He's playing - and fairly so - like the player who knows he's the first to be hooked if what he's doing doesn't come off. It is, what I think, obviously temporary until he finds his feet, but at the minute, he's got every reason to think he can't be his expressive, flamboyant self yet.
When we went down to 10 men, he was the hooked player; today he wasn't a starter, and it's probably going to be this way (him being pulled earliest, or coming off the bench) until he settles down and gets a feel for the league and his teammates.
I think if you watched him at Dortmund (not suggesting you haven't/didn't), you know he's capable of far more than he's showing, and where, at Dortmund, he would have no hesitation in playing through balls or making daring link-up, give and go's, he's playing really vanilla, safety first passes in those same positions here. He's also turning back and playing the backwards pass rather than attempt take ons, which are bread and butter to him.
Contrary to statements in here inferring he needs the open space of counter-counter Bundesliga football, he's actually one of the best in the world in condensed space with his intelligence, penchant for using teammates for give and go's as well as his ability to isolate a man and drag another over before releasing the ball etc. he's not even attempting those things here yet; his skillset and approach to the game we've got nothing else like, so it will be great once he gets going.
For all his talent, he's playing like a peripheral player at the moment - like he tends to do with England - but the more he integrates, the more incisive and bold he should become. It's just a wonder to think when he himself will feel comfortable and ready to spread his wings, I just hope we manage to give him some full games instead of subbing him in/out by default. Hopefully that'll expedite the confidence building.
