Kylian Mbappé

Luftstalag14

Culé de Celestial Empire
Mbappe is 23 soon? How time flies. One year younger than Ronaldo when the latter moved to Madrid.

The career of Mbappe will depend on how much more he'll develop playing style wise. At the moment he's only effective in a certain setup. Compare this to Ronaldo and Messi who in their primes could slot into any team in the world and still most likely would score goals for fun.

But still, Messi and Ronaldo were also pretty one sided once in their careers. Messi developed earlier than Ronaldo so I'd say at 23 Mbappe is closer to Ronaldo rather than Messi. The question is whether Mbappe can take that final step of becoming a consistent world class performer, for that to happen I think he needs to move and Madrid would fit him well.

Mbappe doesn't have to be on the level of Messi or Ronaldo to be a great player for us or any other team though. I for one don't think anybody will come close to Messi's and Ronaldo's level in a long time and people shouldn't be using that against a player, particularly when we are pursuing somebody.
 

Andresito

Senior Member
Staff member
Mbappe doesn't have to be on the level of Messi or Ronaldo to be a great player for us or any other team though. I for one don't think anybody will come close to Messi's and Ronaldo's level in a long time and people shouldn't be using that against a player, particularly when we are pursuing somebody.

Of course he doesn't. I don't think he'll reach those heights either.

What he can do is have the status of Messi and Ronaldo compared to the rest of the footballers. Not particularly be Messi/Ronaldo level, but clearly better than the rest of his competitors.
He has that potential and that's the level I think he can reach by moving to another club.
 

behindbrowneyes

Well-known member
To me the above description fits Haaland equally well, if not better. So I guess neither Mbappe or Haaland will fit us in your opinion?

I don't think we need to talk about Haaland's qualities. They are well known. He is very far in his development for his almost 21 years and is already one of the most dangerous #9 in Europe. In relation to Barcelona, ​​however, I see question marks. In my opinion, you will have to take a closer look than just relying on his strong goal rate, especially since it is not on another level in the Bundesliga. This year, Andre Silva has better scorers. The last few weeks have at least confirmed my doubts. In the national team he hardly saw any land against deep-lying teams. Not even against the amateurs of Gibraltar. And suddenly criticism also arises in Dortmund's fanbase. Haaland's greatest strengths come into play when he has space. In my opinion that cannot be discussed away. BUT at Haaland, I definitely see potential that he could adapt to the Barca game. He has the physical requirements, is very willing to learn, is only 21 years old and is technically not so limited that it would be an impossible undertaking. His ability to score and his physique are extraordinary. That would look very good on Barca.

Haaland is an incredibly exciting player, but in my opinion he is currently rated a little too high. Not in terms of his talent, but his current performance. Against Sevilla he was of course outstanding and everyone was talking about him in Spain and in the forum, but in the weeks after that there was practically nothing. Especially against deep-lying opponents, he also has a lot of trouble at BVB. He has to work on that, but I don't see it that badly either. Haaland is only 21 years old, it is completely logical that he is not yet at the end of his development. Also, for all my critique about him being not good recently, with his national team he is suffering the same way other great players did because of lack of service and quality around him and Dortmund isn't a great side either, at least not this year, which is hardly his fault. But in my opinion, you don't do these players any satisfaction if you always bring up the superlative comparisons with Messi and Ronaldo. These are players who have pulverized all records. At the moment I can't imagine that we'll see a player like Messi or Ronaldo again anytime soon.

If I had to choose between the two, it would be for Haaland. In relation to Barcelona, ​​of course. I see a higher probability with him that he could adapt to our game and I absolutely trust him to deal with the pressure here. If the conditions are not completely beyond good and bad, then I would like to see him here too. 2022 for the buyout of 75 million euros? We should try our best to sign him.
I know I criticised Mbappe for his dribbling in tight spaces and Haaland obviously isn't better in that regard. Let's not forget that this wasn't Suarez' forte either. Mbappe is not a chicken like Riqui and he is quite bulky for his height, but I don't see the ability in him to "break" defenders with physicality. Something Suarez was good at. Something I trust Haaland to do. I think that's an important trait for a #9 at Barca if you can't get R9, something that was underrated with Suarez. Apart from that, what puts Haaland ahead of Mbappe for me is his immaculate understanding of space and positioning that makes him the world-class striker he is.




To clarify: this may sound a bit negative now (I'm by no means denying their unbelievable qualities), but I just don't want to jump onto the hype train yet. The two of them still have a lot to prove, but: with almost 21 and 23, they are still young enough and not at the end of their development. Where was Lewandowski at their age? His development in his late 20s has shown that a player at 24 is not a "finished" player in terms of development. Tbf, Lewandowski never relied on lightning speed. It is completely undisputed that Haaland and Mbappe are probably the most exciting U23 offensive players in Europe at the moment and that they have incredible potential. But not every player fits in so well with Barcelona that one can speak of a no brainer. Something, FDJ probably was.

