Steve McClaren has said it is “too soon” to write off Florian Thauvin’s career at Newcastle United but acknowledges that the winger has not really “kicked on” since his £13m move from Marseille last summer.
After shining on his debut – in a 4-1 League Cup victory at home to Northampton Town – Thauvin has struggled and, although regularly named on McClaren’s substitutes’ bench, is yet to make a significant impact. There are concerns that, like his creative compatriots Hatem Ben Arfa and Rémy Cabella before him, he is simply not cut out for life at St James’ Park.
“I have to say that in Florian’s first game against Northampton I thought he was outstanding,” said Newcastle’s manager. “But he has just not kicked on. Some players are like that. They give you something, then they dip.”
Not that McClaren is about to give up on a player who turns 23 next month. “I’ve seen definite signs of Florian adapting to English football in the last few weeks,” said the manager, who was encouraged to see Thauvin supply a couple of high-calibre crosses after stepping off the bench during last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa. “Certainly in terms of training he’s adapting and, then, when he came on against Aston Villa, he was excellent. It’s just a case of when he puts it all together.”
The big fear at the club is that Thauvin, ranked as one of the biggest talents in French football ahead of a disappointing campaign with Marseille last season, may not be quite robust enough for the Premier League.
“I’ve been talking to Florian about that,” said McClaren. “But he is getting stronger, he is working harder in the gym. He’s starting to understand where he needs to keep the ball and where he needs to try things with it. We want him to make an impact when he comes on [as a substitute] and I thought he did well against Villa. It’s too soon to write him off. Too soon.”
Even so, it would be a major surprise were Newcastle - whose January transfer targets include Tottenham’s Andros Townsend - not prepared to offload Thauvin, possibly in a part-exchange deal.
