Former Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Francisco Trincao has spoken out on his recent upturn in form, after his hugely disappointing form in England last season.
What did Francisco Trincao say?
The 23-year-old expressed his happiness at this current time with perhaps a disguised swipe at Bruno Lage for how he was managed last term.
Speaking to Sport TV, related by O Jogo, he said:
“It’s like the manager has said about me, I need the consistency that I haven’t had in recent years. I feel good here, I’m happy. I hope to gain this consistency to be able to give more and be better.”
What went wrong for Trincao at Wolves?
The Portuguese joined Barcelona on a five-year deal in January 2020 and was handed his debut in October later that year.
Over a year later, the winger netted his first goal for the Catalan Giants in a 3-2 away win at Real Betis in the Spanish League. The following weekend, he then recorded two assists in a 5-1 thumping of Alaves, which included some delicious link-up play with Lionel Messi.
Due to the incredible competition at Barcelona and with an obvious talent that needed some more regular minutes to be developed and nurtured, the attacker joined Wolves on a season-long loan with an option to buy in the summer of 2021 and was tipped to become a real force within English football.
However, the playmaker endured the least productive campaign of his career and only registered four goals in 30 appearances in all contributions.
It was an incredibly disappointing return, heightened by the fact that he was a player who obviously had an oozing attacking flair but a damaging lack of end product – a painfully similar trend to what compatriot Goncalo Guedes experienced in the Midlands.
The fellow Portugal international has endured a comparatively dismal spell in England. Signed last summer, he has only scored twice and registered a solitary assist in 18 appearances. A better rate than Trincao, but still far from mindblowing.
Like the former Barca man, he is already elsewhere – on loan at Benfica.
After Trincao's disastrous spell, the £13m-rated man has also returned to his homeland, signing on loan for Sporting CP. Across 45 appearances for the Lions, he has contributed 15 goals and assists in a season where Ruben Amorin’s side has defeated Arsenal in the Europa League and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League group stage.
In a recent league match, the former Braga man netted a hat-trick against Casa Pia and also recorded two key passes, two successful dribbles, and a monstrous 9.3 rating, as per Sofascore.
Trincao opting against signing permanently for Wolves emerged as the best option for parties, his short spell in England will be one he'll swiftly forget.
