I also feel like they have limitations to their turning ability/press resistance/nimbleness and ball control that make them a bit too "rigid", as opposed to a player like Isco (in relation to Kaka) or Benzema (in relation to Mbappe) who have more technique and body movement gifts that can facilitate things for them if they can't rely on pace too much.

Bear in mind I've always felt like this about Mbappe and I can't remember making much if any posts ever hyping him up too much. Case in point this 7 year old post, my first about Mbappe in this forum.

The Madrid One wrote:Well i still i have to watch more of him and take it all in more, but based on some things i've read about him being a prodigy, future phenom, R9, and Henry, i'm not exactly as excited as some by what i've seen.

Seems like he could still be a little faster and have more killer technique/dribbling, and i haven't watched many overly impressive clips of his passing and interplay but it's more of the first two i ponder about. I get that he shows presence, potential, maturity, and an eye of the tiger feeling but i AM getting a calling an audi r8 a bugatti veyron kind of vibe.

Having said all this...

I'm not too worried about Mbappe at this time.

He's about to turn just 26, so to compare him with CR7 for example he should be theoretically at a somewhat similar physical/longevity stand point as Ronaldo was at the start of the 11/12 season. He should theoretically be at a functional level physique wise (relative to the elite level) during the contract time he currently has with us, which I believe is 5 seasons counting the current one.

If he really can't do well I would imagine the fans and media will eventually bury him and he may end up leaving sooner rather than later to the EPL.

That aside though, even though he does look diminished I actually wouldn't say he's been terrible, you can see he still has pace, more than Benzema and other world class CFs had at his age for example, he just seems "off", particularly in a mental way.

I wouldn't rule out an "invisible" mental health or systemic physical illness affecting him. Those types of conditions and the treatments associated with that can really damage people.

My recipe for initiating damage limitations with him would be to contain him centrally whether in a 4231/4141/4222 and to get the guy to be as functionally intense with his defensive duties and as functionally polished in terms of possession and interplay for him to at the very least not be a liability in a well coached team. I don't think indulging him on the left (particularly if it's not as a left striker) is the way to go to optimize the team.

And a last word on the Kaka and Mbappe comparison...

Kaka was ultimately was more a second striker than an attacking midfielder  , wasn't he?

Mbappe is giving me and has always given me a sensation that he's more of a roaming "second striker" than center forward. Problem is he's not being functional with his pressing/defending and passing/interplay/hold up play. He's not in harmony at this time.

Here's some footage of Kaka comparing his prime to his post prime btw.

Not my cup of tea as a player, doesn't necessarily impress me even in his prime footage as I think its evident what his elite profile heights were more based on- pace.

With his physical height and supposed passing and dribbling baseline you would think Kaka could have been able to adapt to a CM sort of thing but he never did.

Said it b4 but I think its really shown now that he has to really improve his game like everybody else, especially mentally n just general play. It seems so far in his career hes basically been relying on his talents alone n didnt really have to grind n step out of his comfort zone much... u can see how hes not the type willing to get dirty or just pull his sleeves up enough to compete in todays game for example, compared with like Vini, Bellingham, Modric, etc. like many other Real players... who has to really compete game in game out under huge pressure. So he definitely has to do that... else this might turn out to be a real mediocre season until Real can perhaps get players back or even sign more players in the summer?

Ahead of the curve.

It's crazy that his career peaked at 19

Overstayed at QSG. Played his cards completely wrong.

Went from being able to arrive at RM as the Alpha on the back of a strong WC and Vini just becoming WC and not our leader. He rejects us and we adapt, Vini becomes the best player in the world and occupying the spot Mbappe would've walked into if he'd joined us in 2022.

Now he's just a small fish in a big pond and the longer we wait for him to become somewhat useful we'll continue losing ground.

the most important thing,
Mbappe is the former world cup champion.

others are just secondary.

next.....

Goatporta cooking as always

Barça president Laporta: “I don’t envy Real Madrid for Mbappé as new signing…”.

“This distorts the dressing room, for sure”.

“You have to sell a player, don't you? Because they're not going to play in the same place…”, told Mundo Deportivo. pic.twitter.com/03bSs6hXvQ

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 21, 2024