Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has admitted he expected Ignacio Scocco to settle quicker at the club.
The Argentinian forward arrived from Internacional in January, but has struggled to make an impact and is yet to score in four appearances for the Black Cats.
Poyet insists that Scocco has the talent to succeed in England, but accepts Sunderland may not see the best of him this term.
“I think the situation with Nacho is more difficult than what we expected,” he said, as reported by Football 365.
“When you are a foreigner and you come to a new country, you know that it might take a few weeks or months to adapt. We are all different.
“We tried to do a plan to make him sharper without losing the weekends. But it’s difficult.
“It’s difficult because there is a moment in the week when you need to slow down for the Saturday, so it’s only four days in seven that he’s able to train properly.
“My idea was to have him for the last 12 or 13 games as fit as possible. But it’s going to take time.
“The quality is there. You see it every day and he is coming every now and then with a goal from nothing and people realise.
“Maybe, he needs a goal too and then everything will change.
“I’m going to use him the best I can.”
