While Santiago Gimenez struggles for goals, Tammy Abraham is hoping that an opportunity might emerge for him to showcase his qualities.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write this morning, the starting centre-forward for Milan this season has not scored more goals than cards received. Alvaro Morata was sold to Galatasaray halfway through the season after having put together six goals and eight yellow cards, while Gimenez has three and three.
The exception? The third wheel, Abraham: eight goals and only one card. Beyond the numbers there are the performances, and the latest from the Englishman – who came on from the bench against Como – risks seriously calling into question the hierarchies.
After the assist against Roma in the Coppa Italia on his debut and the goals against Empoli, Verona and Feyenoord (as a former player, in the return leg of the Champions League playoff at San Siro), the Mexican striker has not scored for one month.
However, it is not only the lack of goals that worries Milan fans. Santi often seems like a fish out of water, alternating games in which he wastes opportunities in front of goal (Torino, Bologna and Lecce) with others in which he is seen very little in the opposition’s box (Lazio and Como).
On the contrary, despite not scoring and having only played portions of the game, Abraham managed to help his team-mates with assists and useful plays, especially in the last two victories against Lecce and Como. In the comeback against the Lariani, he also provided the assist for Reijnders’ winner.
In the meantime, from the Mexican national team’s retreat, Gimenez told Azteca TV: “Even though it’s not a good time now, I’ve been welcomed very well at Milan. They say a lot of good things about Milan from the outside, but inside, the value and importance is double what you might imagine.”
The feeling is that, given how Conceiçao’s Milan plays today, Abraham ‘s propensity for supporting work with his back to the goal ends up being more congenial than Gimenez’s skills as a man in the penalty area.
Even against Como, as in other games in recent times, the hit map of the average positions on the field of the starting XI highlights a clear fact: Santi is not the most advanced man in the team. In fact, Rafael Leao and even Yunus Musah were further up the field.
It is not so unusual in modern football for the centre forward to drop deeper and bring team-mates into play, take out an opposing defender and open up spaces, but is Gimenez that type of striker? The numbers at Feyenoord already said he is not, despite being willing to make the sacrifice.
It is a question of characteristics: Santiago gives his best when he attacks space in behind, aiming towards the goal, and at Milan it is rarely happening to him. That’s why against Napoli, Conceiçao could give Abraham a chance.
Milan should keep Tammy. He can combine well with midfielders and attackers though is not a complete finisher but he is not bad at all. We can negotiate cut price with Roma
If they don’t, it will only expose their incompetence. Abraham has 8 goals and 5 assists in a limited role and the midst of a turbulent season.
Anyone with any footballing sense looks at his past numbers and ask themselves how much more can produce in a functional environment?
Not a lot. He’s not a good player.
Not a lot? He has the best minutes to goal ratio in the team across all comps and this is not a good season according to his standards. If this is the floor, what is the ceiling?
Jovic and Okafor had excellent goals to minutes ratios last year and what happened to them?
He is rubbish.
It’s hard to soar like an eagle when your surrounded by a bunch of turkeys.
My thinking as well
Abraham should get a chance. He has performed better than Gimenez. I don’t know who’s doing the scouting, but they didn’t come up with anybody better than the people they have except for maybe walker.
Problem is the coach. Why can’t they get a coaches a good psychologist like Paoli.
“In fact, Rafael Leao and even Yunus Musah were further up the field.”
In fact, Musah shouldn’t be allowed to cross the half-way line ever.
He is a failed and bad player. The proof is his previous experiences with all the clubs that wanted to get rid of him. And now, he dreams of staying at a big club like Milan. He is not worthy of being Milan’s striker. It is truly a shame that we have come to the point of evaluating a failed player, with proof from his previous clubs. His path to the goal and his rate of missing easy chances are higher than those of defenders.
kinda sounds like every other striker in the team since Shevchenko.