Neither you, me nor anyone else can deny that scoring goals has never been and likely will never be difficult for a player of Kylian Mbappe's caliber. He is one of the most physically gifted footballers there has ever been, which alone gives him a decisive advantage over most defenders he faces. With that established, I hope this is enough to get past the lazy "hater" label that I usually get in the group chat, because what follows is not about denying his talent, but questioning his impact.
The real problem begins when everything has to revolve around the 27-year-old. Mbappe wants to be the protagonist of every single play, constantly dropping into the edge of the box, demanding the ball, insisting that the action ends with him. While that might inflate his goal tally, it comes at a cost to the collective. A Real Madrid center forward has to know that the smartest move at times is to free up space for teammates, drag defenders away so that others shine, but Mbappé rarely seems willing to do that.
I want to be clear. Mbappe is not the only problem Real Madrid has been facing since summer 2024, but lest we forget recent history. In 2023-24, Real Madrid scored just enough to win titles, with Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo Goes, Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham, all performing at their best level. So how do we explain that every single one of them have seen a glaring drop in form since the French "superstar's" arrival? Same squad, different dynamic.
Vinicius Jr. is the clearest casualty. The Brazilian no longer has the same space to operate. His dribbling success has declined, not because he has become worse necessarily, but his options have narrowed. Instead of being able to go left or right, he's often forced into predictable patterns. Why? Because the self-serving center-forward consistently drifts into the same pocket, at the top of the box, compressing the zones Vini thrives in. He can no longer isolate and create as many chances due to the congestion that he faces.
This isn't an isolated case. The same dynamic affects the rest of the attack. That's just not how a truly collective attack functions. And it's telling that, despite Mbappe's talent, gravity and technical ability have produced just seven assists in La Liga over 18 months, a number that should be significantly higher considering his player profile.
Forty-nine goals in fifty-two matches is undeniably impressive, but they are to his performances what Drake's beard is to his attractiveness, a flattering mask that hides what is underneath. This team does not need to be carried by its goal scorer as much as it needs him to elevate those around him, and the irony is that he knows it. Therefore, I doubt that this is something Xabi Alonso has not already seen, and as a Madrid fan, I hope that my growing frustration at Mbappe's play does not end up draining my patience.
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