1 day ago
32
Massimiliano Allegri has decided to rely on Santiago Gimenez in the No.9 role against Juventus, as highlighted by a report, and the Mexican remains eager to prove himself.
It has been a tough start to the season for Gimenez, with just one goal in seven appearances (which also came in the big Coppa Italia win against Lecce). In short, the Milan fans need to see more from him and perhaps a strong response could arrive already tomorrow, in the game against Juve.
Indeed, as highlighted by Gazzetta dello Sport this morning (see photo below), Allegri has decided to field Gimenez from start once again. Even if the goalscoring numbers aren’t up to par just yet, the striker is still adding a lot to the team.
Movement and numbers
Allegri has great respect for Gimenez and has made it clear before that he’s an important player “for the work he puts in”. With the switch from the 4-3-3 to the 3-5-2, the crosses that Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic would have guaranteed are no longer there.
Instead of a target man inside the box, as such, more is required from Gimenez in terms of linking up with his players, leading the press, picking up good positions, and so on. The good news is that the No.7 does all of this well now, but it took him some time to get there.
Stats give us a better picture of the matter: in the seven games played, Gimenez has shot towards the goal twenty times, hitting the target seven times, and scoring, as mentioned, only one goal. However, he has only had 20 touches on average per game, and the passing accuracy is very high in his own half (over 90%) and fair in the opponent’s half (77%).
In other words, he’s good at finding and controlling the ball, sometimes under pressure from his direct marker. Let’s just look back the Napoli game. With him on the pitch, he was able to bring down the ball and create changes, while disrupting the opponent’s play with his defending.
This is why, at least for now, Allegri is looking beyond the poor goalscoring tally. Of course, the goals will have to be added eventually as Milan need more than just a useful player in the No.9 role.
First clash against Juve
Gimenez will face Juventus for the first time in his career. It goes without saying that for him, a boyhood Milan fans, it’s a very special match that he has probably dreamed of playing so many times. And getting his first Serie A goal in the game would be something.
“After the match against Napoli, he was disappointed not to have scored, but he’s convinced he will soon be able to do so in the league. In the meantime, he’s following Allegri’s instructions and remains confident,” his father said in a podcast recently.
It’s clear that a goal against the Bianconeri would put Gimenez on a different trajectory. Getting it before the international break would indeed be crucial as Christopher Nkunku and Rafael Leao are improving their fitness levels as we speak.
Futuro to be considered
It goes without saying that, unless he starts finding the back of the net, his future with Milan will also be considered by the management. He arrived last January for around €29m plus bonuses, scoring 7 goals in 26 appearances so far.
His goal average (one every 204 minutes on the pitch) is much worse than his goal average at Feyenoord (one every 108 minutes). However, the difficulties were always going to be greater in Italy, so it’s not a huge shock.
In the summer, he was close to moving to Roma but ultimately rejected the idea, wanting to complete his Serie A acclimatisation at his favourite club. The next three months will be crucial in telling us what the next steps will be for the Mexican and Milan, that much is clear.
English (US) ·