If we had a pound for every time we had heard a pundit or commentator claim that Adama Traore needs to work on her end product, we would have enough money to buy a supply of baby oil for a lifetime.
And best of all, you ask? That is absolute nonsense.
Adama Traore is much more than just a supermarket / Jan Kruger / Getty Images
The truth is that Traore is an exceptionally talented football player with all the tools needed to become one of the best players in the Premier League – all he needs is a manager to help him realize his potential.
90 minutes recently revealed that Leeds hope to lure the Spanish international away from Molineux this summer, and a brief look at Traore’s career so far will tell him that Marcelo Bielsa can only be the man to help the winger show off his talents on a regular basis.
After injuries and competition for places, Traore’s limited playing time at both Aston Villa and Barcelona, a move to Middlesbrough in 2016 would finally see the jet-heeled winger express himself on the pitch.
Many managers had tried and failed to get the bets out of him, but strangely enough, the man who finally cracked the code was the so-called football dinosaur Tony Pulis.
While we would like to commend the veteran’s tactics for creating some form of innovative training technique to help Traore’s development, the truth is all he did was spend one-on-one time with him and assure him he would be the first name on the team sheet in his favorite position every week.
You see, given the celebrity status that football players inherit as soon as they graduate from a team academy, we sometimes tend to forget that they’re just people who all need to be treated differently, and Traore is not the type of player you can dub and expect. to come out swinging.
Adama Traore’s Wolves career has stopped / Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
When he got the good old “arm around the shoulder” treatment and got to feel like a key member on the side, Traore suddenly went from a player who could not get a game over players like Rudy Gestede to comfortably the best player in the championship.
Just half a season of second-tier regular-season football was all that was needed for rumors of a move to Liverpool and Chelsea to gain momentum, but it was Wolves who would eventually trigger his £ 18m release clause.
Obviously unaware of how to get the best out of the edge, Nuno Espirito Santo would give him just eight starts in his virgin campaign with the Wolves – which obviously gave only one league goal and one assist.
Given the time to judge the type of character he was dealing with, Nuno made Traore an important part of his side for the 2019/20 season – imagine our shock when he scored four league goals and nine assists including brilliant strikes against Manchester City and Tottenham.
Traore’s career finally started in change at Boro / Clive Mason / Getty Images
One would think that by this time Nuno would have learned his lesson – obviously not. The Portuguese tactician spent the season following the running of Traore in unknown roles on the wingback and as a center-forward, and what a surprise he did not collect a goal or help until April.
Talent has never been a problem with Traore, all he needs is a manager who trusts him and is willing to prove that he will be central to his team’s plans rather than being left on the bench or shot in random positions – and that’s here Bielsa comes in.
The Leeds manager is known for his ability to bring out the best in his squad, with players such as Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas transforming from lower leagues to top players in the Premier League.
Perhaps the greatest individual success story during Bielsa’s time in Leeds has been Jack Harrison. The former Manchester City man’s career looked a lot like Traores’ before his move to Leeds, after failing to make the cut at a top club before moving to Middlesbrough.
Marcelo Bielsa can unlock Traore’s potential / Stu Forster / Getty Images
Since then, he has become one of the most exciting wingers in the league and obviously appreciates the responsibility and the trust that Bielsa puts on him.
If Leeds prove successful in their quest for Traore, the Spanish international will join a side whose high-paced style of play is perfect for his game and he will work under a manager who will be able to recognize what kind of leadership needed to help him. to flourish.
We are not exaggerating when we say that Traore really has the talent to become one of the best players in the Premier League, and Marcelo Bielsa can only be the man who helps him realize that.
