Clinging and Climbing: Sam Vines at Royal Antwerp

Starts:

STARTING 1⃣1⃣! 💪#RAFC #ANTKVO #COYR🔴⚪ pic.twitter.com/l7fzkgl3CH

— Royal Antwerp FC (@official_rafc) November 28, 2021

 

Belgium gets overlooked. Quite a few of our boys are playing in the league or have done so in recent years. I recall both Gooch and Kljestan won loads of trophies while playing for the big clubs there with Horvath also winning some league titles.

 

Vines. started and appears to be going 90'. My first Antwerp game. Vines is not out of. place, but they do not seem to be using the LB all that much. He put a chip right on a runners chest from about 25-30 yds. Unfortunately he had 2 guys on him. Good effort though. Was a spirited derby, hard fought. Idk how old Sam is but he does look young. He should definitely stay a few years and get as much experience and development as possible. Looks like a good league and the right place to be found.

 

I’m always more interested in watching our guys in the second tier leagues.
Sam has fit right in. Generally solid on D and almost always makes the right decision with his passes. Yup, not being asked to be to offensive. One on one he is pretty damn good, but when quick fast forwards come at him with some speed and space he struggles. Nothing shocking there. In the air he isn’t an asset either. Not unexpected but needs to learn how to help his other defenders and disrupt attackers more on balls in the air into the box. I would guess Antwerp is pretty happy with him. He has stepped in, and while not a dynamo, is very reliable. Doing what he has always done.

 

He’s 22

 

Stevie is a fine bar to be measured by. As I said, I hope he stays and gets all the development he can from the Belgian league. Great shop window. Who knows, maybe he ends up the mayor of Antwerp!

 

Funny you say that mvann. What he struggles with a bit now is what Stevie C had to work on at Hanover early. The size, and se his body, position better in the box on high balls, and the step up in speed,, especially isolated. Very common stuff. He does most of the hard stuff very well. Very calm. He does have a bit of Stevie C in him. Good call. I looked at him more as our Cannon like left back. Very reliable, not spectacular, with limitations. He may have more upside than Cannon because of his passing/positioning game.

 

1467525601636532226 is not a valid tweet id

 

He makes good decisions, given what he has to work w/. Problem is he's a Heydude level of one-footed, only w/ his left. If that's cut off, he starts retreating.

He doesn't have the physical tools of a Scally or ARob. And doesn't have creativity of Dest or a Marcelo. So he needs to optimize his football mind & skill. As of right now, he's already a plus in the former, when he's poised. So he should just get out of his comfort zone in training & play w/ his right foot as much as possible.

 

Vines looked pretty good in that video. I've never been sold on him, but he's a decent overall player. His passing was pretty good, had some decent moves to turn players. I really hope he can tighten up his touch, though. This, I think, is his greatest weakness currently but it also seems improved from what I've seen previously from him so that's a positive development.

 

A lot of decent observations about Sam. He is one of those players who gives me a slightly different impression every time I see him, and I easily see other evaluations, even when they weren’t ones I saw earlier.
The good news.
Coach trusts him. He plays for a pretty good team in a good league. He looks the part for that team. When his contract nears its end I can easily see lower top 5 being interested. I can’t say that for a lot of or guys in these types of leagues. (Denmark, Holland, Belgium). Same looks to be a “staple” guy. He can relied upon.

 

Vines not in the squad for pretty meaningless Olympiacos match.

 

1470127666355392517 is not a valid tweet id

 

Starts at home v. Da Eupers(Eupen):

STARTING 1⃣1⃣! 💪#RAFC #ANTEUP #COYR🔴⚪ #OneRedFamily pic.twitter.com/CErTg6YFNI

— Royal Antwerp FC (@official_rafc) December 16, 2021

 

Saw they won 4-2. Sam played entire match. I like when our guys go 90, for a decent team, that plays nice ball IMO, and we hear nothing.
Steady and solid. Fine by me,

 

Got up early, parent has health issues so sleep has eluded me for a while, and watched a lot of the match.
As usual, Sam won’t make you eyes pop out of your head, but Sam can play. A little bit of seasoning IMO and he is going to get a chance in a mid lower big 5 not named the EPL one day.

 

On the bench:

STARTING 1⃣1⃣! 💪#RAFC #GNKANT #COYR🔴⚪ #OneRedFamily pic.twitter.com/oUsAZv6tsO

— Royal Antwerp FC (@official_rafc) December 19, 2021

Down 1-0 at the half.

 

Great to see him go 90, but as a general rule, you need to worry only if a defender doesn't go 90, unless he is new, not match fit, team is desperate for goals, etc... Much different situation than our more attacking players.

 

Well, that was the other day. Today he was on the bench and Bataille had a good match in his place.

 

Started in intrasquad scrimmage:

Team 🔵

Jean Butez – Jelle Bataille – Zeno Van Den Bosch – Dorian Dessoleil – Sam Vines – Pieter Gerkens – Radja Nainggolan – Laurit Krasniqi – Koji Miyoshi – Johannes Eggestein – Michael Frey#RAFC #MidSeason🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/EllGna3uai

— Royal Antwerp FC (@official_rafc) January 10, 2022

 

STARTING 1⃣1⃣! 💪#RAFC #ANTCHA #COYR🔴⚪ #OneRedFamily pic.twitter.com/q7uFrALCUy

— Royal Antwerp FC (@official_rafc) January 16, 2022

Antwerp back in action, and Sam Vines back in action. Starting at left back.

 

Great start for Antwerp going up 2-0 on two Frey goals in the 12th and 14th minutes. Vines not part of either.

 

Quiet Man in a Quiet Thread: Sam Vines at Royal Antwerp

 

Sam Vines: raw # for Royal Antwerp in 3-0 win vs. Sporting Charleroi
90 mins
46 touches
0 shots
0 key passes
20/28 passing
2/2 long balls
1 cross
2/2 duels won
3 clearances
2/2 aerials won
2 interceptions
- solidly steady outing from #USMNT LB
- Royal Antwerp 3rd in Belgium

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) January 16, 2022