Thierry Henry says Jude Bellingham has reason to be frustrated with Kylian Mbappe as the Real Madrid striker’s struggles continued against AC Milan.
…Real Madrid humbled by AC Milan
…Mbappe still not clicking at Bernabeu
…Henry explains Bellingham ‘frustration’
WHAT HAPPENED?
Mbappe fired a blank as a dysfunctional Real Madrid were beaten at home for the second-straight match. The Spanish press were quick to put the focus on Mbappe, with calls for Carlo Ancelotti to bench the forward, and Thierry Henry also weighed in on the situation by claiming the Frenchman’s lack of effort is harming team-mate Bellingham.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Bellingham cut a frustrated figure when he was substituted in the second half of the Champions League clash. Mbappe’s arrival has left Ancelotti needing to find a system that accommodates the former PSG striker as well as Vinicius Junior, and Bellingham appears to be one of the biggest losers of this game of Tetris; he’s yet to score for Real Madrid this season and is still figuring out how to co-exist with Mbappe, who has to do “way more” in Henry’s opinion.
WHAT HENRY SAID
“It’s always Bellingham trying to make the run, trying to make the team play, running in behind, trying to break the line,” Henry said on CBS Sports Golazo. “I think there is a little frustration. Your nine isn’t going, and your 10-ish is going. I know it can happen sometimes but not all the time. Every single time.
“I know he’s not a number nine and that this maybe is not what he likes to do. Do you think he likes to make those runs, try and stretch the team? He’ll do it because he has to do it, because his desire speaks, his will speaks.
“You don’t win games like that. You don’t win games with your 10 breaking the line, coming back, trying to bend his run, trying to defend, trying to go the other side. And then after, he gets substituted?
“I would have been upset too – I saw him kicking a bottle. I would be upset also, of course. For me, this is not good enough and I don’t think they are playing well as a team but on the ball also he (Mbappe) has to do way more.”
TELL ME MORE
Henry believes the onus is on Mbappe to adapt to Ancelotti’s system for the sake of the team.
“He’s going to have to learn to play as a nine and the desire and the will of running in behind,” the former Arsenal and Barcelona striker added.
“He will get better – he can’t be worse than this. We’re not asking him to hold the ball like Didier Drogba, who was magnificent. We’re not asking him to get the ball and dribble past everybody. But that cannot happen all the time, a run in behind (from Bellingham), when the team is high.
“I’m not going to try to find excuses for Bellingham, but how do you play, where do you go, what do you do? Rodrygo was essential for them last year when they were losing the ball. He’s on the bench now. I know he doesn’t have the efficiency of Vinicius Jr that he had last year, but Rodrygo was balancing the team off the ball. Now he’s not playing.
“It’s going to be tough for (Carlo) Ancelotti to find a way so all those players can co-exist.”
WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?
Ancelotti admitted he’s “worried” about his team after back-to-back defeats to Barcelona and AC Milan. Los Blancos host Osasuna in the league on Saturday knowing they can’t afford to let the nine-point gap to Barca increase.
Goal.com
