Best since van der Vaart? Why Vieira is yet to shine at HSV | OneFootball

Despite his obviously outstanding qualities, Fábio Vieira has yet to really hit his stride at HSV. But what’s the reason?

Since his last-minute transfer last summer, Fábio Vieira has raised great hopes at HSV. The 25-year-old Portuguese arrived at Volkspark with a reputation as an exceptionally gifted technician. Many fans even say that, since Rafael van der Vaart, they haven’t seen a player with such footballing finesse in an HSV shirt. All the more astonishing, then, that Vieira has yet to truly ignite.

Ever since his signing, he’s carried the label of being far too good for a newly promoted side: he played over 100 top-flight matches for Porto and Arsenal, featured in the Champions League, and cost a hefty transfer fee of 35 million euros when he moved to London. So HSV didn’t sign a rough diamond, but rather an established, highly talented creative player. Yet in seven competitive matches, he has managed only one assist, while two red cards have further marred his record.

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Who needs to adapt: Vieira or HSV?

HSV coach Merlin Polzin repeatedly emphasizes that Vieira could “definitely make the difference.” But while he often shines on the training ground and in friendlies, his talent has only shown in flashes during competitive matches so far. A key reason is the lack of positional clarity. Vieira has played four times in central midfield, twice on the right wing.

There’s also the playing style to consider. Vieira is a footballer whose strengths lie in possession, and he loves to break through opposition pressure with short passing. Matches like the 0–1 defeat in Augsburg, where HSV defended extremely deep and showed little ambition going forward, completely stifle his strengths. Just 31 touches in 72 minutes is a clear alarm signal for a creative player.

This leaves HSV with a strategic question: Is Vieira good enough to warrant adapting the team’s playing style more to his personal qualities? Or do they expect him to fit into the current, often pragmatic approach? Polzin and his coaching staff will have to answer that as soon as possible.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.