As Jose Mourinho continues to inspire a technical revolution at Roma, one player has struggled to keep up: Tammy Abraham.
The former Chelsea star has wilted away in comparison to the form he was showing 12 months ago, having become the most prolific English striker in the history of Italian football last season.
Abraham almost single-handedly dragged Roma to Europa Conference League success with his clinical goalscoring under Mourinho.
Tammy Abraham has lost last season’s magic touch since Jose Mourinho changed Roma’s style
With 17 Serie A goals in 37 appearances during his debut campaign in Italy, the England forward boasted an exceptional statistical record, beating legends Vincenzo Montella and Gabriel Batistuta during their first year in the Italian capital.
Incredibly, Abraham holds one statistic in common with Batistuta: the 25-year-old scored his first goal for Roma on the second day of the championship just like the Argentine star, and from that moment he began to score an impressive glut of goals.
Yet, at the start of the 2022-23 season, everything seems to have changed. Mourinho has chosen to alter his style of football at Roma, opting for a much more technical and less direct approach.
The ex-Chelsea striker scored 17 Serie A goals last campaign – a record amongst Englishmen
And it has clearly been a challenge for Abraham understanding the new movements and and situations within the system on a tactical level: he seems to be lacking awareness as the focal point of the side.
Since the rebrand, Roma’s side has attacked the pitch in width as opposed to in length and this shift has severely limited the service to Abraham.
The striker used to utilise the movement behind his opponents and through balls from midfield to score.
A year ago, he won the hearts of the Roma faithful by carrying the team on his shoulders. Today, he sports a meek and haunted demeanour when he misses a chance or receives a clumsy pass with his back to goal.
Mourinho has tried to evolve the Italian giants into a more technical outfit so far this campaign
Dybala signing has ruined Abraham
The presence of very technical players such as Nicolo Zaniolo and above all Paulo Dybala has thwarted Abraham’s role in attack. Although he struggles in tight spaces, the target man is expected to play quick football in triangles all too frequently.
While Mourinho has been getting the best out of Dybala, Abraham has lacked the same productivity he demonstrated last…