Monday 11 September 2017 07:26, UK
Jamie Redknapp says Renato Sanches' confidence looks "shattered" after the midfielder's Swansea debut against Newcastle at the Liberty Stadium.
Paul Clement handed the Portugal international his first Premier League appearance on Sunday following his loan move from Bayern Munich but Sanches failed to impress in a 1-0 home defeat.
He conceded possession 23 times and Redknapp and fellow Sky Sports pundit Alan Pardew felt his performance belied a player lacking confidence.
"I called him the signing of the window and I stand by it," Redknapp said. "He is going to be a player but he was off it today.
"He did some little bits and pieces that were very good and the rest will come, he gave the ball away a few too many times.
"Paul Clement's biggest job with this kid is to build his confidence again. You can see his confidence has been shattered while he has been at Bayern Munich.
"He was one of the best young players in the world a couple of years ago but his confidence is now low."
Pardew agreed with Redknapp and said head coach Clement may regret putting Sanches straight into his starting XI.
"One of the mistakes Clement made today which he would not have foreseen was the performance of Renato Sanches because he was really off the pace," Pardew added.
"That will probably be a decision he looks back on and thinks, 'Perhaps I should have left him out.'
"Swansea had a good performance last time [a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace] and it might have been better to stick him on the bench today and bring him on as an impact player. He took too many touches.
"I'm not doubting he's a fantastic player but sometimes when you are a manager and bring in a big name, it's about getting the timing right.
"Clement probably thought he would be at a better speed coming from Bayern Munich but he was not up to speed."
Sanches' teammate Leon Britton joined Pardew and Redknapp in the Sky Sports studio and he added: "He looked sharp [in training].
"He only trained two days but you can see the quality he's got. The difference is in training to the intensity of the Premier League, it's different.
"Maybe the manager has spoken to Carlo Ancelotti and he thought he'd be ready for today."
