Zan Vipotnik remains confident he can rediscover his goal-scoring touch for Swansea City, even though a regular starting spot is far from guaranteed.
The Swans are enjoying a flying start to the Championship season, sitting top of the table after five unbeaten games, and head to Southampton on Tuesday (19:45 BST) looking to extend that run.
But the club's top scorer from last season has yet to find the net this time around.
Vipotnik, 24, won the Championship's Golden Boot last term with 23 league goals, even though Swansea narrowly missed out on a play-off push. He began that campaign in electric fashion, netting five times in his opening six appearances.
This season has told a very different story. Five matches in, the Slovenia international is still hunting for his first goal. His best chance so far came late in Saturday's goalless derby against Wrexham, when he was sent on as a substitute and stretched to reach a cross, only to see the effort drift just wide of Anthony Patterson's goal.
Manager Vitor Matos isn't concerned, insisting the goals will return before long.
"I think if someone knows how to score goals it's him, so I think it's just a matter of scoring," Matos said when asked whether he expected his striker to bounce back soon.
Time, it seems, may be the real factor.
Playing time has certainly been an issue. Vipotnik has made just one league start this season, with new arrival Adam Idah a £6m buy from Celtic who missed large chunks of last season through injury — getting the nod in every game since the opener at Stoke. Idah has already repaid that trust with two goals.
Adding to the uncertainty is his future at the club. Reports suggested Swansea might be open to selling, given that his scoring output last season far outstripped what his underlying numbers (his expected-goals total) would normally predict — in short, he was finishing well above the rate his chances suggested he should. The signing of Ross Stewart from Southampton only fuelled talk that the club could be planning ahead without him.
So far, though, only one bid has materialised a £10m offer from Hull City, which Swansea turned down. Matos also said he had heard nothing concrete about reported late interest from Burnley, though he admitted that with some transfer windows, notably Saudi Arabia's, still open, a late departure couldn't be entirely ruled out.
Former Wales international Nathan Blake, who reckons Vipotnik's value sits closer to £25m, thinks the swirling transfer talk and his reduced role have taken a toll.
"I could see by looking at his face, he's not on it," Blake said last month. "He's probably two or three yards short mentally because of what is going on."
Matos himself admitted as much last week, acknowledging that the surrounding noise may be affecting his player.
"It's normal that some things can unsettle you when we are in the middle of all of this," he said.
For now, Swansea sit unbeaten at the summit of the Championship while their Golden Boot winner waits patiently for the breakthrough that could get his season, and his goals, flowing again.
No comments: