Victor Osimhen: Has Spalletti discovered the Napoli hitman’s major flaw?

When Victor Osimhen netted two goals in two minutes against Bayern Munich on Saturday, it continued a really promising pre-season for the centre-forward who endured a mixed 2020/21 season. 

Following a big-money move from Ligue 1 side Lille, there was an expectation to see the Nigerian thrive in his debut season in Serie A. While goals weren’t forthcoming initially, his all-round performances were pretty encouraging. 

However, an injury on international duty with Nigeria in November and COVID-19 meant he was utterly slowed down at the halfway stage of the campaign. 

Despite rumours of discontent in the Napoli camp, as pressure mounted on Gennaro Gattuso to keep his job, the young frontman delivered solid performances in front of goal in the run-in to end the Serie A season with 10 strikes in 16 starts (24 appearances in total). 

Gattuso eventually departed after a disappointing climax to the Azzurri’s campaign and Luciano Spalletti took the reins on May 29. 

The former Roma boss has been effusive in his praise of Osimhen since taking charge, tagging the 22-year-old a “complete striker who knows how to score and fights for his teammates.” 

Having said that, the experienced Italian manager hasn’t shied away from pointing out areas in which the frontman can improve.  

In a recent interview, in particular, the ex-Inter Milan manager seemed to point out an area he perceives to be a weakness for the African marksman. 

“Osimhen is a striker who has the ability to transform every ball that comes his way into chances,” Spalletti told the club’s website. 

“He is a very generous player who runs a lot and now and then this intensity can cause him some mistakes, but he is an important player, complete and we aim a lot on him.” 

Indeed, the Partenopei manager’s words ring true when you consider the forward’s underlying numbers from his maiden campaign in Italy and the preceding campaign. 

Statistics on Fbref — among players who averaged 10 games or more — show that the marksman ranked fourth highest for pressures per 90 in the Lille side in 19/20 with 17.3 pressures per 90. Last year in Serie A, Osimhen’s average rose to 18.0 pressures per 90, also placing him fourth in the Azzurri team. 

While Spalletti’s logic in suggesting the player presses less may prompt some debate, there’s certainly credence to the Napoli manager’s assertion.  

The 62-year-old’s theory is rooted in the premise that the frontman ought to bridle his tenacity in the hope that it allows him to arrive in goalscoring positions less drained and likelier to tuck away opportunities. 

Whether this has been regularly drummed into Osimhen before his new boss’ recent comments is anyone’s guess; still, it hasn’t prevented the frontman from scoring a plethora of goals in pre-season.  

The young frontman netted a staggering four times in the Azzurri’s 12-0 thrashing of Anaunia in mid-July, the winner in a 1-0 success over Serie C club Pro Vercelli and a two-minute brace in the 3-0 hammering of Bayern last time out on the Bundesliga giants’ turf.

Owing to how Spalletti got Francesco Totti and Mauro Icardi scoring a bucketload of goals at Roma and Inter respectively, perhaps Osimhen could be next in line to flourish in a central striking role under the new Napoli boss. 

Nigeria’s most expensive player had a Jekyll and Hyde debut season in Italy, but could running less — a major component in the striker’s game — be what takes his game to the next level under striker whisperer Spalletti?

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Seye Omidiora is a passionate football writer and pundit whose deep appreciation for the beautiful game exceeds the usual. He is currently a columnist for Goal Africa and has previously written for Vital Football UK, IBCity Info and Opera News.

Follow him on Twitter @theReal_SeyE

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