One of the English Premier League’s standout players from the opening weekend was Swansea City’s speed merchant Jefferson Montero.

Not many left wingers get the better of Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, especially in his own backyard of Stamford Bridge but Montero ran rings around the defensive veteran and had him in knots.

His electric pace and twists and turns caused the Premier League champions endless amounts of problems.

It was a dream start to Montero’s season as he left the pitch with scotch marks and with Ivanovic almost flagging with exhaustion. His pace and cross on the twenty-eight minute helped create the Swans opening goal, although debutant Andre Ayew’s drag back and finish were sublime.

If Jefferson can replicate that kind of performance on a regular basis this season then I cannot imagine big teams both in England and throughout Europe not taking an interest in his services.

His manager Garry Monk was certainly pleased:

“I thought he was a threat all day long and you have to feel for my full-backs because I make them train one against ones against him every day.

“Chelsea didn’t solve that threat too much”.

Like most wingers consistency seems to be the last problem that the Ecuadorian needs to solve. Although staying fit is another issue wide players strung;e with.

Last season, Montero’s first in English football, he managed thirty appearances in the top flight but only half of them were starts. As he adapted to the rigours of the British game, the winger would only score once and provided seven assists.

Those statistics will need to improve this term and they should now he’s had a chance to settle in at Swansea.

To be honest he’s probably at one of the best clubs in the country. Swansea City will give him all the opportunities needed to become a really top player in this league. The Welsh outfit have a great scouting network in place and they would have signed Montero up knowing he’ll add value to their squad and that he can improve and make the team even better.

The Swans also have strength in depth, so he cannot live off the odd good game or he’ll soon be replaced with a player determined to keep that spot. Competition for places is a great thing and players should embrace it and strive to stay in the team!

Perhaps importantly in the future Swansea won’t ruin his chances of a big move in the future. They are almost unique in their transfer policy of being willing sellers of their best players as long as the fee represents fair value. They always seem to do business with good grace and a professionalism that others could learn from.

That’s because they have belief in their scouting team and the manager. The board will know that the chances are that any good player they sell can be replaced with one that has equal potential.

The Wilfried Bony sale sums it up. They got £28m for their top scorer and already had Bafetimbi Gomis to replace him. Then added Ayew this summer to add an extra dimension to their frontline.

It’s not by chance that players have flourished at the Liberty Stadium after they seemed to struggle elsewhere.

So Jefferson Montero knows that his current employers will look after him and do whats right if a dream move develops sometime in the future. That allows the twenty-five year old to play with a freedom that will hopefully enhance his attacking game further. It also means that he will know that the only way to get a move to a bigger side will be to play his best football for Swansea.

If Montero needs an example to follow, then he should look no further than compatriot Antonio Valencia.

Like Montero, Valencia joined an established Premier League side when he signed for Wigan in 2006. His performances with the Latics could also be eye catching but again he lacked a consistency. But after four seasons with Wigan he had improved and impressed enough for Manchester United to splash out £16m to bring him to Old Trafford.

A similar career path could be on the cards for Jefferson Montero as long as he shows consistency, dedication and continues to improve at Swansea City. To think that the Welsh club only paid £4m for him looks to be a steal at the minute.

He showed flashes last season of similar brilliance that he showed against Chelsea on Saturday but it wasn’t in long enough spells. It’s also imperitive that the wing wizard can keep his fitness, that was another concern for Swans boss Monk last term.

Big clubs won’t come knocking based on just a few impressive displays. They may appear at the door next summer but only if Jefferson Montero can keep away from injuries and create weekly havoc in the  Premier League with his burning pace and his direct play!

Posted on August 10th, 2015 by scott
Filed under: Article