George Puscas

19     Striker     Bari (on loan from Inter)     Romania

Skinny

With a surname like Puscas, there is going to be an immediate assumption that George is capable of doing things that his Hungarian namesake Ferenc was able to do in his sleep. The similarities stop at the names for now.

Puscas is a decent centre forward and can turn his hand to playing just off a leading front man or working up and down the left wing if required. He has good speed, competent technique on the ball and has spent enough time up front to know more than one way to go about getting on the end of chances.

George is the sort of striker that knows instinctively where he is on the pitch and where the goal is; and doesn’t mess about when allowed the chance to shoot. One touch to steady himself and one more to fire the ball into the net; simple really.

2015 has been…

It should be that simple except that he isn’t playing all that much. Well he is barely playing at all to be honest.

Having struggled for regular chances in the Inter first team, he has been sent on loan to Bari where he has played just as little. And it’s not like Bari are tearing up trees in Serie B either. The whole team have scored 21 times in 16 league games so far this season, though they are currently in third so we somewhat understand not wanting to break up a successful system.

The warning lights are flashing. Puscas has dropped down a division but still isn’t getting regular game time, and since moving to Italy he is yet to score a goal in a league game.

What's next?

If he is to get a chance at Bari and then prove he is worth a long-term chance to impress in the Inter first team, he probably needs a freak moment to go his way. He needs the ball to go in off his arse. He needs one of his coaches to see something in him and stick with it for a couple of months.

He also needs to do a couple of things himself – improve his strength and improve his fitness. George is still a little lightweight for the senior game and needs to bulk up or risk being constantly bundled off the ball. He also needs to prove he can lead the line for a full 90 minutes and not be a panting mess by the end; that either comes from training harder or being a little smarter in regards to the work that he does.

The promise and potential that Puscas showcased in Romania won’t live too long in the memory. For now, it is still working on his side. Inter will probably retain his rights for the next couple of years while farming him out to ensure his development doesn’t come to the detriment of their first team’s success.

For George he needs to really prove he is capable of scoring goals in the senior game and not just against defences his own age.

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