Freddie Potts has been told how he can go about getting his Club Brugge career on track after a difficult start following his summer arrival from West Ham United.
Journalist Marc Degryse provides the advice to the 23-year-old today following recent criticism of his performances at his new club. He joined them from West Ham in the summer.
The midfielder has found himself in the firing line at Brugge, particularly for his performance in the loss to Aston Villa in the Champions League. The stinging criticism was that a 65-year-old Franky van der Elst could have done a better job.
What’s been holding Freddie back
Van Elst himself then got involved, believing the youngster was playing with a lack of confidence.
“It’s as if Potts doesn’t realise he can turn, play forward, or switch flanks,” he said.
“He needs to scan his surroundings better. Perhaps it’s a lack of confidence, or a failure to read the game situation – or a combination of all those things.”
He suggested that Brugge should get the midfielder on the training pitch, watching footage and learning from his mistakes.
“Show him the footage. Point out where he could have done better,” he added.
“Constantly have him practice turning and playing the ball forward during training sessions. It’s something you can train. It doesn’t matter if he plays a bad pass now and then; that happens to everyone.
“Club Brugge often plays against a low block – like they did recently against AA Gent. Especially against teams like that, you have to dare to play between the lines, look for gaps, and play at a higher tempo. He could take a leaf out of Stankovic’s book in that respect.”
Needs to forget West Ham
Now analyst Marc Degryse has entered the chat. He’s a little more forgiving on the former West Ham man, and believes he needs time after a relegation battle at West Ham.
“We need to give Freddie Potts time as well. I can imagine that playing in a relegation battle at West Ham is completely different from playing in the Belgian league with Club Brugge,” he said.
“Potts needs to understand that he is actually allowed to play risky passes in this team. Club is so dominant that a misplaced risky pass can be rectified.
“Potts tries to play sideways too much; he opts for the safe choice. He should take a leaf out of Vetlesen’s book. Vetlesen plays with enthusiasm and grit.”
Freddie Potts will have already realised that the scrutiny in Belgium is strong, especially for a player arriving from England.
