Still Without a League Goal – Amidst Disallowed Goals, Posts, and Blatant Errors – Yet Proving Increasingly Essential to Allegri’s System. The Coach is Satisfied and Constantly Praises Him.
It`s not just the coach`s encouragement, but also the fans` applause when he`s substituted that confirms the esteem for Gimenez. Public sentiment is a great indicator of a player`s standing. Santiago Gimenez`s season has been truly peculiar: after a decidedly challenging start, marked by a series of glaring errors in front of goal that raised a huge alarm at Casa Milan, his personal situation has gradually improved. So much so that it has reached an obvious paradox: Santi has become a cornerstone of the attack despite still being goalless in the league, after 455 minutes on the field.
Movement and Offensive Contribution
Gimenez`s only goal came in the Coppa Italia, in the round of 16 against Lecce. But in Serie A, his slate remains clean, and the appetite for a goal grows week by week. This is largely because, between hitting the post twice, having two goals disallowed, and making at least three glaring errors, the Mexican`s first two months of the season have felt like running on a bed of nails in terms of scoring. Fortunately, Allegri has designed a Milan team that finds ways to score without necessarily relying on its central striker. The mezzali (attacking midfielders) have clear mandates for more frequent runs into the box compared to last year, Pulisic is a constant enigma for opposing defenses, and offensive play is even fueled by central defenders like Tomori and Pavlovic, who transform into additional wingers. This is why Allegri isn`t worried by Santiago`s zero in the goal column: simply – at least for now – all the other work the Mexican performs is enough for him. These are all things Max consistently highlights publicly, not just because compliments boost morale, but because they are genuinely visible concepts on the field.
Indispensable Role and Limited Alternatives
One thing has been clear since the summer: Gimenez is the only natural center-forward in the squad. The first spontaneous thought is: a striker who doesn`t score is a problem. In this Milan team, for now, it`s not. It will be if we`re still at zero by Christmas. But not now, because the Mexican offers the coach and the team a relentless pressing game against opponents that two-thirds of his attacking colleagues, for various reasons, don`t guarantee. The only one capable of partially performing these duties consistently is Pulisic, who is indeed the true immovable element of the attacking department. But Gimenez now closely follows him, partly due to a concrete lack of competition. Leao has once again drawn a flood of words and criticisms regarding his attitude; however, Rafa will always interpret the attacking role according to his characteristics (at least for this, he cannot be blamed). Nkunku, while certainly having a greater aptitude for collective help, is not a pure striker, beyond his still precarious physical condition. He loves to roam and drop deep. This is why Gimenez, despite everything, remains firmly at the center of the attack for now. He often draws defenders away, opening up channels, he harasses opposing central defenders, and he knows how to dictate depth for ball carriers. Of course, if he started putting the ball in the net, it would significantly help his future prospects, as Leao and Nkunku will certainly demand more spotlight throughout the season. In the meantime, however, Allegri enjoys Santi`s paradox: he doesn`t score, but he deserves to play.
