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Claudio Yacob: The Baggies’ Bargain Buy

  By O-Posts Team | May 13, 2013 - 20:00 | , , , , , , , , ,
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Asked to think of an English football club signing an Argentine and names like Sergio Aguero & Carlos Tevez will, in all likelihood, come to you fairly quickly. Ask a West Bromwich Albion supporter that same question and chances are, he’ll instantly respond with 2 words, 1 name - “Claudio Yacob”.

A central midfielder in the classic Argentine “Number 5″ mould, Claudio Yacob has caught the eye in English Football and has been 1 of the bargain signings of this current 2012/13 season.

 

Background:

Claudio Yacob, born in Carcarañá in the Santa Fe province of Argentina, began his football career with at Boca Juniors’ famed youth academy at the age of 12, but had to return to his family due to homesickness.

After a short break from Football, he proceeded to join the academy of Racing Club de Avellaneda. Dubbed “La Flaca” upon joining Racing due to his shoulder-length hair and thin body, Yacob’s talent was evident, and he was part of a crop of Racing youngsters – including the likes of Atalanta livewire Maximiliano Moralez and current Argentina international goalkeeper Sergio Romero – dubbed “La Sexta Especial”. Progressing through Racing’s youth ranks, Yacob made his 1st-team debut in an away defeat to Club Atletico Banfield in November 2006.

After impressing at 1st-team level, Yacob was called up to represent Argentina at the South American U20 Youth Championship and FIFA U20 World Cup, both held in 2007. Yacob asserted his credentials as another promising “Number 5″ at the U20 World Cup, playing 6 matches and scoring once in Argentina’s triumphant campaign. After a period of steady development in Racing’s 1st-team, Yacob was made captain at the ripe old age of 21, before the start 2008/09 Primera Division season in Argentina.

While Racing ended that season’s Apertura in 14th place, they did much better in the Clausura – finshing 5th. The same inconsistency followed in the following seasons, high or above average placing in 1 half and a below average finish in the other.

The high point in Yacob’s time at Racing came in the 2011 Apertura, with La Flaca leading Racing to 2nd place. Another good moment in 2011 was Yacob’s first goal for La Albiceleste in a 2-2 draw with Ecuador. Sadly, it was to be downhill after the Apertura.

Into the 2012 Clausura, Yacob’s involvement in a controversial incident – swapping shorts with his friend (an Independiente player) – in the Clasico de Avellaneda meant that he never featured for Racing again. While that will sound ridiculous to most fans, we have to note the intensity that exists in South American derby matches.

“I swapped shorts with a friend who played for the other team. But it wasn’t a big deal. It’s just that in Argentina [a derby match] means that it’s your biggest enemy and you shouldn’t exchange, a bit like with Aston Villa and Albion here. The press made it into a problem.” - Claudio Yacob on the “incident”

Despite a sour end to his time at Racing, the ex-captain of Racing probably couldn’t have predicted how well he’d do after joining English Premier League outfit West Bromwich Albion. After 7 goals and more than a century of appearances at 1st-team level and 3 international caps, Yacob left Racing Club with no hard feelings against them. He was ready to test himself on the big stage.

“The reason I didn’t play again was because I didn’t want to renew the contract because I was not happy with what they were offering. But Racing will always be in my heart because it was my first professional club.” – Claudio Yacob on his Racing departure

Claudio Yacob’s maturity and leadership qualities stood him in good stead for a move to Europe.

 

Step up – West Bromwich Albion:

After impressing on trial, during the Baggies’ pre-season training camp in Malmo, Claudio Yacob was signed on a Bosman free on 24th July 2012. He was a virtual unknown to the his new team-mates and manager. WBA goalkeeper Ben Foster had never heard of him, while Steve Clarke had never watched him play before. However, giving Yacob his favoured number 5 shirt says it all about the important role he had in manager Steve Clarke’s plans for the coming season.

“I saw Albion playing when I was living in Argentina, even before I knew I was going to sign. And then, when I knew about the interest, I found out more. What I really like is that it is an old club with a lot of history.” – Claudio Yacob’s interest in WBA

“He is an Argentina international with a real desire to prove himself in the Premier League” - WBA Manager Steve Clarke upon signing Claudio Yacob

“I’m really pleased we’ve been able to recruit a player of Claudio’s calibre. He’s been a one-club man in Argentina up to now, having broken into Racing’s first team at 17 and being appointed as their captain while still in his teens. To achieve that at Argentina’s third or fourth biggest club, and then break into the national team with the wealth of talent his country have to choose from, is no mean feat.” – WBA Sporting Director Dan Ashworth on his new signing

After a man-of-the-match performance in a shock 3-0 home win over Liverpool on the 2012/13 campaign’s opening weekend, Yacob hasn’t looked back. After consistently impressive displays in the Premier League, with the exception of an inconsistent 3-game spell when Mulumbu was out, Yacob won the award for West Brom’s Player Of The Month for March 2013.

