McManaman on Mbappe and Vinicius: Kings of the Jungle

Steve McManaman believes Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior remain “kings of the jungle” as individual forces – but insists Real Madrid’s star pairing still haven’t proved they can win together when it matters most.

Speaking to GOAL on behalf of ESPN on Disney+, with Jose Mourinho set to take charge of his first La Liga game back in the Real Madrid dugout at Espanyol on Saturday, the former Blancos midfielder painted a blunt picture of the current landscape at the Bernabeu.

“It’s strange sort of, it's not a criticism, it's just the pieces don't fit together at the moment at Madrid, that's all it is,” McManaman said when asked about Mbappe’s role alongside Vinicius and the pressure around the Frenchman.

On their own, he sees two untouchable superstars.

“Individually when they're suspended or one's injured or one's off the field, both of them [Mbappe and Vini Jr] are the kings of the jungle, they're the best players on the pitch, they're the ones who really stand out and look like incredible superstar players.”

The problem, in his eyes, comes when they share the stage.

“But when they're together, what has shown over the last couple of years is that they haven't won anything and if you follow Real Madrid, you follow La Liga, you know it’s either win or it's a disaster,” he said. “When Barcelona are winning everything else and beating you in finals along the way, it is a disaster.”

McManaman pointed to fine margins in domestic cups that have gone against Madrid.

“They've come very close in Copa del Rey games, in the Super Cup, losing last-minute goals, missing chances but you have to get over the line,” he said. “And when it's Barcelona who have also strengthened, that's when it starts to get precarious and you know the fans let it be known on a number of occasions last year about the team - even though they finished second and went down fighting to a Bayern Munich team in the Champions League and I thought the performance against them was good.”

So this is not a broken side, in his view. Just one missing a spark.

“So they're not far away, but they just need a little bit of powder, a little bit of special magic and whether Jose brings that or whether the new signings bring it, we'll wait and see,” McManaman said. “We all hope it's going to be a magnificent year and I think it will be and I think there'll be fireworks and I think it'll be great as well with Rodri signing for Barcelona - that just chucks another superstar into the mix.”

The rivalry, then, only hardens the brief for Mourinho.

“But it doesn't matter, Jose's been brought in to finish Barcelona, to beat Barcelona and beat Barcelona again and again and again and that's all it is,” McManaman stressed. “Anybody can go into Real Madrid today, you could go in and finish second, I could go in and finish second, what they've been doing and letting the superstars run the show, but Jose's been brought in for a reason.”

For McManaman, that reason is rooted in trust at the very top and control in the dressing room.

“Florentino [Perez] trusts him, he believes that he can get the best out of whoever it is, control the egos, whatever the dressing room says - I don't think it's as bad as it's being portrayed because there's always egos in that dressing room and they're all very professional, but it's up to Jose to get over the line. Simple as that, no more no less, he just has to win.”