Thierry Henry judges Kylian Mbappé’s first months at Real Madrid

After a complicated start, Kylian Mbappé is starting to find his cruising speed with Real Madrid. He now has 14 goals in 27 matches in all competitions. Everything is not yet perfect obviously, as evidenced by the scathing defeat of his club in the Spanish Super Cup against FC Barcelona (5-2) but his performances have more meaning than during the first months. Thierry Henry also observes the performances of the man who has often been presented as his little footballing brother. He believes the attacker is on the right track. “In terms of goals, you can’t say that his start at Real Madrid isn’t good. Now what he used to give us over an entire match and in the game, people are asking questions. Playing new is not the same work. Kylian is a player who can play in all positions but it has to be learned and you have to know the work, and learning to play nine on the job at Real Madrid is not easy.»

Asked about RMC this Tuesday evening, the 1998 world champion is optimistic towards Mbappé, while highlighting weak points in his game which had not manifested themselves earlier in his career. “It takes time to know how to play with your back to goal but it can be learned. I can say this because I didn’t have a basis for it. There has to be progression and Kylian is capable of doing that. But if it was someone else, we would say: “yes, but he still scores goals”. When you are at Real Madrid, you will always be judged by what you didn’t do. In my opinion, its development is completely normal. When you’re not used to finding yourself in a certain situation, you see the weaknesses. Before, we never saw them.» The elder’s advice will probably be heeded.