Real Madrid’s 4-0 El Clasico defeat to Barcelona was a disappointing debut for Kylian Mbappe, and the Frenchman has come in for criticism.
Mbappe’s performance was duly labelled as ‘ridiculous’ by pundits, who said he was ‘playing against himself’ after two goals were disallowed and he was flagged off side eight times.
The loss puts Madrud six points adrift of leaders Barcelona after 11 games, raises questions about Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup changes and tactical switches this season.
Burley: Kylian Mbappe ‘Ripped up the Blueprint’ for Real Madrid
Speaking to ESPN, Craig Burley said Madrid’s decision to switch up its game plan to suit Mbappe was a departure from the ‘double winning’ formula that brought previous success.
Mbappe is experienced, he said, and his repeated offsides were ‘ridiculous.’ Burley commented. ‘When somebody’s getting caught offside as much as that… it’s ridiculous in the end.”
 "Kylian Mbappe brutally criticized by Madrid legends and journalists after catastrophic Clasico debut 3")
Madrid had sacrificed the fluidity that had made their previous winning approach work, he said, to accommodate their star player.
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Tactical Shortcomings Exposed
Burley also pointed to Madrid’s failure to provide Mbappe with midfield runners capable of getting through to Barcelona’s organised defence.
He argued Madrid’s strategy had failed because Mbappe was left to fend off the offside trap alone.
“They had no midfield runners to try and break an offside trap, so Madrid were unable to counter Barcelona’s discipline at the back,” he said.
Madrid is still only a few points behind the top, but Burley says’so far it’s not working.’
McManaman: Confidence Issues Evident
Ex-Real Madrid winger Steve McManaman expressed concern over Mbappe’s performance and the team’s overall lack of coordination, observing that “Mbappe looked as if he couldn’t play in the end… bereft of all kinds of confidence.”
He criticised Madrid’s organisation in the second half as “very strange” and suggested that the squad may not be as formidable as once thought, predicting “a huge post-mortem” following this heavy defeat.