Again, he spoke like the team-player he is – “I’m really happy with this award – it is my first here and very important to me. But most of all I want us to finish as high as possible and get used to being one of the top teams in the league.”

Having gone on to form a strong midfield partnership with Youssouf Mulumbu, the tenacious Argentine has been 1 of the key players in the Baggies’ brilliant season and a top half finish looks likely, with 2 league matchdays remaining.

 

Overview:

(Statistics from WhoScored.com – “minimum appearances”. Accurate at the time of writing)

181cm tall and weighing 77kg, Claudio Yacob is of a decent size for a holding/defensive midfielder. What first stands out about his game is his game-reading ability and tenacity.
Though he’s not one for the “flashy” long-range “Hollywood pass”, Yacob is technically proficient on the ball. The Argentine’s 87.5% passing accuracy, placed 34th in the league, is only 0.6% lower than Michael Carrick’s 88.1% and is better than the likes of Arsenal star Jack Wilshere, Yacob’s midfield partner Youssouf Mulumbu, Manchester City’s Gareth Barry and Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote.

Strong in the tackle, Yacob can sometimes be too aggressive, which is evident in his joint-4th highest yellow card count thus far – 7. That said, Yacob has good tackling ability and, at 3.6 tackles per game, is placed 6th in WhoScored’s list. That’s a higher figure than the likes of Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Tottenham duo Sandro & Ramires, Newcastle dynamo Yohan Cabaye and Chelsea’s “Blue Kenyan” Ramires.

Other than being good in the tackle, players in Yacob’s preferred defensive midfield position need to have good game-reading ability – ie the ability to make timely interceptions. While the tenacious Baggie has shown flashes of being a good interceptor, that is something he does need to work on.

At 1.5 per game, he’s currently placed 96th on WhoScored’s “interceptions” list. That value is on par with the likes of Nigerian international John Obi Mikel and the aforementioned Barry and Dembele, as well as being slightly better than Spain international Javi Garcia, Liverpool stalwart & captain Steven Gerrard and West Ham star Mohamed Diame.

However, Yacob should improve on his interceptions over the course of next season, as he’ll have 1 season in English football under his belt.

On the bright side, Yacob isn’t easily beaten in 1-on-1 situations, with that occurring on an average of only once per match.

“Claudio’s a typical Argentinian No 5. In his homeland, that is someone who breaks up play and keeps the ball.” - WBA Manager Steve Clarke on Yacob

Yacob’s game-reading ability and selflessness allows West Brom’s fullbacks to get forward and join the attack. Yacob shifts slightly over to either flank when a fullback pushes forward, so as to provide cover against a potential counter-attack from the opposition. The added security at the back has given his team-mates more confidence in attack.

On the whole, Yacob plays a key role at the Hawthorns, being both a key screen in front of the defence and also a link in the transition from defence to attack after WBA have regained possession.

With his adeptness at short passing, Yacob is able to hold the ball and start attacks by effectively releasing the ball to his athletic central midfield partner Mulumbu or his more attack-minded team-mates – James Morrison, Chris Brunt & Graham Dorrans, to name a few.

 

International objectives:

Yacob’s next target will be to get himself in Argentina Head Coach Alejandro Sabella’s plans for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Playing in England has certainly boosted Yacob’s visibility.

Conversely, the competition for the holding midfield spots in Sabella’s 4-2-3-1 system is stellar – such as Valencia playmaker Ever Banega, Argentina’s ex-captain Javier Mascherano, the enigmatic Fernando Gago and veteran Pablo Guiñazú. Sabella might look at a formation change as the Albiceleste defence has had problems.

Long story short – Claudio Yacob needs to focus on his club Football and at least replicate his performances of this season. Do that and he’ll have no regrets. Do that, and he might get a seat on the flight to Brazil next year.

“It’s a difficult job to get into the Argentina side but he can do it if he produces performances consistently.” - WBA Manager Steve Clarke on Yacob’s international prospects

 

Look to the future at West Brom:

Where his future at the Hawthorns is concerned, La Flaca has been talked about as a possible future captain at the Midlands outfit. He has shown that he has leadership qualities, as seen in his time at Racing, and he’ll gradually assert himself(in a good way) in the squad as each week passes.

