Goncalo Ramos Covers Most Distance in Serie A for AC Milan; Manchester United Fans Miss Amorim

Antonio Vitiello, a correspondent for MilanNews.it, released his latest podcast episode discussing recent developments at AC Milan.

Here is the full content of the video:

Hello to everyone watching this channel. We're back together, and this time I want to analyze some data that I find quite striking, particularly one statistic that will spark considerable discussion . We've discussed this data among ourselves; when you show certain statistics to colleagues, everyone is genuinely surprised . Let's analyze it thoroughly on this channel. If you're willing, please support this channel by subscribing for free as usual . Later, we'll also discuss the man behind me, Amorim, because a very interesting trending hashtag has emerged in England over the past few hours, which we'll get to shortly .

So, I want to start by discussing this data , which I'll display here so everyone can see it during our analysis. First, it's important to emphasize that all this data comes from the official Serie A website, so there's no more authoritative or official source than this, as it's part of Serie A's official statistics.

Over the first five league rounds, the AC Milan player who has covered the most distance is Gonçalo Ramos. What's most interesting is that he's not a defender or midfielder, nor a fullback or winger who typically runs up and down the wing. Rather, he's a striker whose primary job is to score goals.

However, it should be noted that this is not a criticism of him at all. Behind the many kilometers Gonçalo Ramos has covered lies a particular truth about this AC Milan team, which we've observed in the early stages of Ruben Amorim's tenure. In these first five league rounds, Ramos has made great sacrifices for the good of the entire team. He runs tirelessly for the team, giving his all physically and in effort for the Rossoneri. This undoubtedly shows that he's not a static player who simply stands in the penalty box waiting for the ball to fall to him.

Ramos is a player who is constantly moving, continually running, dropping deep, and pressing high. He actively retreats to midfield to combine and link with the attacking midfielders and other central midfielders. When he can't receive the ball in the penalty area, he actively drops back to find it and create space for his teammates to run into. That's why it's no coincidence that AC Milan have maintained their goalscoring ability—except for the Europa League match against Benfica, AC Milan has always scored in the league, but the goalscoring burden has often fallen to other teammates like Morata, Rabiot, Pulisic, and others, while Ramos himself has scored relatively fewer goals. Ramos has covered a total of 57.3 kilometers over the first five league matches, and this data tells us that this player is extremely selfless and dedicated to the team.

However, looking at this data from another angle raises important considerations: will players become so fatigued toward the end of matches that they lose composure in certain game situations requiring crucial strikes, brilliant dribbling, or explosive sprinting? As a center forward, if he expends much of his physical energy covering long distances across the pitch, his efficiency in shooting and goalscoring may decline.

Another question is whether Ramos' physical condition will deteriorate when the demanding schedule of October and November arrives. This is why we hope the coach will properly rotate him with Camarda after the international break. Compared to other players on the list—such as S. Pavlovic, De Winter, Gila, Chukwueze, Musah, Rabiot, Modric, and others—Ramos still has the most playing time because he started all five matches in the first five rounds and played nearly every minute, except when substituted late against Lazio.

In this official Serie A statistics list—which only covers the first five league rounds and excludes European competitions—there's a very surprising statistic: goalkeeper Maignan covered a total of 25.9 kilometers over five matches. A goalkeeper running nearly 26 kilometers over five matches is extraordinary, meaning he's constantly running, moving, and shifting back and forth. We often see Maignan pushing up toward the midfield line. What's even more striking is that Maignan's distance is greater than Loftus-Cheek's, who ranks last—Loftus-Cheek covered only 25.8 kilometers over the first five matches, meaning the goalkeeper ran more than the midfielder.

Of course, to ensure accuracy and objectivity in this data analysis, it should be noted that there's a difference in playing time: Maignan played every minute of all five matches, giving him more time to accumulate distance; while Loftus-Cheek came on as a substitute in several matches—for example, against Lecce—and played only half the match in others—for instance, he only got substitute minutes against Juventus—so his total accumulated playing time is relatively less. But honestly, seeing Loftus-Cheek's distance behind the goalkeeper is still disappointing.

Loftus-Cheek possesses exceptional physical qualities and athletic talent. When players arrive at the stadium by bus, get off, or pass through the mixed zone, you can see his impressive height and strength. Unfortunately, he hasn't fully utilized these physical advantages, lacking the willingness to sacrifice and run on the pitch. In this running statistics list, S. Pavlovic also covers significant distance and frequently advances to participate in attacks. De Winter's high running distance is a pleasant surprise, and Gila, along with wingers Chukwueze, Estupiñán, Musah, Rabiot, Modric, Cissé, and others, also appear on the list.

In the final part of the video, I want to discuss a hashtag initiated by Manchester United fans on social media—#BringAmorimBack. Manchester United fans started this chant because the club's current manager, Carrick, has had a poor start to the season, earning only 5 points over the first five league rounds, an average of just 1 point per match, which is far below Amorim's perfect record of 3 wins and 2 draws during his time managing AC Milan.

Football is truly remarkable: Amorim was heavily criticized by Manchester United fans during his tenure as manager, and now, when Carrick's team is struggling and Manchester United continues to face difficulties, fans are calling for his return. Manchester United and AC Milan have experienced remarkably similar fates in recent years, evoking sympathy from their respective supporters, as both of these great clubs once dominated the landscape, repeatedly winning titles and reaching the peaks of European competition, but in recent years, both have experienced shocking decline and faced very complex realities.

Amorim was sacked after approximately one and a half years managing Manchester United. At that time, fans could not tolerate his rigid tactical inflexibility, which prevented him from achieving the expected results. Amorim himself has openly stated that he hopes to avoid repeating the mistakes he made at Manchester United during his time at AC Milan. Previously at Manchester United, he demanded that players strictly adhere to a rigid tactical approach, which negatively impacted the performances of some players.

Before the recent match against Lecce, Amorim had a frank conversation with the AC Milan dressing room, recognizing the need for change. As a result, AC Milan switched to a four-back formation and gave players—such as Chukwueze—greater freedom and attacking space. Finally, after the three-week international break, the league feels almost like it's starting fresh. Everyone can share their thoughts on this data and tactical changes in the comments section.