In my opinion, both Haaland and Mbappe have to be put in relation to the costs. That will be 400+ million euro packages! You have to be 100% convinced that they can perform ideally in the Barca system and that their strengths come into play. Imo, that is central. What if Haaland's strengths do not come into play here? Griezmann, Coutinho and Dembele come to mind. Quality and world class alone are not enough. The strengths of Mbappe would be currently better represented in Madrid or Liverpool in my eyes. Basically: for teams with priority 1 "fast transition game", Haaland and Mbappe are absolute no-brainers.
 

Luftstalag14

Culé de Celestial Empire
I don't think we need to talk about Haaland's qualities. They are well known. He is very far in his development for his almost 21 years and is already one of the most dangerous #9 in Europe. In relation to Barcelona, ​​however, I see question marks. In my opinion, you will have to take a closer look than just relying on his strong goal rate, especially since it is not on another level in the Bundesliga. This year, Andre Silva has better scorers. The last few weeks have at least confirmed my doubts. In the national team he hardly saw any land against deep-lying teams. Not even against the amateurs of Gibraltar. And suddenly criticism also arises in Dortmund's fanbase. Haaland's greatest strengths come into play when he has space. In my opinion that cannot be discussed away. BUT at Haaland, I definitely see potential that he could adapt to the Barca game. He has the physical requirements, is very willing to learn, is only 21 years old and is technically not so limited that it would be an impossible undertaking. His ability to score and his physique are extraordinary. That would look very good on Barca.

Haaland is an incredibly exciting player, but in my opinion he is currently rated a little too high. Not in terms of his talent, but his current performance. Against Sevilla he was of course outstanding and everyone was talking about him in Spain and in the forum, but in the weeks after that there was practically nothing. Especially against deep-lying opponents, he also has a lot of trouble at BVB. He has to work on that, but I don't see it that badly either. Haaland is only 21 years old, it is completely logical that he is not yet at the end of his development. Also, for all my critique about him being not good recently, with his national team he is suffering the same way other great players did because of lack of service and quality around him and Dortmund isn't a great side either, at least not this year, which is hardly his fault. But in my opinion, you don't do these players any satisfaction if you always bring up the superlative comparisons with Messi and Ronaldo. These are players who have pulverized all records. At the moment I can't imagine that we'll see a player like Messi or Ronaldo again anytime soon.

If I had to choose between the two, it would be for Haaland. In relation to Barcelona, ​​of course. I see a higher probability with him that he could adapt to our game and I absolutely trust him to deal with the pressure here. If the conditions are not completely beyond good and bad, then I would like to see him here too. 2022 for the buyout of 75 million euros? We should try our best to sign him.
I know I criticised Mbappe for his dribbling in tight spaces and Haaland obviously isn't better in that regard. Let's not forget that this wasn't Suarez' forte either. Mbappe is not a chicken like Riqui and he is quite bulky for his height, but I don't see the ability in him to "break" defenders with physicality. Something Suarez was good at. Something I trust Haaland to do. I think that's an important trait for a #9 at Barca if you can't get R9, something that was underrated with Suarez. Apart from that, what puts Haaland ahead of Mbappe for me is his immaculate understanding of space and positioning that makes him the world-class striker he is.




To clarify: this may sound a bit negative now (I'm by no means denying their unbelievable qualities), but I just don't want to jump onto the hype train yet. The two of them still have a lot to prove, but: with almost 21 and 23, they are still young enough and not at the end of their development. Where was Lewandowski at their age? His development in his late 20s has shown that a player at 24 is not a "finished" player in terms of development. Tbf, Lewandowski never relied on lightning speed. It is completely undisputed that Haaland and Mbappe are probably the most exciting U23 offensive players in Europe at the moment and that they have incredible potential. But not every player fits in so well with Barcelona that one can speak of a no brainer. Something, FDJ probably was.

In my opinion, both Haaland and Mbappe have to be put in relation to the costs. That will be 400+ million euro packages! You have to be 100% convinced that they can perform ideally in the Barca system and that their strengths come into play. Imo, that is central. What if Haaland's strengths do not come into play here? Griezmann, Coutinho and Dembele come to mind. Quality and world class alone are not enough. The strengths of Mbappe would be currently better represented in Madrid or Liverpool in my eyes. Basically: for teams with priority 1 "fast transition game", Haaland and Mbappe are absolute no-brainers.

Thanks. I share some of the same doubts that you have for Haaland, however our conclusions are different, at least for now. I don't know how practical it will be for us to need a striker/player to use physicality to break down defense, when space is usually little and he is not known for his great footwork (finishing aside). To me in a situation like that Haaland will lose the ball easily before he can break down the opponent's defense.

I do agree that we must be very cautious. Given the financial situation we are in, largely thanks to the transfer blunders we have made, we should not just go for the hottest player on the market, need to do some careful homework first.
 

DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
Great post [MENTION=21445]behindbrowneyes[/MENTION]

I'm not sure who I would choose out of Haaland or Mbappe though if I could sign one of them for Barcelona. I think Mbappe is the superior footballer, but Haaland is obviously the best striker easily here IMO.
 

