Andre Vidigal’s first season in English football has left more questions than answers for boss Steven Schumacher.
The 25-year-old, who arrived in the Potteries from Marítimo last July for an estimated €500,000, made a fantastic start to life there, but since new manager Schumacher took over, his play has declined.
As one of the 13 permanent additions made by Alex Neil to the team last summer, Vidigal scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Rotherham to make the biggest impact of any new recruit in the early going of the Championship season.
After that, he netted three goals in his following five league and cup matches, including the game-winning goals against Watford and West Brom as well as the consolation goal against Hull City.
The Portuguese winger had a great start to the season, but as it has gone on, he has struggled, scoring just twice in his last 25 games.
Steven Schumacher’s December hiring may have been viewed as a good sign for Vidigal after Neil was fired after a run of poor performances. The former Plymouth boss is known for his ability to develop youthful, attacking talent.
Since then, he has been unable to secure a starting position under his new boss, making just eight starts in the 22 games since his arrival, and as the season progresses, his impact has been gradually decreasing.
His latest goal was a sign of his lack of confidence, after he struck a penalty straight at West Brom ‘keeper Alex Palmer, but was grateful to see the rebound fall back at his feet as he tapped in a late leveller at the bet365 Stadium in early April.
That was his first strike since he scored the third in a 3-1 win away at Birmingham City on Boxing Day.
Vidigal is still the club’s leading scorer this term, with seven goals in all competitions, but Schumacher has recently turned to January signing Million Manhoef, South Korean youngster Jun-Ho Bae and former Sampdoria man Mehdi Leris as his main options on the wing.
Stoke’s strength in numbers
The Potters have signed more wingers than any other position in the last two transfer windows, with Manhoef, Bae and Leris arriving from Vitesse, Daejon Citizen and Sampdoria respectively, as well as Vidigal from Maritimo.
This means competition for places for the 25-year-old, something he was not used to at his previous club.
He made 38 appearances in all competitions in the 2022/23 season at Maritimo, being a part of the starting XI on 34 occasions and scoring eight goals.
Despite being unable to save the Maritimistas from relegation to the Liga Portugal 2, he was a key figure in their side and one of only four players sold for a fee by the club last summer.
This means that, as well as adapting to a new country, language and surroundings, Vidigal has had to get used to not being the star man – even after beginning this season in a rich vein of form.
Jun-Ho Bae has been Schumacher’s preferred choice on the left-wing, with the 20 year-old starting 16 games since his arrival – netting two goals and providing three assists.
Bae has also been used as an attacking midfielder by Schumacher, but the Stoke boss has preferred to go with a more robust midfield three in recent weeks as the Potters look to stave off the Championship relegation places.
This could act as a source of inspiration for Vidigal, with Schumacher possibly planning to utilise Jun-Ho in that attacking midfield role next season, meaning the left-wing spot could be up for grabs.
A different role for Vidigal
Stoke have struggled for goals this season, and are the fifth-lowest scoring team in the league with just two games to go.
Despite his inconsistencies, Vidigal is still the club’s leading scorer and has shown that he can find the back of the net if called upon.
Stoke’s main striker, Ryan Mmaee, was signed from Ferencvaros last summer for a reported fee of €4,000,000, and has scored just three league goals in a debut season hampered by injuries and bad attitude.
Mmaee has shown flashes of brilliance in a Stoke shirt, but was nearly shown the door in January after an internal dispute over his attitude towards training.
Stoke’s other forwards, namely Tyrese Campbell, Wesley, Niall Ennis and Nathan Lowe, have all scored a combined three league goals this season, a poor return for a team desperate for points.
According to transfermarkt, Vidigal has been deployed as a striker 16 times in his career to date, scoring six goals, a decent return for a player many would class as an out-and-out left winger.
Schumacher adopted a free-flowing, attacking style of play in his time at Plymouth, with his team the second-highest scorers in League One last season, and with the centre-forward spot in Schumacher’s Stoke team open, Vidigal may fancy himself as the man to take on the mantle heading into next season.
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