Barcelona’s Dutch boss Ronald Koeman says he expects a lot from former Manchester City dynamo and strongman Sergio Aguero this season as the coach believes he will improve the team’s effectiveness in front of goal.
As per a report relayed by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, news is busily buzzing regarding Sergio Aguero, that the Copa America winner will certainly play a key role in Koeman’s plans with the coach placing a lot of faith in him next season. The Dutchman believes Aguero will improve the team’s effectiveness in front of goal in the coming campaign.
Although 33 years old and with a noticeable touch of the brilliance and pace missing from when he was in his early 20s, Aguero’s pristine finishing is still clearly intact. Last season in the English Premier League, he took 17 shots on goal, 10 of which were on target, scoring four times as well.
In the last four seasons as a professional, Aguero has averaged 4.5 shots per game, two of which hit the target, with a goal average of one for every five or so shots he takes, putting him second in the current Barcelona squad, only behind veteran and captain Lionel Messi.
These numbers are indeed impressive when compared with what the Blaugrana have currently. The Catalans were greatly disadvantaged by their inability to finish in front of goal, time and again squandering their chances in several matches last season.
An excellent case in point was the round of 16 defeat to Paris Saint Germain where, despite their dominance, the Blaugrana had only the solitary goal from Lionel Messi to content themselves with. Other matches, such as the 1-3 defeat to Real Madrid, the 1-2 losses to Granada and Celta, the draw against Cadiz, all home games, are further proof of their crucial need for a decisive finisher.
With Aguero now installed in the team, the only dilemma would be how often he will play as, over the past two years, Aguero missed more than 200 days of football, or 41 matches, due to recurrent injuries. Ronald Koeman and all Barcelona diehards will hope that their new chief striker stays fit for the majority of the season.