Newcomer

New member
In my opinion, he has not developed much in the last 2 years. Fair enough, at 19 and 20 he was already brutally far in his development. With all the euphoria, the duel against Barcelona was the first at the top level where he made the difference. He was neither the difference player at the World Cup nor in CL-knockout duels so far. By that I measure a player who thinks in terms of Messi and CR. That's how I measure a player of his financial demands. Mbappe will be 23 years old this year, one must not forget that. Of course he's still very young, but slowly but surely he has to make the difference in the absolute crunch time. Messi was deservedly a BD'or winner at his age and Mbappe himself is always looking for these comparisons with the absolute best of the game. The duel against Barcelona was a start. There he undoubtedly made the difference. These 25+ goals in Ligue 1 have to be scored first, but completely different ones have already achieved that. in my opinion, this is not the kind of achievement where you can orientate yourself towards Messi or CR.

I take a critical view of Mbappe at Barcelona. In my opinion his style fits much more with Madrid or Liverpool. If there is space for Mbappe, you can hardly stop him. His biggest weapon is his speed. His passing is not above average and he is also not a particularly good dribbler in tight spaces. I also don't think that he will make incredible leaps in these areas. Mbappe is not a playmaker a la Messi or Neymar. In my opinion he lacks the appropriate qualities in passing and creativity. Against Ukraine and Lille (the last two games I've seen him before yesterday) it became clear that you can take him out of the game relatively well if he doesn't get much room to work with. For me, Mbappe is the perfect fast transition play player. Lightning fast, strong. Wonderful to see against Barca. But switching and fast transition game is not Barca football. It was for a time under Lucho, but in the end, I doubt will see that again, especially when someone like Xavi will become the coach of Barca after Koeman sooner or later. Of course, a player of Mbappe's class would also get his scorers at Barca, but I wouldn't see him here as THE difference maker at the moment. And that's what I expect from a total package of 400+ million euros. Mbappe and Madrid, imo that fits a lot better. What I also see critically at Mbappe is that he obviously has a bit of trouble with pressure. He complains that he is being criticized in France? How does he feel what happens in Spain when he comes here as highest earner of a club? The pressure will be immense. If the pressure in France is too great for him, then in Spain he will break due to the pressure that arises if he doesn't perform well right away. Coutinho and Hazard can also tell you a thing or two about it.

From my point of view, Haaland and Mbappe are extremely exciting players. EVERY European top club has to deal intensively with these personalities when they come onto the market. But the current price tags (complete package) do not make both of them a "no brainer" for Barca. You will have to weigh heavily and also look carefully to what extent an adaptation to our style is possible. We're not talking about a 50 million package here, but rather total packages of 400+ million euros. Quality alone is not enough, as the transfers from Coutinho and Griezmann have shown.

If we compare every player with what Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo achieved, i think there won't be (m)any player(s) fit to reach those standards.

Also Mbapp? doesn't have a problem with pressure. He just has a big ego like Cristiano Ronaldo and would like for everyone to only say positive things about him. I agree with you nonetheless that France is rather tame in their critics compared to spanish or english tabloids.
 

Newcomer

New member
His passing was excellent yesterday. With this Mbappe PSG would have probably won Cl las season.

He was on good form until he got tackled badly against Saint Etienne by a player who was playing his last game in his career.

Maybe without that he would have scored in the Finals. Maybe not.

Bayern were deserved winners though. No need to try to rewrite history.

Also last game against Bayern looked like last year games. Neymar and Mbapp? were missing clear chances left and right.

They will need to be as clinical as they were in first leg against Bar?a and Bayern, otherwise they won't see another finals.
 

Fati_Future_BallonDor

Well-known member
He was on good form until he got tackled badly against Saint Etienne by a player who was playing his last game in his career.

Maybe without that he would have scored in the Finals. Maybe not.

Bayern were deserved winners though. No need to try to rewrite history.

Also last game against Bayern looked like last year games. Neymar and Mbapp? were missing clear chances left and right.

They will need to be as clinical as they were in first leg against Bar?a and Bayern, otherwise they won't see another finals.


Thought the same, PSG missing huge chances and Bayern makes the goal :lol:
 

KingLeo10

Senior Member
Kylian Mbappe is tending towards extending his stay at PSG, according to tomorrow's L'Equipe.


Madrid in the mud.

If PSG can sort out their backline, they have a decent chance of being a CL force for the next 2-3 years with NeyNey and Mbappe, in this relatively cupcake era of CL.

I bet those 2 realize this also.
 

Tackle

Senior Member
Kylian Mbappe is tending towards extending his stay at PSG, according to tomorrow's L'Equipe.


Madrid in the mud.

Would be great news if he locks himself at PSG for another 5 seasons. Prevents Real from getting his best years. Then at age 29 he can finally make his move to Madrid for 300m with his body falling apart, complacent and become Hazard 2.0. :lol:
 

behindbrowneyes

Well-known member
Would be great news if he locks himself at PSG for another 5 seasons. Prevents Real from getting his best years. Then at age 29 he can finally make his move to Madrid for 300m with his body falling apart, complacent and become Hazard 2.0. :lol:

This will result in Madrid going after Haaland and getting his best years.
 

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