Gary Neville has suggested Tammy Abraham could become Chelsea’s Roberto Firmino - including coming in for unwarranted criticism.
Liverpool star Firmino has been a focal point for Jurgen Klopp’s attack in recent years but come in for criticism for a lack of goals this season.
Abraham, meanwhile, is vying to make the centre-forward spot his own in Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side surrounded by attacking weapons.
He scored twice late on in a 3-0 win over West Ham with goals Neville believes will be a huge boost to his confidence.
And he reckons that Abraham will become a crucial part of Lampard’s side but, like Firmino, must keep scoring to keep similar criticisms at bay.
“He’s got to get 12-15 goals,” Neville said of Abraham on Sky Sports Monday Night Football.
“He’s not going to 25 goals, but the pressure will come on him when people say ‘Chelsea need a goalscorer’.
“I know they’ve got Werner who will score from wide areas, but when the centre-forward isn’t scoring 15 goals, 20 goals a season, he’ll come under pressure.
“He’s got to get those goals early in the season. I think there’s a massive relief there on his face when doing that interview.
“I mean he could be the Firmino. You see Firmino at Liverpool who does sometimes get questioned a little bit for not getting enough goals.
“But I don’t think from anyone who knows football questions him and what he brings then the other two get more plaudits and score goals.
“But he does a lot of work for the team that obviously supports that.
“I just think at Chelsea he will get put under pressure - a young striker, English centre-forward.
“He just needs to keep scoring goals just to keep people away from him and make sure those clouds don’t build.”
