Swansea's new manager Carvalhal sure of Sanches revival

Swansea's new manager Carlos Carvalhal is confident his fellow Portuguese Renato Sanches can resurrect his career after failing to impress since his loan move from Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old midfielder, who was named best young player at Euro 2016, has failed to score or provide an assist in 11 Swansea appearances.

Sanches has not started a game since Nov 29, when he was ridiculed for passing a ball into an advertising hoarding at Chelsea with no Swansea player in close attendance.

But Carvalhal believes Sanches, who cost Bayern 
35 million euros (S$56.1m) when he joined from Benfica after Portugal won Euro 2016, will prove himself under his management.

"I think he (Sanches) needs confidence," Carvalhal said, ahead of his Swansea bow at Watford today.

"It is easy to forget because he has played for Benfica and the Portuguese national team that he is still only a kid.

"He is still learning and I think he needs a role in the team.

"With time, he will understand all the different roles the players have in the team. But he will be involved in the dynamics and, when he understands what we want, he will be a completely different player. We believe that."

Carvalhal was appointed Swansea manager on Thursday, only four days after his 2½-year spell at Championship side Sheffield Wednesday came to an end.

He has inherited a side five points from safety after only one win in 12 English Premiership games, and a swift upturn in results are needed if Swansea are to stay in top-flight football for an eighth successive season.

But Carvalhal has promised a positive approach ahead of meeting fellow Portuguese coach Marco Silva at Vicarage Road.

"Marco is a good coach and their assistant coach (Joao Pedro Sousa) is my big friend," Carvalhal said. "He is from my city Braga and we played together.

"Watford are very organised but we will fight for the three points... I always try to win... It was the same at Sheffield Wednesday when we beat Newcastle and Arsenal in the League Cup." - AFP