VfL Bochum manager Thomas Reis has praised Jordi Osei-Tutu whilst also highlighting where he needs to improve to feature more often.

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Jordi Osei-Tutu playing for loan side VfL Bochum 1848 (Photo via Twitter / VfLBochum1848eV)

As you may be aware from our previous articles on Osei-Tutu, the right-back is struggling to get much game-time under new Bochum head coach Thomas Reis.

The Arsenal loanee had featured in every league game under the old manager Robin Dutt, then played 90 minutes under caretaker boss Heiko Butscher, but he’s yet to get onto the pitch in a competitive fixture with Reis in charge.

After four matches sitting on the bench, Osei-Tutu played a friendly over the international break, and he was very impressive on the day. Reis clearly took notice, but he’s still urging patience as they work on the player’s defending.

“Jordi Osei-Tutu is a great lad,” Reis said (via VfL Bochum’s English Twitter account). “He has lots of quality and is very dynamic. But he needs a bit more time, I think we have to work with him a bit more on the defensive side of the ball.”

This isn’t a new problem, as Osei-Tutu has always been better going forward. He played more as a winger earlier in his youth career, similar to Hector Bellerin, before moving back into a full-back position.

That doesn’t mean he can’t be a success there, as Bellerin has been. It’s just about developing that side of his game, which is exactly what a loan is good for.

As a side note, it’s good to hear Reis giving a positive account of Osei-Tutu’s character. Even though it wasn’t his fault whatsoever, you do worry about a player who has a media storm around him early in a loan spell – like Osei-Tutu when he suffered racist abuse.

You never know how his teammates and coaches are going to react, much as you hope it’s positively supporting him through it. Luckily, it seems he’s settled in well after that, he just needs more minutes now.