Montpellier’s Nigerian striker Jerome Akor Adams is optimistic about getting more goals for Montpellier before the season rounds off.
With four matches left in Ligue 1, Montpellier are in 12th place with 36 points after 30 games and seven points off the relegation places.
Goals dry up for Akor Adams
The Nigerian striker has endured a goal drought recently, but feels he can still get more goals for his team before the season ends.
That was not the case at the start of the campaign as Adams, who moved to Ligue 1 with Montpellier from the Norwegian side Lillestrom, made a flying start to his career in France.
His red-hot form even earned him recognition for the prestigious 2022/23 European Golden Shoe award, given to the top scorer across all of Europe's top leagues.
He bagged an impressive 22 goals combined this season, but it's important to consider where those goals were scored.
Player of the Month award and European recognition
Fifteen of them came during his time at Lillestrom in the Norwegian Eliteserien, which holds a lower coefficient (1.5) compared to the French Ligue 1 (2) – this means that goals scored in Ligue 1 are weighted more heavily.
Adams was also Montpellier's Player of the Month for October as the plaudits continued to come his way. That recognition meant a lot to him considering his start to a new life in a new city, but it did not go better from there.
The goals dried up from then.
Back among the numbers
Adams went 20 games without a goal, something he isn’t accustomed to in his career. However, he was able to get an assist against Clermont Foot in a 1-1 draw a fortnight ago.
The next weekend, against Stade Reims, Adams once again was heavily involved for Montpellier as they beat the home side 2-1 to take them further away from relegation.
The former U20 Nigerian international feels with the assist and how he played against Reims, he is sure to get back in the goals before the season ends.
“It feels great to be back among the numbers again, knowing fully well that football is mostly about the statistics,” he told afrik-foot.com.
“So I thank God for the assist, we should have won the game but we ended in a draw but we took it in and got the win a week after.
“A striker is judged by the number of goals and assists he is able to make, and my hope is still alive and I get to play every week and that gives me the opportunity to score or create something.
“It just kept delaying and delaying but the season is not finished yet, or rather it will not be finished until I score,” he added.
Adams revealed that indeed he felt a bit of pressure when the goals were not coming, but he kept digging deep and believing the goals will come.
It was also the case that he had set a high standard for himself with how he started the season and with Montpellier in mid-table, the pressure was mounting but he never doubted himself.
“Yeah, there have been times because of the pressure from our results that I felt responsible for not doing as much as I should in terms of numbers, but all the same I am improving and making progress so that has kept me going.”
Adams revealed he wants to finish the season how he started it by, getting more goals and into double digits before the season ends.
With four games left, he intends to get two to three more goals to add to his tally and help his team maintain their Ligue 1 status.
“I am looking to finish the league strong, keep Montpellier top or keep Montpellier in Ligue 1 where I met them and hopefully get some goals at the end of the season,” the striker said.
“We have four games to go, and I hope to get two or three goals in those games.
In all competitions for Montpellier, in his debut season in Ligue 1, Adams has scored nine goals with two assists in 29 games so far.
With the confidence he is exuding, it will not be a surprise if he adds to the tally as the season gets to the final bend.
