Tammy Abraham is currently having the time of his life in Italy with AS Roma. He has compiled an incredible tally of 23 goals in all competitions for Roma this season, with a handful of games still to play. This stellar campaign has made the 24-year old English striker the highest scorer in a debut season for his club since Gabriel Batistuta and Vincenzo Montella. Last Sunday, Abraham had a fantastic game against the rivals Lazio scoring two of the 3 goals for Roma in the 3-0 drubbing. Gareth Southgate couldn’t help but recall him into the England squad for the games against Switzerland and the Ivory Coast. However, he will pass the opportunity to monitor his lower back issues and recuperate in the international break.
Abraham had an impressive season with Chelsea in 2019/20 when he returned to the club from Aston Villa after the loan spell. He had 15 goals and 3 assists in the Premier League for the Blues that season. The big fellow looked set to carry the Chelsea attack on his back and grow into the role for years to come. However, Tuchel didn’t think on the same wavelength, and his appearances dwindled under the German boss, and so did his performances. It was obvious that Tammy wasn’t eager to warm the bench. He wanted to feature in more games and help his side win games. Mourinho swooped in and offered him if he wanted to enjoy the sun in Italy or stay in England with the rain. It was climatic as well as metaphorical. The stars of Abraham haven’t shined this brighter, thanks to the atmosphere in AS Roma.
Abraham had snubbed Arsenal to join the Italian club. He chose to join Jose Mourinho in a surprise £34 million deal. Mourinho has always loved having an imposing presence in the attack. Take Drogba or Ibrahimovic for instance. Both of them loved to play in Mourinho’s management. Even Cristiano, Kane, Eto’o (although not as big as Abraham) had terrific records under Mourinho. They all have had arguably the best attacking returns. Despite having a reputation of focussing on defense, it’s fascinating that almost every forward has thrived under the Special one’s supervision. No wonder Tammy wanted to join him. But it was Mourinho, who wanted Abraham to join Roma and Abraham grabbed the opportunity in a heartbeat. The partnership has been very fruitful so far for both parties. The Eternal City has embraced him like his own, and he has become a cult figure already for Roma fans.
For a guy that was that big in frame, Abraham was always blessed with technical prowess. That is very rare in the game. However, he failed to use his physicality to his advantage. That certainly hasn’t been the case with Mourinho. The Portuguese mastermind wants his forward to assert himself on the opponents. Abraham is currently doing that and making his presence felt in the final third. He has grown in stature as a player in Roma in less than a season. He has already become a much better player. But Mourinho is not resting on his laurels, and most probably Abraham isn’t either. He believes that Tammy can do even more because he recognizes his overall potential. This kind of belief and demand from someone like Jose will certainly keep Abraham in good stead for the future.
