The Return of the Vaz

Hidden away in a dark and murky corner of Bolton`s offal site last week, was news of a player many thought had ceased to exist. Ricardo Vaz Te hit the opening goal for the reserves as they went down to a 3-2 defeat at Manchester United.

Vaz Te was injured in the first game of the season, and it`s a damning indictment of the club`s PR operation that most fans don`t how serious the problem was. It wasn`t as bad as first feared, but still required a visit to Dr Richard Steadman`s knee clinic in Colorado and several months recuperation.

The Portuguese striker (we can stop calling him a ‘starlet` now, at 21 he`s way too old for that label ) has had a mixed time with the Whites. Originally he was seen as the Next Big Thing. Supporters built up high expectations, and then took it out on the player when he failed to meet them. He finally seemed to have turned the corner at the end of the 2005-6 season, scoring three times in the last four games, all of them accomplished finishes. Things were looking bright for the following season. Then came Nicolas Anelka.

No one can argue that Bolton`s front three, at that point, should have been Kevin Davies, El Hadji Diouf and Anelka, but Vaz Te`s disappointment at being a permanent bench warmer is equally understandable. When Davies was injured at the start of 2007, it would have been the ideal time to give him a run in the team, but by then, Sam Allardyce had fallen way too deep into his comfort zone and plumped for experience in Stelios and Henrik Pedersen, even though neither were performing well.

That Allardyce didn`t like the player was clear, so the appointment of Sammy Lee, gave Vaz Te a fresh incentive. Lee`s arm round the shoulder approach seemed to pay dividends as his young striker hit five goals in pre-season. Then, after a miserable first half against Newcastle, came the injury that was to keep him inactive for months.

That Vaz Te is still some way short of the finished product reflects badly on both him and Bolton`s coaching staff. He has pace, likes running at defenders and is by some way the best header of a ball at the club, yet his first touch and close control are lacking, and then there`s the balance problem. Those problems can be rectified, and should have been by now. The best and the worst of Vaz Te were on show within seconds of each other at Blackburn, a couple of seasons ago. He rounded ‘keeper Brad Friedal with ease, and then fell over with the goal at his mercy. Such things tend to stay in the mind of fans.

It`s with the fans that the final responsibility lies. The crowd at the Reebok aren`t kind to young players, especially ones who have come through the club`s academy. If any player needs vocal support it`s Ricardo Vaz Te. With a striker shaped hole in the team after the departure of Anelka, it`s time to offer it.