Thierry Henry expertly breaks down why Real Madrid are struggling this season and it makes perfect sense

Thierry Henry delivered a must-watch breakdown of the ‘major issue’ that Real Madrid have faced of late, after they recorded a surprise 3-1 loss to AC Milan.

Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted his team “should be worried” after they were beaten at the Bernabeu by AC Milan, who took home all three points thanks to goals from Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata and Tijjani Reijnders.

“We have to be more solid, more compact,” Ancelotti said in his post-match interview. “We’ve conceded a lot of goals.”

Ancelotti pointed out that the Spanish side are “missing something” in games, adding: “We had a lot of chances. The problem for me isn’t that. Probably we lacked being clinical, but the main problem we have to fix is how easily our opponents are creating opportunities.”

Los Blancos have conceded nine goals in their last three games and clearly, Ancelotti believes that aspect of their game is a key reason behind their slump in form. Thierry Henry, on the other hand, has pointed to another issue.

Speaking on CBS Sports after Tuesday’s result at the Bernabeu, Henry highlighted the movement of Jude Bellingham, who was constantly making runs in behind against AC Milan. Mbappe, meanwhile, was accused of being too stagnant.

“It’s always Bellingham trying to make the run, trying to make the team play, running in behind, trying to break the line,” Henry began.

“I think there is a little frustration. Your nine isn’t going, and your 10-ish is going. I know it can happen sometimes but not all the time. Every single time. I know he’s not a number nine and that this maybe is not what he likes to do. Do you think he likes to make those runs, try and stretch the team?

“He’ll do it because he has to do it, because his desire speaks, his will speaks.

“You don’t win games like that. You don’t win games with your 10 breaking the line, coming back, trying to bend his run, trying to defend, trying to go the other side. And then after, he gets substituted?

“I would have been upset too – I saw him kicking a bottle. I would be upset also, of course. For me, this is not good enough and I don’t think they are playing well as a team but on the ball also he (Mbappe) has to do way more.”

Thierry Henry brilliantly breaks down a major issue Real Madrid have faced recently, how Kylian Mbappe needs to improve and why Carlo Ancelotti is the man who can fix things. pic.twitter.com/2sQAHYDttK
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 6, 2024

Henry went on to highlight the potential difficulties Carlo Ancelotti will face in the coming weeks and months.

He continued: “He [Mbappe] is going to have to learn to play as a nine and the desire and the will of running in behind.

“He will get better – he can’t be worse than this. We’re not asking him to hold the ball like Didier Drogba, who was magnificent. We’re not asking him to get the ball and dribble past everybody. But that cannot happen all the time, a run in behind [from Bellingham], when the team is high.

“I’m not going to try to find excuses for Bellingham, but how do you play, where do you go, what do you do? Rodrygo was essential for them last year when they were losing the ball. He’s on the bench now. I know he doesn’t have the efficiency of Vinicius Jr that he had last year, but Rodrygo was balancing the team off the ball. Now he’s not playing.

“It’s going to be tough for [Carlo] Ancelotti to find a way so all those players can co-exist.”