Mikey Moore's Bundesliga loan hasn't caught fire just yet, and the Tottenham loanee drew another blank at the weekend as FC Köln were held at home by struggling newly promoted outfit Schalke.
While supporters were bullish on the idea of the homegrown Moore becoming a more prominent figure in Lilywhite off the back of a successful season at Rangers, the club ultimately decided to send the teenager away for another loan spell.
Roberto De Zerbi couldn't offer him a guarantee of regular first-team football, and there were plenty of clubs on the continent ever so willing to benefit from Moore's exuberant talent.
Köln won the sweepstake, but they're still awaiting the best of the teenager in west Germany.
No panic in Köln over start to Mikey Moore's loan
It hasn't been a complete disaster for Moore. Far from it, in fact. He was impressive off the bench on his debut and bright in Köln's derby-day victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach earlier this month.
However, there's a sense that Moore, as Alasdair Gold puts it, is waiting to produce his "magic moment" to truly ignite his loan. He's so far dovetailed with Said El Mala between the lines, but the pair haven't quite worked their magic in harmony.
Bild, per Sport Witness, reports that Moore has had a one-on-one chat with manager René Wagner regarding his role, and how his spell at RheinEnergieSTADION can burst into life.
Directly referencing Moore, Wagner said last week: "We have players who may not have decided games yet, but they can and will in the future. We will equip them with the confidence they need. But they still need to find their feet because they come from other countries and other leagues.
"Mikey is eagerly awaiting the moment when things click. He already showed in Glasgow, but even there, it took time. If he manages it here, then he’ll also know that he can beat any opponent in a one-on-one situation. Then everything will be a bit easier, but you can’t force it."
Encouragingly, Köln are clearly backing the Tottenham starlet to eventually come to the fore and lead a team aiming to build on achieving stability upon their return to the top flight last season.
And Wagner is right regarding Moore's loan spell at Rangers last season, with the appointment of Danny Röhl in October proving the turning point. Röhl platformed the free-spirit expertly, and Wagner is backing himself to have a similar effect once Moore, as he puts it, "clicks".
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