Despite contributing two goals and two assists in France’s Nations League campaign, Kylian Mbappe is under fire from critics who demand more from their captain
Kylian Mbappe has been criticised for his performance during France’s Nations League campaign, with former international Jerome Rothen accusing him of inconsistency and a lack of leadership when Les Bleus needed him most.
Though Mbappe scored a penalty and provided an assist in France’s 5-4 semi-final loss to Spain, and then followed it up with another goal and assist in the 2-0 third-place victory over Germany, Rothen believes the 26-year-old’s displays fell short of the standards expected of a player who considers himself the best in the world.
“When the team is suffering, he disappears far too much for an attacking leader,” Rothen said on French radio station RMC Sport. “Against Spain, when he had service from Dembele and Doue, he still missed key chances. For a striker of his calibre, that’s not good enough.”
The criticism comes despite Mbappe’s respectable numbers. However, Rothen pointed out that the French captain had gone a full year without scoring from open play for his country before netting against Germany, a concerning trend for a player of his reputation.
“If he wants to be considered the best, he can’t just say, ‘It happens.’ No, he must be more decisive,” said Rothen.
Since being deployed more centrally as a No 9 under Didier Deschamps as well as at Real Madrid, Mbappe’s game has evolved, but not always for the better, according to Rothen.
“He plays as a striker now because he doesn’t work hard enough on the wing,” claimed Rothen, who also played for Paris Saint-Germain. “When he gets the ball in static positions, he struggles to beat his man. His passing has also become more wasteful.”
Against Germany, Mbappe was largely quiet in the first half before influencing the game with a goal and then an assist late in the second half.
Rothen said: “When we were struggling against Germany, what did he do? He dropped deep just to touch the ball because he wasn’t getting service.
“But did you see his technical errors in linking play? He’s not the same creative force he once was.”
