Feyenoord manager Brian Priske has said he’s working hard to get striker Santiago Gimenez into form after his decision to stay in the summer and turn down Nottingham Forest.
1908.nl cover comments from the Feyenoord boss today as he continues to be asked about Gimenez following the summer transfer drama.
Nottingham Forest pushed hard throughout the window to try and convince Dutch side to sell their prized asset.
Feyenoord appeared reluctant at first but showed a willingness later on in the window, working to tempt Nottingham Forest into an ever-higher selling point and potential club record sale.
The whole process was brought to a halt by Gimenez, though, who resisted the overtures of the Premier League side and decided to remain where he was. It was later explained he thought he could secure a move to a bigger club than Forest in the near future.
His and Feyenoord’s decision to stick together has been questioned in the weeks since, though, with the striker struggling to find his best form at the beginning of this season, after similar struggles at the end of the last one.
That’s led to suggestions Feyenoord will now be disappointed they never got a sale over the line, with criticism aimed at Gimenez, who some believe does not look like he wants to be at the Dutch club after all.
Priske won’t comment on that but does admit he’s working hard to get the Mexican back to his best so he can put the summer behind him.
“It has to do with expectations,” he said.
“They are high, both in terms of results and the performances of individual players. You hope that the key players perform at their maximum, and Gimenez is such a player. But to achieve that, a lot of things are right. Football is not that simple.
“Gimenez shows me every day that he wants to work hard, that he does his best. We have seen better games from him this season than the match against FC Groningen, but it is my job to make it more stable.”
