Flávio Gonçalves 'owes' Rui Borges: all about Sporting star | OneFootball

Flávio Gonçalves has been one of the big surprises at the start of Sporting’s season. The 19-year-old winger has also taken advantage of Pote’s absence to earn a place on the left side of the attack and, in just four matches, has already racked up 259 minutes, two goals and one assist. Despite his attacking impact, there is one aspect of his game that Rui Borges wants to see improved.

Passing has been precisely the area in which the coach has demanded the most from the young dribbler, although the numbers show that Flávio Gonçalves’ performances have been quite consistent in most matches. Against Rio Ave, for example, he attempted 26 passes and completed 22, for an 84.6% success rate. Against E. Amadora, he recorded 87.5%, and against V. Guimarães he reached 88.24%. The big exception came in the clash with Alverca, in which he completed only six of the 16 passes he attempted, ending with a 62.5% success rate.

It was precisely after the 4-0 thrashing in Vila do Conde that Rui Borges decided to joke about the situation, while also sending a clear message to the player. "He missed a lot of passes and has the quality not to do that. I already told him, ‘you’re going to pay me 100 euros for every misplaced pass’", said the Mirandela-born coach, in a remark that, taken literally, would mean another 400 euros added to the winger’s supposed “debt” in this match.

Even so, Rui Borges made sure to praise the youngster. "I liked his game, but he can improve and he has to look at the game that way". In total, Flávio Gonçalves has misplaced 16 of the 91 passes he has made in the league, which would amount to 1,600 euros if the coach’s joke had been applied since the start of the season.

Despite that room for improvement, Flávio Gonçalves’ impact on Sporting’s attack has been clear, and the win against Rio Ave served as a perfect example of the freedom Rui Borges gives him. The player himself explained his way of playing. "I can play on the left, right and even through the middle because I move all over the pitch", he said.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.