Jude Bellingham kicks bottle in fury after he is subbed in AC Milan defeat as Thierry Henry gives theory behind strop
VEXED Jude Bellingham booted a water bottle in frustration after he was hauled off early during Real Madrid’s 3-1 defeat to AC Milan.
Both Bellingham and Los Blancos have struggled following the arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappe, 25, at the club.
And the crisis sunk to new depths on Tuesday after Madrid suffered back-to-back losses at the Bernabeu.
Madrid already trail LaLiga leaders Barcelona by nine points and are in the bottom half of the Champions League table.
And Bellingham’s frustrations boiled over as he trudged off the pitch and let out his anger on a water bottle in the 74th minute.
But Premier League legend Thierry Henry believes that Bellingham had every right to be angry with boss Carlo Ancelotti and Mbappe.
He told CBS Sports Golazo: “It’s always Bellingham trying to make the run, trying to make the team play, running in behind, trying to break the line.
“I think there is a little frustration. Your nine isn’t going, and your 10 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.
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“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 Mbappe has to do way more.”
Henry then added that his compatriot must learn to play in a new position, as Vinicius Junior, who scored Madrid’s only goal of the night from the spot, will not be moved from the left wing.
The Arsenal legend added: “Mbappe’s 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?
“It’s going to be tough for Ancelotti to find a way so all those players can co-exist.”
Bellingham has often been shunted to play on the left, away from his No10 role last term.
The 21-year-old scored 23 goals from behind the striker in his debut season, winning both the Champions League and LaLiga.
He managed 36 goal involvements in 42 appearances for Los Blancos, making him one of the club’s most influential players and earning him third place in the Ballon d’Or standings.
Spanish outlets have widely reported Bellingham has “declined” since his shift to a defensive position.
The England star was labelled a “shadow of his former self” after Ancelotti played him out of position during Barca’s 4-0 El Clasico thrashing.