Kylian Mbappe has cut a forlorn figure in Madrid _(Image: Peter Byrne)_
Given it felt like a foregone conclusion years before it actually happened, Kylian Mbappe had an awful lot of time to picture himself at Real Madrid.
But perhaps only in the odd cold sweat-inducing nightmare did it get off to a start like this. Describing his introduction to life at the Bernabeu as a nightmare itself would be a bit strong, but things certainly have not gone to plan as yet for the French superstar. Playing second fiddle to Vinicius Jr, two missed penalties in seven days, he had the look of a rather forlorn figure at the end of Real's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool last week. It was a far cry from everything you associate with Mbappe - supreme confidence, a hint of a swagger, just the general aura that comes with being a genuine global superstar.
Perhaps his struggles since swapping Ligue 1 for La Liga demonstrate just how fragile that status can be. Whether Mbappe has, at any point, been the best player on the planet is up for debate, but there's no question he is among the most recognisable. It is not easy to break into that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo fame bracket, but even in the less-vaunted French top-flight, he has been firmly in that exclusive circle. Leaving Paris Saint-Germain, a ridiculously large fish in a relatively small pond, for the world's most glamorous club was supposed to elevate that status to the next level. The hype and PR that surrounded what was eventually a free transfer was carefully curated; the deal announced by serial transfer surprise killer Fabrizio Romano followed a grand unveiling at the Bernabeu in front of 80,000.
Mbappe had been preparing for the moment for so long he came armed with some very passable Spanish with which to address the masses. On a trip to Madrid a few weeks back, I couldn't turn a corner without seeing an Mbappe shirt. Real's official TV channel - in between zany segments about that weekend's match referee and the many perceived wrongs they'd inflicted on Los Blancos down the years - was overloaded with Mbappe coverage. Pre-match in a 4-0 win against Osasuna in which Mbappe was upstaged by Vinicius, the many big screens around the stadium were constantly trained on the former. From an off-field perspective, everything about his arrival in Madrid has been amped up to recreate that 'Galactico' feeling of yesteryear.
It just hasn't happened for him on the pitch yet.
The most obvious issue for him has been adjusting to a role as central striker. Vinicius has been the main man in Madrid for some time, and he occupies Mbappe's preferred role on the left flank. Justifiably, manager Carlo Ancelotti was initially reluctant to upset that status quo. Vinicius has long since earned his reputation as Real's biggest attacking threat. The Brazilian is hardly a shrinking violet, either, and Ancelotti is far too shrewd a man-manager to immediately shunt him out the road for any new signing.
Things started well enough. Mbappe scored on his debut in Real's UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta, and looked instantly at home in his new surroundings. He has scored eight times in 14 La Liga appearances, which is a good return by most standards. And yet it feels as though his career in Madrid is still waiting to spark. Mbappe, like the rest of his team, in fairness, flopped in a 4-0 El Clasico drubbing against Barcelona at the end of October. He was caught offside six times in the opening 30 minutes, and unsurprisingly became the target of some merciless social media mocking for it.
Last week's loss to Liverpool became as much about Mbappe having a hard time as it did about Arne Slot's side being excellent. The world's most high-profile footballer found himself soundly shackled by Conor Bradley, a 21-year-old kid from County Tyrone starting his first-ever Champions League game. Bradley not only beating Mbappe to a loose ball, but wiping him out with a beautifully-timed slide tackle became the evening's enduring image. With Vinicius out through injury, it was supposed to be Mbappe's moment to stake his claim. Instead, he was first down the tunnel at full-time, consoled by team-mates and coaching staff as he went. He gave up possession 15 times on the night, and had a spot-kick saved with the score at 1-0.
This week, he again failed from 12 yards as Real were beaten by Athletic Club. Even before Vinicius picked up a thigh injury, Ancelotti had swapped Mbappe out to the left in a bid to get more from him. It still hasn't clicked, and scrutiny is building. The Spanish press are notoriously forthright, and one journalist reportedly put it to Ancelotti afterwards that he was getting a mere 1% of the player who rose rapidly to superstardom in Paris. A manager of his nous and experience was never going to rise to it, but he will continue to face questions around the conundrum that his marquee summer signing is becoming. He is, though, the best man to haul Mbappe out of the rut. The Italian has always been a dab hand at managing superstars. Although underrated as a tactician, Real's success has long been facilitated by Ancelotti's ability to navigate the unique challenges that come with being their leader. He certainly won't be losing sleep over Mbappe's stuttering start to life in Spain.
Mbappe himself just might be, though. Whether it's issues settling, the pressure that comes with being a Real Madrid player, or a simple loss of form at a bad time, his recent malaise has been a fascinating case study of the precariousness of being an icon. When a footballer reaches that level of fame, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that, you know, there's a person in there. Guys like Mbappe sometimes seem to only exist in highlight reels, on billboards, and the cover of computer games. Not to force sentimentality (I'm sure he'll be fine), but it can actually be quite sad to see a face recognisable to billions carry such a lonely look under the burning spotlight.
It may yet work out for Mbappe, you'd imagine he's too talented for it not to, but at the moment he's a slumped shoulder reminder that even the very best and brightest are fallible.
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