New Everton signing needs patience, and support from his new set of fans.
Everton took a gamble by taking Andre Gomes on loan from Barcelona on deadline day and hope the Portugal international can rediscover his best form.
First and foremost, Gomes must find his confidence, after a draining spell at Barcelona.
Gomes arrived at Barcelona following a big money transfer from Valencia and was under pressure from day one.
Fans never took to him, and Gomes was desperate to get away.
Everton supporters have a crucial role in helping Gomes get back to his best, and that will mean taking the rough with the smooth at first.
It is hard not to feel a little sorry for Gomes, after listening to his comments made to Panenka magazine earlier this year.
He said: “Maybe it’s not the right word to use, but it has turned into a kind of hell, because I have started to feel more pressure. With pressure, I feel fine, but with the pressure [I put] on myself, I don’t. The feeling that I have during games is bad.
“On more than one occasion, I didn’t want to leave my house because [of the way] people look at you. You have fear of going on the street out of shame.
“I close myself off. I don’t allow myself to get rid of the frustration I have. I don’t talk to anybody. It’s like I feel ashamed. Thinking too much has hurt me. I think about the bad things and what I have to do.”
Gomes has challenges to overcome at Everton; adjusting to a new culture, a new league, and a new manager and style of playing.
A change of scene is clearly what he needs, but expecting instant success would be foolhardy.
Everton fans must stick by him and show patience, as Gomes will never thrive with supporters on his back after a couple of poor games to kick off his loan spell.
Patience won’t last forever, but Everton supporters should cut Gomes some extra slack in the first half of the season and hope that he eventually begins to flourish.
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