Super Eagles striker Akor Adams came off the bench in Sevilla’s 2-0 home defeat to Valencia on Saturday evening, with coach Matias Almeyda explaining afterward why the Nigerian did not start and what it will take for him to keep his place going forward, Footynaija.com reports.
Adams has been Sevilla’s most reliable goal threat this season with seven La Liga goals, but the competition for the number nine shirt at the Sanchez Pizjuan is constant.
Almeyda returned for his second spell in charge in January and has been rotating between Adams, Neal Maupay and Isaac Romero depending on form and opposition. This leaves policy all three strikers uncertain of their starting berth from one game to the next.
Against Valencia, Almeyda went with Maupay from the start. Adams was on the bench. When Cesar Azpilicueta came off in the first half with adductor discomfort, Adams was the man brought on, and he played the bulk of the game.
Almeyda on his striker rotation
Speaking after the defeat, the Argentine was candid about the thinking behind his team selection, as quoted by Futbol Fantasy.
“I hadn’t liked Akor Adams’ performance the other day, like the rest of the team,” he said, referencing their previous outing.
“We have three number nines: Neal Maupay, Akor Adams and Isaac Romero. I went back to Maupay after his injury and opted for him. It’s very difficult to please everyone. If Maupay had scored a goal, that would have been fine. And if he hadn’t, it was because Akor Adams played almost the entire match.”
Sevilla’s defeat leaves them 15th in La Liga, three points above the relegation zone with ten games to play. The next few weeks will be critical for the club, and Adams, as their top scorer, will be central to whatever hopes of survival remain.