“I can see sometimes in training that he’s really wanting to say some things and he can’t quite communicate that at the moment, but he is working really hard at his English and I think within six months he will be able to get his ideas over a lot better. I do think there is a possibility of a future captain there. Having been captain of Racing Club, I think he’s got ideas and leadership qualities about him that will progress even more when his English becomes even better.” - WBA Assistant Manager Kevin Keen on Yacob’s prospects

 

Transfer front:

With his Spanish roots, he wouldn’t count as a non-EU player. That makes him an attractive target for European clubs who are looking for a holding midfielder, as the Argentine wouldn’t take up a non-EU spot on the squad list. Valued at €4.5m on Transfermarkt, at the time of writing, that would be a probable transfer fee interested clubs would have to pay.

That said, the precarious financial situation in most major European leagues, coupled with the bumper new Premier League TV deal (which takes effect in 2013/14), makes it unlikely that most interested parties will meet the Baggies’ demands. Financially, WBA do not need to sell.

“I just think I’m doing my job. It’s easy to play for the Albion because I’m happy and I’m at home here.” - Claudio Yacob’s opinion on WBA

Quite clearly, Claudio Yacob is happy to play for West Brom. However, the opportunity to play UEFA Champions League Football is sure to entice Yacob to leave The Hawthorns. The Argentine has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, who will be in the Champions League next season(2013/14).

Furthermore, Atleti’s Head Coach Diego Simeone has built up such strong foundations at the Vicente Calderon that Atleti are likely to be a fixture in La Liga’s UCL spots for at least the foreseeable future. There’s another angle to this link. Diego Simeone has managed Yacob before, when the former had managerial spells at Racing Club in 2006 & 2011.

With Yacob’s aforementioned hopes of wearing the Albiceleste colours in next year’s World Cup, a move to Atletico Madrid and the prestigious stage of the Champions League will definitely increase his chances.

If Los Colchoneros do indeed formalise their interest in La Flaca, no one can begrudge him making a step up.

Regardless of whether he stays, Claudio Yacob has been a bargain buy for the Baggies.

“Claudio joins us with a great CV and is a terrific passer of the ball. He’s a holding central midfielder who sits in front of the back four and controls the play. Claudio’s also good at breaking things up. I believe he will be a great asset for us.” - Steve Clarke couldn’t have been more right.

 

Written by Mark Ooi

Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkOoiZW

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Marquinhos: Defensive prodigy – a rare breed in Calcio

  By O-Posts Team | April 28, 2013 - 18:20 | , , , , , , , , , ,
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Every year, upon the start of the European football calendar after each Summer, names are touted around of suggestions and hot tips for the new campaign’s “breakout stars”. 8 months ago, few people would’ve paid any attention to the name – Marcos Aoás Corrêa – on Italian outfit AS Roma’s “Transfer Ins” list.

Signed on a loan deal with a permanent option, the young Brazilian with his moniker – Marquinhos – is now an in-demand starlet and highly tipped to be a future Seleção star.

 

Background:

Marquinhos joined Cornthians in 2002, at the age of 8, and proceeded to move up the youth ranks of the Timão over the next 10 years. Marquinhos impressed so much during his time in Corinthians’ youth ranks that he was called-up by and made captain of Brazil’s U17s in the 2011 South American Under-17 championship. With Brazil winning the South American U17 title, they qualified for the U17 FIFA World Cup that year, with Marquinhos again being handed the captaincy.

In Mexico, Brazil finished 4th, with Marquinhos playing 6 of their 7 matches and earning only 1 yellow card. After a stellar 2011, Marquinhos continued to shine in 2012. In the 2012 edition of the prestigious Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior (São Paulo Youth Football Cup), the young Brazilian added more impressive displays to his CV, culminating in a 2-1 win over Fluminense in the Final. Marquinhos was clearly banging on Corinthians’ 1st-team door.

With his maturity and leadership qualities, and not forgetting his on-pitch quality, it was of no surprise that Marquinhos eventually broke into Corinthians’ 1st-team.

 

Breakthrough at Corinthians:

With his impressive performances at youth level, Marquinhos’ form in the aforementioned prestigious Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior proved to be the final piece in the jigsaw of proving to Corinthians 1st-team Head Coach Tite that he was ready for a shot in the 1st-team. A 1st-team debutant at the age of 18, Marquinhos went on to make 6 1st-team appearances in the 2012 Brasileirão, playing the full 90 minutes on 5 occasions, and providing 1 assist.

