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River Plate fans had a clear reaction to Kendry Paez’s first appearance against Argentinos Juniors, and they all seemed to notice the same thing about the Chelsea loanee.
Struggling for game time in Europe, Paez has moved to River Plate on loan until the end of the season, hoping to reset his trajectory back in South America.
Although he started brightly under Liam Rosenior at Strasbourg, even earning a nomination for Ligue 1 Player of the Month in September, things soon went off track.
The initial excitement faded as inconsistency and behavioural issues began to surface. Still just 18 years old, it is not entirely unexpected for such challenges to arise so early in his career.
Returning to South America might be exactly what he needs. The familiar environment could help him find stability and give him a platform to get his career back on track before another shot at England.
River Plate fans do not feel they can properly assess Kendry Paez just yet
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In River Plate’s 1-0 defeat, Paez came off the bench for about 20 minutes but saw very little of the ball, making it difficult to draw any real conclusions from his appearance.
Here is what River Plate supporters had to say on X:
One fan posted: “The dancer Paez is simply motivating.”
Another highlighted how limited his involvement was: “Barely any ball touches, what do you want me to say?”
A third added: “It’s difficult to give an opinion in such an adverse context.”
The general feeling seemed to be that it was too soon to judge him based on one short outing.
Another fan said: “He touched the ball three or four times; he had nothing to do. I want to see him from the start.”
“He didn’t do much, but you can’t really blame the kid for his debut. You can blame his teammates though,” wrote a fifth supporter.
Kendry Paez’s playing time was not an accident
Paez was only given a short spell, but that was not the original plan. Coach Marcelo Gallardo had intended to introduce him in the Copa Argentina match, not in this league game.
Both the local press and the coaching staff noted that his debut came under less than ideal circumstances. To make it at River Plate, the Ecuadorian talent will need both patience and structure around him.
He played 20 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Argentinos Juniors, coming into a side already down to ten men after Juan Carlos Portillo went off injured.
The focus for the 18-year-old now shifts to a specific 10-day physical and technical program set up by Gallardo. It is designed to help him adjust to the pace of Argentine football after his struggles at Strasbourg.
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