After joining in January, there were some early criticisms of Santiago Gimenez when he first arrived at AC Milan.
Now, half a season onwards, the questions have not slowed. In fact, they have grown more regular with more expectations. After a €30 million move, there was always going to be pressure on the Mexican’s shoulders. So far, he is not coping with it.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
Filling a void
Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write how there has been a void to fill since Olivier Giroud left, and Gimenez was the one to change that in an ideal world. An assist against Roma, a goal against Empoli and one at San Siro against Verona, it seemed the prophecy had been fulfilled.
Since then, though, it has gone quiet. Doubts are more present than any evidence that he can be the man that the Rossoneri need, and the rumours of a future away have probably not helped, even whilst he has tried to silence them.
First example
Before the Cremonese game, he stated, ‘The only truth is that the championship is about to start. And it will be an incredible season’. However, this was not the case. Instead, he fell short in the opener and did little to nothing.
After the game, there was support from Massimiliano Allegri, who still wants a new striker, but this is not enough to silence the doubters.
Space in the team
Moving forward is difficult. If a more senior striker arrives this summer, it is difficult to see how Gimenez fits into the team, at least as a starter. However, if someone like Conrad Harder is the choice, then there is competition.
A younger push may be what he needs, rather than an overshadowing senior. What Milan need, though, is a goalscorer, and time is running out. Against Lecce, it could already be a decisive game…
This is Gimenez. His hold up play is not top team level. He is good in the box and in a team that produces enough chances he will score 12-15 goals without penalties at least. But he should not be the starting n9 in a team like Ac Milan.
Agree. I see him being more effective as a second striker in a 2 striker system, like a Pippo Inzaghi type player who can’t dribble or hold up play, but can finish clinically. He can’t hold up play or hold the line as a lone striker, but can probably be effective feeding off a target/lay off man.
No, Gimenez is a small or mid team attacker. Pippo could push the ball past the line with both feet and head and was lively in the box. This guy can only score when everything is lined up perfectly and he has only one foot, so in a top 5 league he won’t score 90% of chances.
The guy is getting too much criticism, he almost looks like a scapegoat after the defeat.
1) He didn’t join the team right away this summer, because of Gold Cup.
2) He is a fantastic poacher who get the job done when the opportunity arrives, which in our team rarely happens, because either everyone plays for themlselves, or the fullbacks and deadwood midfielders can’t produce a decent pass in the dangerous area.
3) He lacks confidence, everyone is talking about Allegri not trusting him, there are even rumors that we will get TWO new attackers.
True, he lacks in off the ball movement, but with Allegri we probably won’t press that high anyway. Seems like the coach should (have?) trust him more. The player trading and the panic mode at Milanello isn’t helping anyone.
Well said, couldn’t have put it better.
We lack the basic stuff for strikers to thrive, wingers fail. The put crosses into the box and keep doing stupid useless stuff on the ball, look at the 2 goals we conceded simple crosses into the box and boom they hit, we fail to do this and even when we do it’s the most useless of crosses, it’s terrible.
Exactly, I can name at least 5 people in the match who had a worse game than him and 1 manager on the sideline that had it worst. I don’t understand how defenders and midfield are getting a pass when for both goals we were outnumbering the opponent (3v5 in both cases). Also Gimenez distributed a few very good last passes in the penalty area, which were squandered.
Thank you for speaking the truth.
I got Pippo vibe from him this Saturday, he is a poacher. That disallowed goal as very very good.
There are many stories about how the other players were laughing at Pippo because the football clearly wasn’t his friend, but he could score which he did. And celebrated each goal like Tardelli in 1982.
Pippo is an animal from another planet. He couldn’t make the right pass/dribble an opponent if his life depended on it, but boy he could position so well that whoever assists can practically just hit him and the ball will go in the net. Gimenez has much more quality to his game (as many others) but football is different nowadays and he is not playing with Kaka, Pirlo, Seedorf behind him…
Just another hit piece by Ben Dixon.
Track his headlines vs others and it is always just designed to see (even more) discontent.
I wonder if there is a spin off site coming: “Milano la sempre lamentosa dot it”
It literally says Gazzetta dello Sport.
Ben Dixon just translated the original article.
Do fans expect a Milan news site to post only positive stories about Milan? Are fans that fragile?
Its a collection of news about Milan on daily basis.
totally. To add a little to it. why would management go after Santi, if what they need is a hold-up forward. The system matters. Bring in Firmino, Luis Suarez, Pippo and they would fail in our current system beacause they are poachers. We got used players like ibra, then Giroud which are great hold up tatget players. ugh it’s like we have no strategy.
He’s a poacher and a good one, very true.
But he had a great chance to poach a tying goal at the end and he basically whiffed the header.
I agree it’s not all his fault. But it is what it is. Milan should have kept at least one of Jovic, Tammy or Okafor for depth.
The formation is doing Giminez no favors. When Leao is back, we need to revert to 3 upfront with Santi playing centrally, Puli on the right wing. Only then can we judge fairly.
A striker can’t score if the team doesn’t work for him.
On one hand, yes, he s only been here less than a year and got back late. BUT, since he joined, his first touch hasn’t improved at all and was on full display against Cremonese. nor can he play with his back to goal, as was also evident.
So if we’re bringing in a striker, he needs to have different attributes.
He’s been subpar yes, but this is a ridiculous amount of blame to put on a guy whos working with nonexistent scraps. We’ve know since h was signed he is 1 thing, a box poacher. And yet, we dont use thay at all, we just create 1.5 chances a game and hope he scores. Our team is not well set up
He was played in a manner that doesn’t suit his strengths. He needs to be forward and in the box. That means wide play or balls over the top. He is the player you got so a good manager finds a way to make it work. I love hearing from Juve fans about Allegri. And, I admit I didn’t like a hire that plays like it’s 2014.
And how do you want a striker to score when he is not fed with the ball? If RLC n fofana are in this starting line up, forget anything good will come from this team. What a waste. How on earth can these have the intelligence to give this defense splitting passes for him? Fofana has turned into a canon, firing balls to the corners of the earth.
Wow, all I’m hearing is a room full of people making excuses for Gimenez’s poor form. The guy is playing terrible football at the moment and Allegri and management see it. The pressure he is under is the same pressure all strikers have, score, or else.
Do you not stop for one minute and wonder how the hundreds of strikers Milan have been through over have all struggled bar a tiny few?
Save your effort next time, just cut and paste this comment about the next striker that struggles.
No I don’t have to wonder. I know exactly what happens. Managment enters the market looking for a replacement. Know someone named Hojland?? same story, same outcome. Score, or else. Goals will save him. Nothing else.
Who gives up on 35m asset after less than 6 months?
This is farcical. They can’t keep shipping strikers and acting all surprised when they struggle with 5 mins playing time in a struggling team without identity, purpose or a shred of loyalty.