Dallas Mavericks talisman Luka Doncic has backed striker Kylian Mbappe to turn his fortunes at Real Madrid. The French forward hasn’t been in the best of forms for Los Blancos and the pressure is increasing on him. Doncic, who played an instrumental role in taking the Mavericks to the NBA 2023-24 finals, feels Mbappe will take some time to hit the ground running at Madrid.
Mbappe has scored six goals in 11 matches of La Liga and has also provided an assist but according to experts, these numbers are below Mbappe’s lofty standards.
Luka Doncic said on Managing Madrid, “I follow Real Madrid every time. I grew up there. They taught me everything, so it’s a part of my life. You can call it a secondary home. I learned a lot of stuff there and, especially, they gave me a way to be here right now (in Dallas). I always appreciate that 100%. Obviously (their season) could be better. But you know, when you get a guy like Mbappe, it takes some time to get used to it, but, we’ll figure it out.”
On the other hand, former French striker Robert Pires wants Mbappe to take Real Madrid’s criticism to his chin.
“Mbappe must face these criticisms, change his style of play, recognize that he is not at his best and improve his performance. Mbappe dreamed of playing for Madrid. He knows perfectly well that Vinícius, who is an exceptional player, plays in the same position as him, is decisive and scores a lot of goals. Mbappe must adapt to this situation and to the different tactics of the team. Turning down Real Madrid is difficult for any player.”
“He is facing strong criticism in both France and Spain, as he is not at his best. Currently, he is not decisive for Madrid and is not scoring or creating many goal-scoring opportunities. Madrid fans had high expectations for Mbappé since his arrival at the Merengue team. However, changing country, team and teammates is not easy, especially when it comes to a club with the best players on the planet,” he added.
After his poor return of form, Mbape was also left out of France’s squad for the UEFA Nations League.