While impressive when given the chance, the youngster also showed some versatility – playing in central defence in 2 full matches and as a defensive midfielder in 3 full matches. Coach Tite was so impressed with Marquinhos that the young Brazilian, then aged 17, was on the 1st-team bench for each and every one of the knockout stage matches of Corinthians’ victorious 2012 Copa Libertadores triumph.

Just look at that, within the span of 6 months, Marquinhos had become a Copa Libertadores champion and also turned 18 along the way.

 

Into the big time – AS Roma:

After catching the eye of Roma’s South American scouts, they took the gamble of signing the then 18-year-old in the summer of 2012, despite him having just 6 months of 1st-team experience in Brazil. The deal was a loan (€1.5m fee) with a €3m permanent option – with the trigger being Marquinhos making 8 1st-team appearances of 45 minutes a piece.

Barely a few weeks after his signing was formalised, Marquinhos made his 1st-team debut on 16 September 2012, playing the last 16 minutes of a 3-2 loss to Bologna. A fortnight later, the young centreback came off the bench to play an hour of a catastrophic 4-1 thrashing at the hands of defending Italian champions Juventus.

Slowly but surely cementing his spot in the Giallorossi Starting XI, Marquinhos has gone on to make 23 Serie A appearances(all but 3 as a starter) and 3 in the Coppa Italia. The only thing that broke his string of 12 consecutive 1st-team appearances is a suspension from being sent off, following a late handball, in a 3-1 win over Milan just before the winter break.

Roma’s summer signing became such as crucial 1st-teamer that the club withdrew him from international duty at the South American Under-20 championship, held in January 2013.

 

Overview – Majestic debut season in Calcio:

An 18-year-old holding a starting spot Serie A is most rare, let alone at a team as big as La Maggica. Marquinhos is a rare breed, such is the unforgiving nature of Calcio, what with the intense scrutiny of TV pundits on the various well-followed match review shows.

Leandro Castan, Marquinhos’ former Corinthians team-mate, has been left to fight for the other starting spot in central defence with Nicolas Burdisso. Ironically, 2012 summer signing Leandro Castan had insisted upon Roma signing Marquinhos.

In light of Roma’s much-talked-about defensive problems – a negative of Zdenek Zeman’s gung-ho offensive tactics – this season, Marquinhos has more-or-less escaped criticism, a result of the 18-year-old consistently delivering impressive performances every week. Despite still being only 18, Marquinhos has been Roma’s most important defender since cementing his starting spot in the middle of the Giallorossi defence.

(All stats are from WhoScored.com)

At first glance, standing at 1.83 metres, the lean Marquinhos is not the most intimidating of central defenders. That said, he does win his share of aerial duels, at 2.3 per game. That figure is the best at Roma and, league-wise, is better than that of bigger names like Philippe Mexes.

Being still only 18, the Brazilian still has room for more physical growth, which can only be a good thing. However, his natural athleticism does more-or-less cover for that, as they enhance his key attributes – his maturity and game-reading ability. Marquinhos evidently has, as the saying goes, “an old head on young shoulders”.

He is currently 18th in the Serie A interceptions chart, on par with veteran Andrea Barzagli, and better than the highly-rated Facundo Roncaglia and Napoli captain Paolo Cannavaro. With only 19 fouls (0.8 per game) at the time of writing, Marquinhos is currently 352nd on the “Most Fouls” chart. As with all modern day central defenders, Marquinhos is good on the ball and playing it out of defence, with an impressive 88.8% passing accuracy.

Almost every Serie A centreback would like to have Marquinhos’ statistics, which makes the fact he’s still a teenager all the more staggering.

“No Serie A player has made more last man tackles this season than the teenager (10), who leads his side for both interceptions (2.9) and aerial duels won (2.2) per game, proving that his reading of the game is at the level of a far more seasoned pro.” – Martin Laurence of WhoScored.

 

A look to the future:

Marquinhos has thus far shone, not just adapted, whenever he’s been pushed to the next level – youth team to 1st-team, Corinthians to Roma. This bodes well for the young Brazilian’s career prospects, as football has seen all too many a promising youngster fail to make that “next step”, rendering him unable to realise his full potential.

I’m confident that Marquinhos will not fall under the “what could’ve been” category. With his leadership qualities, maturity and talent, and not forgetting his current high performance level in such a prestigious league, long story short – the sky’s the limit for Marquinhos.

Roma are currently looking to upgrade the youngster’s current €0.8m (per year) wage to fend off interest from elsewhere. With his impressive and mature displays in his debut season in Italy, some of the Football’s biggest clubs are looking to sign him. Among others, FC Barcelona and Manchester City have been linked as potential new employers.

