When a striker is paid a lot of money, it is inevitable that goals become the first measure by which he is judged. In Gonçalo Ramos' case, however, the risk is that we stop there. Milan signed him permanently in the summer for €74 million in fixed fees plus bonuses. A huge investment, certainly, but precisely because of that, the Portuguese should be judged as a complete player, not simply by counting the balls that have ended up in the net (one so far in a Milan shirt).
Eight games, few genuinely off days...
So far, Ramos has played eight matches this season and, if we want to be fair but demanding, the games in which he was genuinely below par can be limited to Juventus, Lazio and Benfica. In his other appearances, both for Milan and the Portugal national team, the former PSG striker has shown consistency and willingness, but above all one characteristic that is now increasingly evident in his style of play: he works extremely hard for the team. He presses, links up play, comes short, drags defenders away, and creates space for his team-mates to make runs. All of this is less eye-catching than scoring a goal, but it is fundamental within a system like Ruben Amorim's, as relayed via Milannews.it.
And in the meantime, his engine seems to be seriously starting to rev up. The latest example came yesterday in Denmark-Portugal, with Ramos involved in both of the first-half goals: an assist for João Cancelo and a goal from a Bruno Fernandes pass. These are far from insignificant signs.
Among the often harsh criticisms aimed at Gonçalo Ramos at the start of the season, there has been a question that is frequently overlooked: are we sure the Portuguese is playing exactly as a centre-forward would if he were given complete freedom to think only about scoring? Amorim may be asking him to do much more, involving pressing, coming towards the ball and making sacrifices, inevitably resulting in less sharpness and presence in the final third. This does not mean letting him off everything: it is fair to expect more goals from a number nine who cost more than €70 million.
But there is an enormous difference between expecting more from him and turning him into the automatic target of every criticism. Ramos is working hard, playing consistently and showing important signs of improvement. Before passing judgement, perhaps it is worth giving him time to complete his settling-in period.
