Lech Poznan manager Niels Frederiksen has openly addressed the poor form of the club's record signing, Luis Palma. The Honduran winger, for whom Lech paid Celtic Glasgow four million euros in the summer, is not currently performing at the level he showed last season.
Frederiksen spoke about this at a press conference following Lech's 2-1 defeat to Gornik Zabrze in the twelfth round of the Ekstraklasa. It was in this match that Palma only came off the bench in the final fifteen minutes. "It's no secret that Luis is not currently performing at the level he played at, at least at the end of last season," said the Danish coach.
Record signing without results
The permanent signing of Palma was the most expensive transfer in Lech's history and the second most expensive in the entire history of the Ekstraklasa. Last season, initially on loan, Palma scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists for Kolejorz, including 4 goals and 5 assists in 14 appearances in the spring round.
The current season looks completely different. In 14 matches played so far, Palma has only one goal and four assists to his name. His only goal this season came with a large slice of luck following errors by opposition defender Marcin Krajewski and goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski. In Europa League matches against Aarhus and Klaksvik, he missed several clear chances, including a shot into an empty net.
The fight to regain form
Coach Frederiksen emphasises that the team is working to help Palma regain his former effectiveness. "We are trying to get him back in form, he trains well and does everything he can. I am still convinced he will unlock himself," added the coach. A clue to the player's current form was the manager's decisions in recent matches. In the game against Rakow Czestochowa, Palma was substituted at half-time, and against Gornik he started the game on the bench.
Palma's weaker disposition is particularly noticeable against the backdrop of the good form of the whole team. Lech Poznan after seven matchdays sits in second place in the Ekstraklasa with 16 points, trailing leaders Gornik Zabrze by just two points. Frederiksen's team has scored 12 goals while conceding six. This season's squad and league statistics can be checked on our squad and standings pages.
The next test for Palma and the entire team will be an away match against Wisla Plock scheduled for December 17th. Lech's opponent is currently in last, sixteenth place in the table. Before this league clash, however, Kolejorz faces an important Europa League match against Crystal Palace in London. There is a high probability that in this match Palma will again start as a substitute, confirming the scale of the problem with the form of the record signing.
