Is Lack of End Product a Genuine Problem for AC Milan Forward M’Baye Niang?

M’Baye Niang is one among many refreshing young players who point towards an exciting future for AC Milan. The 21-year-old is a regular in the starting lineup, and his talent is obvious for all to see. However, he is also dogged by a persistent issue in the final third.

As a forward, scoring and creating goals is generally considered to be a necessity. But the Frenchman has not made a habit of doing either.

In 12 Serie A outings this season he has scored just three times, assisting twice for team-mates. Along the way, he has skewed shots wide and missed opportunities, only furthering the notion that he is ultimately inefficient when it comes to making and taking chances.

Niang is gifted, but falling short in front of goal will not aid his cause as Milan progress domestically with the intention of returning to the UEFA Champions League in the near future.

Here, Bleacher Report considers how much of a problem his lack of end product genuinely is.

Statistical Comparisons

One way to gauge the attacker’s efficacy in and around opposition penalty areas is to compare his statistical performance to that of the team-mates who often line up alongside him in the forward line—Carlos Bacca and Suso.

In doing so, it becomes clear that Niang is a relatively poor finisher.

In terms of attempts on goal, he lies between Suso and Bacca with 2.56 shots per 90 minutes. However, while his colleagues achieve admirable accuracy percentages of 70 and 71, respectively, he hits the target with a mere 35 per cent of his efforts.

Consequently, it is no surprise to learn that his goals rate is also lower—he finds the back of the net 0.32 times per 90 minutes, compared to Suso’s 0.39 and Bacca’s 0.58. Additionally, while he does create more chances than the latter, he still bested by the former in this category.

Essentially, he simply isn’t as productive in the final third; Bacca is a more clinical finisher, while Suso is a more consistent creator. As such, it’s fair to say Niang’s end product could be improved.

Niang has looked fantastic with the ball at his feet, but his end product has just been awful. Wayward passes and some terrible shots.

— Nic Venosa (@nicvenosa) September 20, 2016

Milan midfield not commanding enough (nothing new), more needed from Suso + end product from Niang. Groans aside, number of positives too.

— Sumeet Paul (@SP_Calcio) August 21, 2016

In this respect, he couldn’t ask for a better guiding hand than head coach Vincenzo Montella. The Milan boss made his name as a striker with a nose for goal, something he evidenced during particularly prolific spells with Sampdoria and AS Roma in Serie A throughout the 1990s and …

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