The numbers should not be hidden, but they can be used as a starting point to understand where and how improvements can be made. Gonçalo Ramos' start to life at Milan has certainly not been the best: 13 appearances, three goals and just 11 shots on target, following an investment that made him the most expensive signing in the club's history.
These figures are well below the expectations created by his arrival, but they obviously do not erase or call into question the qualities of a striker who has demonstrated, first with PSG and then with the Portuguese national team, that he knows how to do his job. Amorim's mission, therefore, must be to rediscover the centre-forward who convinced Milan to invest more than €80 million in him last summer.
Ramos not always inside the box...
In Serie A, Ramos has registered two goals and one assist (the latter for Rabiot against Lecce, ed.) in 10 matches, playing 890 of the 900 minutes available to him so far. In this early stage of his Serie A career, the Portuguese striker has attempted 25 shots, but only 10 have been on target. Even more significant, and concerning in some respects, is his expected goals figure: 0.20 xG per 90 minutes, ranking just 50th in the league, level with a defender, Juventus' Gleison Bremer.
However, the statistic that helps us understand the situation better concerns his presence inside the opposition's penalty area, which should be considerable given his position. Yet the figures are far from encouraging: of his 450 touches this season, only 50 have come inside the opposition's box, approximately 11%. Gonçalo Ramos' overall contribution to the team remains valuable, but the feeling is that he is doing too much of his work too far away from the area where he is supposed to operate, writes Milan News.
Ramos knows how to score with the Portugal shirt
Gonçalo Ramos' performances in a Portugal shirt help maintain confidence in the Portuguese striker. During the most recent international break, Milan's number nine scored in three consecutive matches, almost overshadowing the entire situation that had developed involving Cristiano Ronaldo. The same player, therefore, when placed in a different environment, manages to do what he is paid to do: score goals.
Milan must not make the mistake of asking him to become a different type of striker, but rather create the conditions for him to return to the player they signed last summer, capable of converting almost half of the chances created for him. There will certainly be some pressure stemming from the fee Milan paid to sign him last summer, but Ramos must now demonstrate that he knows how to score, as he always has. He simply needs to start making a habit of doing so in a Milan shirt as well.
