Soccer
Former Arsenal striker levels criticism at Kylian Mbappe and France
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Former England striker Alan Smith believes France and Kylian Mbappe have underwhelmed so far at the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany.
While France progressed to the knockout rounds, they have not matched the form that got them to the World Cup in Qatar a couple of years ago.
While veteran midfielder N’Golo Kante has been in fine form, recalling his best years, prospective Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has struggled, a situation complicated by a facial injury that requires him to wear a mask.
While Smith is also critical of England’s efforts under Gareth Southgate, he also told Prime Casino that France were also far from convincing with Didier Deschamps at the helm.
He said: “Performances have been below par so far and they would have wanted to top the group with a win. In the end a draw was enough (to top the group) and they’ve avoided playing Germany by finishing second.
“You have to put the performance in context of competition so far. The Netherlands got beat, France struggled against Poland and finished second in their group. France were alongside England as favourites to win the tournament, so it’s not like we’re on our own in terms of searching for form but, as I say, we’re in the knock-out stages for the business-end and that’s all that matters.”
Turning to Mbappe, he added: “We’re still waiting to see Kylian Mbappe spring into life.
“Obviously, he broke his nose, but on the eve of his move to Real Madrid he’s viewed by many as the best player in the world, so he might be the one player that I’ve been least impressed by.”
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