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Calcio Debate: Revealing The Artist From Florence - Juan Manuel Vargas
The Fiorentina winger has been in sensational form so far this season and Goal.com's Subhankar Mondal decides to bring this scintillating player into the public eye.
Dec 17, 2009 9:30:00 AM
Every time an English team loses in Europe, it becomes an issue more
about 'us' being worse and less about 'them' being better. Fiorentina's
victory over Liverpool at home in the Champions League in September
wasn't too different, only that the players from the Red zone of
Merseyside were more rubbish than this columnist's understanding of
women and that the players from the city of Italian Renaissance were
the footballing equivalent of Botticelli. Or thereabouts.
Of course, as with every 'shock' result, there is always a talisman, a sorcerer who waves his magic wand and dismisses the opposition into thin air. On this occasion it was a certain Steven Jovetic, until that moment unknown to anyone outside the realms of Italian football, who ripped apart the Reds defense like they were from the Sunday league, utterly humiliating them in a remarkably intelligent display.
However, those with a keener eye would have noticed a certain Juan Manuel Vargas do his tricks and damage to Liverpool. He is not a sensational 'new kid on the block' and neither is he a well known world-conquering international superstar; he is, well, just another good player plying his trade in the most strategic and tactical of domestic leagues in Europe. Just another left-footed winger. Just another cog in the Fiorentina midfield. Just another bloke who plays in the Champions League. Nothing exceptional.
Can You Do This Like Me, Mate?
Only it is.
Juan Manuel Vargas's season so far this campaign has been nothing less than exceptional. Three assists and four goals in 15 games in Serie A have been ably complemented by four assists and one goal in the Champions League. As if that weren't enough, the Peruvian international has been one of the most entertaining players to watch in entire Europe this term, his goal against Atalanta from over 25 yards perfectly embodying just what he is capable of.
A hard-working left-winger, Vargas has the ability and urge to drift into the center and play as a playmaker-in-chief too. His main asset, though, is screaming down the left flank like a runaway express train with no brakes and no driver and then whipping in a cross into the box that curls inwards.
The 26-year-old has been scintillating in big games this season. He scored against Juventus in the fifth minute and was a threat throughout the match, supported Jovetic marvelously against Liverpool at home and created the winner at Anfield for Alberto Gilardino with an exquisite cross; it was Vargas's penalty that put Fiorentina through to the last 16 stage of the Champions League.
So much so that Vargas has been linked, mainly by the drop-out students from the creative writing courses at universities, to Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal. A move to either of those of those clubs would be a huge step up because, let's admit it, all of them are bigger and more recognized than Fiorentina and playing for them would earn Vargas more recognition.
Playing for, say, Madrid, would improve Vargas's game too. At the Bernabeu he would be surrounded by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Xabi Alonso and with such world class players around him Vargas would certainly set up his game. But the question is whether Vargas would be good enough to merit a place in the Madrid starting lineup week in week out.
Partners In Crime . . . But For How Long?
Probably not, unless of course the Injury Demon strikes. The Bernabeu is already packed with top class players and a number of prodigies are waiting in the wings. If Vargas doesn't want to replicate Shaun Wright-Phillips's tenure at Chelsea, then he would better resist the temptation to join the biggest club in the world.
A move away from Fiorentina, though, isn't very improbable. No, not in January as the Viola are in no hurry to sell and neither does Vargas have any reason not to continue the Champions League adventure with them, but come summer and things could get interesting. As it happened with Felipe Melo in the summer, Fiorentina could be taken as a stepping stone for something better.
A move to a bigger club would come with strings attached: more pressure, more expectations, more scrutiny. Fiorentina are the biggest side Vargas has played so far in his career. And as they say, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'.
Subhankar Mondal, Goal.com
Click here to follow the Goal.com Twitter feed!
Of course, as with every 'shock' result, there is always a talisman, a sorcerer who waves his magic wand and dismisses the opposition into thin air. On this occasion it was a certain Steven Jovetic, until that moment unknown to anyone outside the realms of Italian football, who ripped apart the Reds defense like they were from the Sunday league, utterly humiliating them in a remarkably intelligent display.
However, those with a keener eye would have noticed a certain Juan Manuel Vargas do his tricks and damage to Liverpool. He is not a sensational 'new kid on the block' and neither is he a well known world-conquering international superstar; he is, well, just another good player plying his trade in the most strategic and tactical of domestic leagues in Europe. Just another left-footed winger. Just another cog in the Fiorentina midfield. Just another bloke who plays in the Champions League. Nothing exceptional.
Can You Do This Like Me, Mate?
Only it is.
Juan Manuel Vargas's season so far this campaign has been nothing less than exceptional. Three assists and four goals in 15 games in Serie A have been ably complemented by four assists and one goal in the Champions League. As if that weren't enough, the Peruvian international has been one of the most entertaining players to watch in entire Europe this term, his goal against Atalanta from over 25 yards perfectly embodying just what he is capable of.
A hard-working left-winger, Vargas has the ability and urge to drift into the center and play as a playmaker-in-chief too. His main asset, though, is screaming down the left flank like a runaway express train with no brakes and no driver and then whipping in a cross into the box that curls inwards.
The 26-year-old has been scintillating in big games this season. He scored against Juventus in the fifth minute and was a threat throughout the match, supported Jovetic marvelously against Liverpool at home and created the winner at Anfield for Alberto Gilardino with an exquisite cross; it was Vargas's penalty that put Fiorentina through to the last 16 stage of the Champions League.
So much so that Vargas has been linked, mainly by the drop-out students from the creative writing courses at universities, to Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal. A move to either of those of those clubs would be a huge step up because, let's admit it, all of them are bigger and more recognized than Fiorentina and playing for them would earn Vargas more recognition.
Playing for, say, Madrid, would improve Vargas's game too. At the Bernabeu he would be surrounded by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Xabi Alonso and with such world class players around him Vargas would certainly set up his game. But the question is whether Vargas would be good enough to merit a place in the Madrid starting lineup week in week out.
Partners In Crime . . . But For How Long?
Probably not, unless of course the Injury Demon strikes. The Bernabeu is already packed with top class players and a number of prodigies are waiting in the wings. If Vargas doesn't want to replicate Shaun Wright-Phillips's tenure at Chelsea, then he would better resist the temptation to join the biggest club in the world.
A move away from Fiorentina, though, isn't very improbable. No, not in January as the Viola are in no hurry to sell and neither does Vargas have any reason not to continue the Champions League adventure with them, but come summer and things could get interesting. As it happened with Felipe Melo in the summer, Fiorentina could be taken as a stepping stone for something better.
A move to a bigger club would come with strings attached: more pressure, more expectations, more scrutiny. Fiorentina are the biggest side Vargas has played so far in his career. And as they say, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'.
Subhankar Mondal, Goal.com
Click here to follow the Goal.com Twitter feed!
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