Before we get into this, I'm going to ask you all a question. When you think of Santiago Vergini, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Don't worry, I know exactly what you're thinking. And, to be honest, I think that Vergini's time as a Sunderland player might have been harshly judged due to THAT incident. He wasn't all that bad, really, perhaps just a bit misunderstood. In the eyes of the man that brought him to the club, Gustavo Poyet, Vergini is the perfect central defender. He isn't going to throw himself in the way of shots or bat away the ball in the air for ninety minutes but he'll try and carry it forward and play a pass, and that style of play was something that Poyet was keen to impart upon the Sunderland team, despite perhaps not really having the quality of player needed to execute it successfully. Sadly for Santiago Vergini, Poyet didn't last very long at Sunderland and the day that everything was over for the Uruguayan may as well have been the day that Santi packed his bags too. Sunderland were leaking far too many goals, and whoever replaced Gus needed to solidify a back line that was struggling. Vergini was a luxury that we could not afford. We accommodated him for large periods. You couldn't really trust him to play down the middle but at right back he was fairly decent - not only was he able to showcase his ability on the ball, but he was effective in closing down space out wide and even joining in with the attacks. I remember a game at home against Chelsea where he tore them apart in the opening forty-five minutes and was only denied a goal from a lovely strike by the crossbar. His 'ability' wasn't particularly in question at any point, not by me anyhow. Yet, to be fair to Santi, becoming a successful Premier League defender usually depends upon three things: 1: Are you good in the air? 2: Are you strong and mobile? 3: Do you attempt to minimise any mistakes you might make by taking the easy option when defending? If the answer to any of those questions is no, then you aren't going to last very long. That goes from the very best clubs all the way down to the relegation fodder - players like David Luiz, Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi have came into England for massive sums of money yet have been less successful here than the likes of Wes Morgan, Ryan Shawcross and Phil Jagielka, for example. You need to be able to defend first and foremost. And really, we got a true insight into Allardyce's defensive ethos when we pursued the hell out of Lamine Kone in January. He never gave up on signing the Ivorian from Lorient, despite the deal collapsing on a number of occasions, and in turn we were treated to a number of colossal performances from him in the run in towards the end of the season. Big Sam likes big, athletic, no-nonsense defenders and always has done. So, as much as I have a soft spot for Santiago Vergini, I completely see why he's been allowed to leave the club without the manager actually taking a look at him in person. You just know that if Big Sam came across Santi on Tinder, he'd definitely swipe left.
It seems like there have been a few SAFC players who have been overlooked by new managers. But as you say Vergini is possibly a luxury we can't afford. I thought he looked good on the ball, but a defender has to defend first and foremost.
I did'nt think that he wasn't as bad as everyone said, he had a couple of disastrous games and Carragher bleated on that he was the worst Centre-Halfs he had ever seen!!! Rubbish those at Sky and any of the Media just love to sensationalise and as the report above says the game against Chelsea he was sublime and not much was said then. I for one will miss him.
As you say mate..Central defenders in our leagues style of play need to defend. If he is a better ball player coming forward perhaps he needs to try playing in a central midfield role..
Judging by the way he scored that beauty against Soton he should have been keeping Defoe out of the team.
IMO he's no worse than John Stones who is worth £30m+ No worse in defence. Just as good on the ball and better in the tackle! Stones is getting all these plaudits for being a "ball playing centre half" who has given the ball away and goals away as a result loads of times. This isn;t me biggin up Vergini by the way - more like saying I think Stones is massively over-rated because he's English and likes trying to take people on in his own defensive third!! I liked Vergini. That Southampton goal was comical. Simple misjudgement - had it come off the other side of his foot or purely off the laces instead of a couple of inches over, no-one would ever talk about it. But he was very good on the ball going forward and could defend and read the game. Not a Premier League classic defender but a different style of player. Not many awful players get their own re-worded pop song either - at least not from their own fans!
Spot on. I also thought this about Stan Varga a few years ago. We will never know how good they could have been. And now for something completely different, what if Defoe had been Welsh.
I posted (tongue in cheek) on another thread a couple of days ago that we may yet see him playing for Argentina, but it would not be the first time this has happened, I still remember Claudio Marrangoni, from Sunderland reserves to Mega Star in Argentina.
