André Villas-Boas has spoken of the culture shock from which Erik Lamela is suffering and stressed the need for continued patience with the Tottenham Hotspur record signing. Lamela has struggled sorely since his £30m arrival from Roma in August, and Villas-Boas has started him in only two Premier League matches.

The Argentina winger's lack of English has been one of his problems; the tempo and physicality of the English game another. His confidence has been affected as he has been kept in reserve for the big fixtures and his frustration has built.

But there is support for him from Villas-Boas and the dressing-room, where there is the desire to see him overcome his difficulties. Roberto Soldado, the Spain striker, has been acting as his unofficial interpreter and Lamela's efforts to, at least, attempt to speak English and attend off-the-field get-togethers have been well received. His family also came over to London at the end of October.

"We need to be patient with him," Villas-Boas said. "Not speaking the language is very difficult but not only that – coming from very different social backgrounds as well, from Argentina and Rome to Tottenham. It has been a difficult step for him. We need to give him the chances to break into the team and, eventually, when a game goes fully to his way for 90 minutes, we can have him back to the levels he was at before.

"We are willing to be patient which is why, from not being selected [in the squad] against Manchester United last Sunday, he came straight into the team against Fulham on Wednesday. We gave him that chance. It is a question of nurturing the player until he finds his way back."

Villas-Boas explained what he meant by social differences and, to him, it is partly down to how a player feels the contact with fans. For Lamela, the manager suggested, it was more intense as a Roma player living in Rome. He was at pains to say that the experiences were neither better nor worse than each other, merely different.

"What I am saying is that it is completely different, that there is a massive change of social life," Villas-Boas said. "I am not saying the fans are decisive in this process that Lamela is taking but it is a complete opposite reality to the one he had before [in Rome] and, probably, that is taking a little bit more time to react."

Lamela made his full Premier League debut in the 6-0 defeat at Manchester City, when he played on the left, rather than the right flank that he favoured at Roma. He started on the right at Fulham but, after struggling, Villas-Boas switched him to the left and he showed one or two flickers.

The manager has stronger options on the right, with Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend, and he has suggested that Lamela might see a clearer route to regular football on the left, where he would be in competition with Nacer Chadli, among others. It is unclear whether Lamela will start at Sunderland on Saturday.

"At Roma, he started on the left, then had a wonderful season on the right," Villas-Boas said. "At the moment, on the right is not going well for him so we have shifted him back to the left and that is where it is working better."

Lamela, who followed the sporting director, Franco Baldini, from Roma to Tottenham, has enjoyed positive moments in the Europa League for the club and he set up Paulinho's last-gasp winner at Cardiff City in the league. It is clear that he is blessed with touch and balance, and Villas-Boas also offered a reminder that he is only 21.

"It is going to take time," Villas-Boas said. "But he has all the technical abilities that we see of a great player so we have great belief in him. Now, he is together with his family and Christmas time is going to be a totally different experience for him as well. This will be a key moment to his life.

"We have been very careful with him and given him full support. It is a heavy price tag but one he deserved for what he did in Rome. I think we can nurture his full potential."