GdS: Movement and work rate not enough – Milan struggle as Morata ‘doesn’t play as a striker’ | OneFootball

AC Milan have entrusted the starting centre-forward spot to Alvaro Morata but have already run into a problem: he is not scoring regularly enough.

La Gazzetta dello Sport talk about the Morata case, stating that the expectations were – and remain – high. He has never been a 30+ scorer, but he landed at Milanello after a season at Atletico Madrid that was his most prolific ever (21 goals in 2023-24) and has plenty of experience.

The game against Juventus paints a picture of sorts. As a striker you can make all the movements in the world, dictate the most intelligent passes, but if your team-mates move the ball in slow motion you will always be a hostage of your marker.

The role can become quite uncomfortable if you have to put your own effort into it, which in Alvaro’s case means going to pick up balls within a radius of 60 metres, partly by nature and partly because sometimes you have to help yourself if others don’t.

Morata’s enormous amount of work in the build-up phase would be an added value in a team where the understanding of movements is almost telepathic, so he can find the runs of players and engage in link-up play.

However, it can also become a problem that adds to a problem. Juve at San Siro did not have a centre-forward, Milan did: did anyone notice the difference? Both attacks did not generate anything and the Spaniard was complicit in that.

His numbers tell a story: 25 touches, only one shot towards the Bianconeri goal, which ended up wide. His heat map shows a few ‘yellow’ traces in the area and then many spots scattered around the rest of the pitch.

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It was a dispersion of forces, especially in light of the fact that in total the Rossoneri shot towards Di Gregorio five times in the entire match, and only once on target. Fonseca has expressly asked the 32-year-old to increase the rate at which he occupies the box, so his instructions haven’t got through yet.

Morata loves to go to meet his team-mates away from goal, it has always been his game and at 31 years old it is difficult to expect anything else from him. The Spain captain has exemplary attitude and professionalism, but after 16 games and 879 minutes on the pitch, he also has just three goals and one assist.

Against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League he will not be able to play because he is suspended. Instead, he will return to the spotlight on Saturday at San Siro against Empoli, perhaps looking to put the coach’s instructions into action.