After rediscovering the winning feeling, scoring in the first half and putting in a performance of the required standard, Ruben Amorim’s main objective at Milan is now to move Gonçalo Ramos closer to the opposition goal.
The 25-year-old Portuguese striker, who arrived for €74 million in the most expensive deal in the club’s history, has struggled to make an impact and is being used more as a target man to help the team move up the pitch than as a genuine centre-forward.
After a promising summer debut, which saw him score and provide two assists against Manchester United, and an excellent start to the league campaign against Torino and Venezia, during which he registered 13 shots in total, one goal and 15 touches inside the penalty area, Ramos’ form in front of goal has dramatically stalled in the subsequent matches against Juventus, Lazio and Lecce.
Gonçalo Ramos operating too far from goal as Milan seek to unlock striker...
Across those last three games, the striker’s average number of touches dropped from 46 to 38.5, while his presence inside the penalty area was reduced to just seven touches in total: one against Juventus, four against Lazio and two against Lecce, compared with the 15 he recorded in the opening two league games, writes Tuttosport in this morning's print edition. In the Europa League against Benfica, he also managed just four touches inside the box and three shots off target, despite providing an assist in the win over Lecce.
This dip cannot be attributed solely to the player, who is finding himself operating too far away from the penalty area and covering excessive distances. He is averaging 10.5 kilometres per game, making him the team's true marathon runner.
During the international break, with just 12 players remaining at Milanello and granted a week off before training resumes on Tuesday, September 29, Amorim has one mission. In fact, he will have the task of fine-tuning the team's tactical patterns and adjusting how Gonçalo Ramos is managed in order to restore an incisive penalty-box striker to Milan.
