Tammy Abraham’s explosive debut is a sign of better things to come at AS Roma
Jose Mourinho might have been the subject of ridicule by some fans when he described Tammy Abraham’s move from Chelsea to AS Roma as a 'coup'.The Serie A club spent £34 million to prise the 23-year-old away from the Blues and it took less than 30 minutes for Abraham to vindicate Mourinho's decision.
The England international made his debut against Fiorentina last Sunday and didn’t disappoint at all. It’s unfortunate that he wasn’t part of Thomas Tuchel's plans at Chelsea this season.
Abraham scored 30 goals in 82 appearances during his time with the Blues. He was also the highest scorer for Chelsea across all competitions in the 2019-20 season and their joint-top scorer in the following campaign.
However, Abraham has found a new home in Rome.
In Mourinho, Abraham finally has a manager who trusts him. The Portuguese sees Abraham as a player he can mold into a world-class striker, which does not seem like is a far-fetched idea at the moment.
Abraham steals the show on his debut
Abraham’s Roma debut was so impressive that he received a standing ovation from thousands of home fans inside the Stadio Olimpico. The 23-year-old didn’t score against Fiorentina. However, he set up two goals as Mourinho’s side defeated their opponents 3-1 on the opening day of the season.
The former Chelsea striker went ahead and hit the crossbar with a powerful header before being substituted by Eldor Shomurodov after the hour mark.
It was the perfect debut for Abraham, who completely stole the show. He’s new to the Italian league but if there's one thing is for sure, it’s that the England striker has scored lots of goals everywhere he has been.
A sign of better things to come
It would be optimistic to suggest that Roma are title contenders. They certainly do not have the quality to compete with the likes of Juventus, Inter Milan and even AC Milan.
However, Abraham is in an environment where he can take his game to the next level. He’s the main man at Roma and that should count for something.
“I prefer to say wait and see for Tammy, but I say that with total confidence,” Mourinho said of Abraham, as quoted by the Mirror. "I’ve known him since he was a boy. He never played for me because he was a 14, 15, 16-year-old when I was at Chelsea, but I know him very well."
“I know him as a player, a person and in terms of mentality. It is always tough for an English player to leave his country and the Premier League, and that says so much about him," Mourinho added.
Abraham has left his comfort zone to prove himself and the early signs especially after his explosive debut suggest there are better things to come from the young striker.