Christian Montegan 
Who is Nikos Vergos? Photo: Olympiacos, Real Madrid, Panathinaikos, Melbourne Victory. Design: Round Ball Australia - Lachlan Avil
Melbourne Victory have announced the signing of Greek striker Nikos Vergos from Greek Super League club Atromitos last Thursday, after weeks of speculation.
The 28-year-old has penned a two-year deal with the A-League outfit, raising further questions about Bruno Fornaroli’s future at the club.
Fans saw a first glimpse of Vergos in a 45-minute spell against Altona Magic during Wednesday’s 2-0 friendly win, with little opportunity throughout the first half to impress.
Having appeared for 10 different clubs since 2014 including Olympiacos, Real Madrid B, stability has been a major problem for the former Greece youth international. A two-year stint at Panetolikos produced his best return with 15 goals in 67 appearances.
Like many imports over the years, Vergos has been plucked out of relative obscurity, unfamiliar to Australian audiences. So, what should fans expect from Patrick Kisnorbo’s latest addition?
Old School Poacher Centre-Forward
In the past two seasons, all 10 of Vergos’ goals have come from inside the penalty area, during his time in Greece and a brief loan spell in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Despite registering only 22 shots on target in 61 attempts during that same time, Vergos is efficient when he does find the target. In saying that, he relies heavily on quality service because he is not the type of profile who takes the initiative to track back and collect the ball himself.
Vergos tends to keep himself central and not drag his marker out into wide areas. Instead, his main role over the years has been acting as the sole focal point in the attack.
Not only is he a poacher, but also someone who possesses the pace to exploit defences and make runs in behind, where one of his key strengths involves playing off the shoulder of the last man.
In a press conference last week, Kisnorbo welcomed the new signing by saying, “Nikos is a striker who has a sharp eye for goal and we’re looking forward to seeing how he will complement our forward third… we believe he has the technical ability and the right character profile to succeed.”
Dominant Aerial Ability
Standing at 185cm, Vergos is a lethal threat in the air – relying on his physical presence and timely runs to latch onto the end of crosses whipped into the box.
In his second appearance for Olympiacos as a teenager in 2014, Vergos burst onto the scene, scoring only seconds after coming off the bench with a bullet of a header for his first touch of the contest.
Last season in the Greek top flight, he won an average of 37.04 per cent aerial duels (62nd percentile) – compared to the rest of the strikers in the league who played a minimum of 600 minutes – but placed in the 81st percentile compared to every player in all positions across the competition.
Vergos is known for throwing his weight around, especially for attacking set pieces.
Although Kisnorbo intends to replicate a possession-based style with free-flowing movement, the long-ball option is an alternative plan B if required late in a match when the stakes are high.
However, quality service from Victory’s wingers whether it be Daniel Arzani or Nishan Velupillay will be vitally fundamental to tap into this strength – something that was criticised last campaign in terms of Victory’s end product in the final third.
Expect Vergos to provide a potent threat during attacking corners, an area in which Victory managed only two goals last season.
Lack of Playing time
It is no secret that Vergos hasn’t particularly set the world alight throughout his career, managing 184 appearances in the past decade of first-team football.
The new A-League arrival averaged 53.8 minutes in the 2023/24 campaign having only missed two games, so whether he will be fit enough for the commencement of Victory’s season is a question that will not be answered until there is a sample size to consider.
Out of 21 competitive games in the 2024 calendar year so far, his name was on the starting sheet eight times for Atromitos, highlighting that perhaps he is not the most consistent performer, and could explain his five loan moves over the past 10 seasons.
High intensity and work rate, with and without possession will be part of Kisnorbo’s blueprint as he begins to assemble his squad. If Victory suffers a couple of unfortunate injuries in the number nine position, will Vergos be capable of stepping up for consecutive 90-minute fixtures, especially during the scorching summer heat?
How Will Victory Use Him?
As mentioned earlier, there could be a selection headache (either good or bad) for Kisnorbo to contemplate given Fornaroli’s success last season as the hitman under Tony Popovic.
The Uruguayan-born striker notched up 18 goals and three assists in 21 appearances last season in the A-League – all the more impressive given he joined the Socceroos squad for the Asian Cup in January.
That doesn’t exclude the fact that at 36, age is catching up to the former A-League Golden Boot winner, and Kisnorbo could be willing to look ahead to the future.
At this point, it is difficult to see the former Melbourne City tactician adjusting his 4-3-3 sole striker formation, especially given some angst amongst sections of Victory supporters given his history with their city rivals. He has minimal room for error.
There is every possibility that the pair could be rotated around the 60th minute mark on most matchdays – depending on their performances early in the season to warrant selection.
Vergos has been accustomed to slotting into a 4-3-3 system despite some experiments in a standard 4-4-2 during his time in Greece. He has also featured on both wings for brief spells, but the depth in the wide flanks at Victory makes it tough to envision him in a position other than centre forward.
Former Central Coast Mariners striker Jing Reec put pen to paper during pre-season for Victory, and the 21-year-old is expected to be a rotational player for Kisnorbo. But barring a phenomenal start, it is expected that Vergos will be provided leeway due to his experience for the first half of next season.
Conclusion
Vergos doesn’t possess a convincing goal scoring record that catches the eye. Still, his efficiency in front of the net should provide Victory fans hope if the former Real Madrid Castilla product receives adequate support.
Zinedine Machach’s debut campaign in Australia last season should offer comfort for fans and ease their concerns regarding Vergos’ low numbers. Machach arrived with a similar record overseas but quickly lit up the A-League with seven goals, five assists and moments of magic on the ball – proving his class.
If Fornaroli remains at the club, it will be fascinating to see how Kisnorbo manages the situation to suit his system and manage the dressing room to ensure all parties are content.
At times, he could be another one of those frustrating A-League imports who struggle to firmly plant their feet on the ground, but this is a striker who was touted as one of the most talented players of his generation when he made the move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
A new environment could do wonders for Vergos who has spent most of his career in his homeland. Fans will need to be patient.