'Explode' - Wolves boss makes confident prediction on midfield star
The teenage ace has struggled for form over the first part of the season.
Wolves boss Cesar Peixoto has vowed to stay patient with Mateus Mane after expressing confidence the midfielder’s season will eventually “explode” into life.
Peixoto believes the 19-year-old has been guilty of trying to do too much during the opening two months of a campaign where he has struggled for consistency.
Mane, whose breakthrough was one of the few positives at Molineux last season, was dropped from the starting XI for Friday’s Championship fixture at Burnley.
But he came off the bench to set up Tawanda Chirewa for the winning goal, registering his first assist of the campaign.
Peixoto is at pains to point out Mane, who is yet to find the net himself this term, is still very much on a learning curve.
He said: “I try to talk with him about being calm and having to be calm to play. To understand when he has to go one versus one, when to pass the ball, go outside or go inside.
“Some things he is going to learn from the game because he has quality.
“They have to understand these kinds of moments. When he understands these kinds of moments, for sure, he is going to explode and do great games.”
Mane’s performances in the Premier League last season led to him being linked with several top clubs.
But he stayed at Wolves, with the expectation he would play a big role in their bid to secure a swift top flight return.
Peixoto believes the extra pressure that has placed on his shoulders cannot be ignored.
He said: “Everyone feels or thinks in all of the games that they are going to score and assist. In time, they are going to do this.
“But sometimes in the process, these kind of
moments happen.
“Mane is a talented player with quality, he has a lot of confidence. They play a lot of minutes. He is a player we believe he is going to grow up a lot.
“But it’s part of the process. He's 19-years-old, it’s his first season since the beginning as a professional player.
“You have to be calm with this kind of player, take comfort, confidence.
“Sometimes play, if they have to not play. Sometimes to breathe a little. I think he’s a player who puts a lot of pressure on himself also because he feels like he has to do things in all the games.”
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