M'Baye Niang had a really bad game Sunday against Crotone. Like, really bad. I’m not just being hyperbolic when I say that it is the worst performance I’ve seen from him in a Milan uniform. Many of us in the game thread were rightfully livid watching him forgo passes (of which he completely a paltry 68%) to instead run into clusters of Crotone defenders (who dispossessed him six times), fumble around with two left feet in the box (attempting three off-target shots), and openly argue with our most in-form attacker to take a penalty that he would eventually miss. The pressure of a scoring drought was clearly weighing heavy on the Frenchman’s shoulders and aside from being infuriating, it was uncomfortable to watch the anxiety overtake him.
We here have extremely short memories. Guys who aren’t our ‘guys’ are only as good as their last game. I’m as culpable of this as anyone and you can go back to the game thread to read my vitriol. But with the game a couple days in the rear-view, I’ve settled down some and want to offer a more balanced take on soon-to-be 22 year-old. Before we throw him in the ‘Deplorables’ group, guys who could literally save the life of a bus of schoolchildren but get no credit here at FDL such as Monty, Sosa, and Abate (who also deserve a little more from us from time to time, as much as it pains me to say that about Abate right now), I think we’d be well served to take a harder look at the kid and maybe recalibrate our expectations.
For starters, Niang is not mature. Mentally and professionally he behaves much like a 21 year-old with a boatload of natural talent would. This of course translates into frenetic performances ranging from some truly magical games last year to the mind-numbing duds of this past Sunday. He plays like he lives by some kind of trite life motto like “Go big or go home” or “If you’re not winning you’re losing”, because while the effort and the confidence are never lacking, we generally see the same approach every match. The problem is that people who live by these mottos, live and die by these mottos because they don’t or can’t adjust. We’ve seen him burn and deke defenders, bamboozle a midfielder with a step-over or two, and light up heat maps from one end to the other. But this speaks louder to his skill than it does his progression. The area where he needs to improve the most, decision-making, is still underdeveloped, stunted by the immaturity. All too often, after taking our breath away getting past a defender, the imagination stalls. And this, I think, is my biggest fear about Bang Bang: He’s pretty close to his ceiling. He can be absolutely electric in the right circumstances, but these have been few and far between, really, since Miha left.
Which leads me to my second point, which isn’t as pessimistic as my first. I’ve stuck with this sentiment for a while now, and I’ll go on the record as saying this is my official excuse for Niang: I don’t think he’s a great winger. Above-average at his baseline and good on his best day. His best performances have come from a more central role with Bacca, with Bang Bang operating as a shuttle-bug, pestering defenders who must still remain cognizant of the Colombian marksman. He’s big, strong, quick and an okay finisher. I wouldn’t necessarily employ him as a lone striker, but I think he’s far more suited to work in a pairing than as a winger. Sure the speed compliments something wider, but we’re seeing over and over again that without a more dynamic midfield, he’s someone that can be marked out of a game. Unfortunately, between Montella’s preference for a 4-3-3 and a squad that really doesn’t have the personnel to be formationally (A real word? google says no) flexible, he’s nailed to the flanks.
So is all hope lost? Should we sell him to Southampton in January? Bench him until the Coppa comes around? No, no, and no. While the above may sound like an indictment, it is more of a means to balance our lofty expectations for him. I still think he’s a valuable member of this squad for a few reasons. One, he is legit the only attacking player we have with pace. Even if you don’t think he deserves to start, he is the only guy outside of Bacca and Lapadula on the entire squad that forces opponents to make immediate adjustments (which says more about our squad than Niang, but I digress). Two, he is 21. While I do think he may be close to his peak, I also thought Suso was a dime-a-dozen Spanish attacker, so it isn’t like this is my day job. He has some really dazzling natural ability and even moderate maturity would have exponential effects on his game. And finally, as weird as this is to say about a team in second place, his supporting cast kind of sucks. One of his greatest attributes is exploiting even the smallest of open spaces and in many instances, this is not a setup that looks terribly interested in helping create those. We lack movement in the midfield, on the ball and off, which certainly does Niang no favors. He’s not Suso who can wave a wand and appear behind the left-back, he’s more direct, and as such, requires more wiggle room.
So while Sunday was frustrating, and a little concerning, it was more a no good very bad day as opposed to the norm. Let’s not close the book on him just yet.
Sound off below and look out for the Milan/Roma preview on Friday.
Yours in blue jeans,
TR