Kylian Mbappe labelled a 'true captain' as Didier Deschamps fires back at Real Madrid & France striker's critics

France manager Deschamps has moved to shield his talisman from intensified scrutiny regarding his defensive contributions and running statistics. Mbappe’s style of play has drawn criticism in both the Spanish and French press recently, and Deschamps addressed the elephant in the room when speaking to journalists at a festival.

Critics have pointed to Mbappe’s lower distance-covered metrics compared to his teammates as evidence of a lack of effort, particularly when the team is out of possession. However, Deschamps was categorical in his rebuttal, suggesting that demanding high-volume running from the 27-year-old would be a misuse of his specific talents.

The World Cup-winning coach argued that modern football analysis often conflates effort with effectiveness. For Deschamps, managing a player of Mbappe’s calibre requires an acceptance of certain trade-offs to ensure he retains the explosive power needed to decide matches in the final third.

In a blunt assessment of his captain's physical attributes, Deschamps made it clear that fans and pundits need to realign their expectations. The manager explained that Mbappe is physically built for bursts of extreme speed rather than the endurance running of a box-to-box midfielder as a journalist asked about his refusal to track back.

"That’s your analysis, but I don’t believe that’s the case, even if some players might run less than others. If you want him to cover at least 11 km per match, don’t bother, he won’t," Deschamps said.

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Beyond the physical debate, Deschamps moved to dismantle the personality cult that portrays the ex-Paris Saint-Germain star as detached or self-interested. He offered insight into the dynamic between the skipper and the squad's rising stars, insisting that the external "selfish" narrative is completely at odds with the reality inside the dressing room.

"You may like Kylian, you may not, but the younger players adore him," Deschamps revealed.

"You have this image of him as a selfish, individualistic guy, and while a striker certainly has to be selfish too, I can assure you that within the French national team, he acts like a true captain."

Despite the scrutiny around his playing style, Mbappe's numbers speak for themselves. He is the runaway top scorer in La Liga with 22 goals from 21 games as Madrid remain one point behind leaders Barcelona despite the upheaval surrounding Xabi Alonso's sacking and the appointment of Alvaro Arbeloa. 

He has also struck a staggering 13 times in just seven Champions League matches, though that form was not enough to guide his side to a top-eight finish, leaving them to navigate a play-off match against Jose Mourinho's Benfica in order to seal a last-16 spot.

He has also scored in each of his last six matches for the France national team, netting eight goals in that time, proving that Deschamps is correct not to worry about him as the build up to the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States continues.