Misfit Tomasz fails to spark

Because the so-called "missing piece in the jigsaw" has hit just two goals in 14 games for Spanish second division outfit CD Tenerife - and already has fans of his new side tearing their hair out.

It is a depressingly familiar tale for the man originally signed to give Wolves the final push towards the Premiership.

Things looked promising in Spain for 'Franek' when he hit a typical poachers goal on his debut against Valladoid but - beset by a series of niggling injuries and low confidence - he went on to endure a prolonged drought that only ended last month with a routine finish in a home draw with Lorca.

In the meantime manager Bernd Krauss - the man behind the decision to take him to Tenerife on a season long loan - was sacked as a side heavily fancied for promotion fight a relegation battle in the Segunda Liga.

Tenerife fan Chris Todd - who runs his own supporters website aimed at fellow British exiles - says fans have not taken to the Polish striker.

"We were quite excited when he signed for Tenerife because his goal ratio in Spanish football is excellent. He was one of the most feared strikers in the league when he was at Elche and we had visions of him doing the same here," he said.

"But to be honest he looks like he's lost it. Maybe his time at Wolves has knocked his confidence because he doesn't look the same player at all.

"He is not playing too well, we have a new manager now at CD Tenerife so maybe he will find the best out of Franek.

"He seems very fragile and keeps getting knocks. I'd say he is not the type of forward the fans here are used to. We prefer a player that chases, fights and really battles for everything.

"I don't think we've seen anything like the best of him but we're still hoping he can pull something out of the bag. If I had to give him a rating out of ten then I'd give him four so far."

The continuing travails of the Pole with no goals serve as a timely warning to anyone expecting miracles from McCarthy in the January transfer window.

Hoddle blew his entire transfer budget on the Polish international and then looked on as Frankowski went eleven games without so much as a sniff of a goal at the end of last season.

The Pole was far from the only man culpable in a disastrous campaign, but his lack of form certainly played its part. The shock signing is not an error the new regime are keen to repeat.

Facing a new financial reality, McCarthy is only too aware of the problems he may face in the New Year transfer window.

"January can be a bit of a damp squib to be honest," the boss said.

"Everyone sees it as a wonderful opportunity to buy players and it probably is for someone who has a fortune to spend. I'm not knocking what I have but you inevitably have to pay over the odds for someone - and that is not something I intend to do."

No-one at Molineux will be taking too much pleasure in news that Frankowski is struggling in Spain.

Tenerife were always unlikely to make the signing permanent but Wolves hoped a successful loan spell would at least put him in the shop window. With his laboured form and injury problems it seems unlikely Spanish suitors will be beating a path to Chief Executive Jez Moxey's door when his loan spell ends in August.

That is likely to mean Frankowski, a year older and with confidence at rock bottom, is likely to return to Molineux in the summer. His most likely escape route looks increasingly like a transfer back to his native Poland, where the international is still highly-rated for his phenomenal record at Wisla Krakow of 115 goals in 173 games.

Whatever the future holds, it is unlikely that Wolves will recoup a penny of the £1.4million transfer fee they paid for him 11 months ago.

by Mark Douglas