However, the Roma stopper is unlikely to leave the Stadio Olimpico anytime soon. There is still much room for improvement and staying at Roma for at least the next few years will provide the stable environment that promising youngsters like Marquinhos need to develop and, eventually, realise their potential.

Considering the ambitions of this AS Roma “project”, Marquinhos could possibly play out his peak years in the capital club.

Marquinhos told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “I am not thinking about a transfer. I owe Roma a lot for the chance they gave me.”

Whether Marquinhos eventually leaves Roma or stays for the long haul, one thing’s are for sure – Marquinhos will become a Seleção star sooner rather than later. Furthermore, with his past as Brazil U17 captain, Marquinhos could eventually captain Brazil at senior level.
Over the course of this 2012/13 season, Marquinhos has proved his worth enough to be justly rated as the best young central defender in the world at the moment, alongside Real Madrid’s Raphaël Varane.

Of all the possible “breakout stars” that had been tipped to emerge in the 2012/13 Serie A season, few would’ve bet on an 18-year-old Brazilian centreback being on that list.

Marcos Aoás Corrêa is indeed a rare breed in Calcio.

 

Written by Mark Ooi

Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkOoiZW

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Dede: Towering Brazilian Attracting Some Of Europe’s Biggest Names

  By O-Posts Team | April 25, 2013 - 15:58 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Brazil have created some of the most talented and gifted footballers over the years. The likes of Pele, Falcao, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo have all dazzled the world with their samba brilliance, yet their footballing history has possibly been too top heavy. Too many attackers, not enough defenders to be held in such wondrous regard.

Even full-backs, Roberto Carlos, Carlos Alberto and Cafu have been marvelled at, but not centre-backs. Anybody but the centre-back, the unheralded job that provided the base to a side seemingly not cool enough for Brazilian recognition.

But now, with Bayern Munich’s Dante, Chelsea’s David Luiz and PSG’s Thiago Silva, that is all due to change. The Brazilian centre-back is entering a new age; big, physical, strong and extremely comfortable on the ball, they are all attributes that makes up the aforementioned trio as well as Dede, Cruzerio’s much-coveted 24 year old. Who is he?

Let’s take a look at Anderson Vital De Silva.

 

Background

After impressing with his hometown club Volta Rotunda in the Brazilian State Championship, the big defender earned himself a move to Vasco De Gama in 2009, only to find first team opportunities hard to come by upon his initial arrival. With his one year deal running out a year later, it looked like he may be returning to Volta, or even moving to South Korea.

Dede, however, had other ideas, “there was something I was determined upon” he told World Soccer Magazine back in 2011, “I wasn’t going to leave Vasco by the back door”. And so he didn’t, with injuries hitting the club in a Brazilian Cup game against Vitoria, he was given a chance, repaying the opportunity with a performance of such authority and assurance that it instantly certified him as first choice and earned himself a new contract, stretching to 2014.

He went on to produce some imperious form for Vasco, being recognised as the best right centre-back in the Brasileirao of 2010 and generating comparisons to the Fluminese-made Silva, then at Milan, who was widely-regarded as the most outstanding centre-half to recently hail from Brazil.

His commanding performances helped Vasco to win the 2011 Brazilian Cup and his partnership with Anderson Martins saw them both elected as the best central-defenders of the 2011 Campeonato Carioca. His impressive form also alerted former national-team coach Mano Menezes who included him in the squad for friendlies against Germany and Ghana in the autumn of 2011.

His transformation with Vasco from potential discarded talent was meteoric. By the end of 2012, he was considered as one of the best centre-backs in Brazilian football, seeing high acclaim from Vasco fans who endeared to him by giving him several nicknames; “O-Mito” (The Myth) and “Dedelicia” (or “Dedelicious” as female fans chose).

He was included in numerous advertising campaigns for the club and was elected by SBT, a Brazilian television network, as one of the 100 greatest Brazilian’s of all-time. His popularity in Vasco was clear and he honoured his potential departure by kissing the badge in one of his final games for the club. In total, he made 154 appearances for Vasco.

To date, Dede has received 7 caps for the Brazil national team, appearing often in friendlies and tournaments that are only eligible for native-based players, allowing him to win the Superclasico De Las Americas in September 2011.

Dede is currently the fourth-choice centre-half in the Brazil squad and he will be hoping that his exemplary performances, partnered with Luiz Felipe Scolari’s insistence that he will look more to the Brazilian league set-up for options, will help his cause for regular call-ups as the team head into a World Cup year.

 

Strengths, style and weaknesses

Dede is strong, powerful and athletic, making full-use of his 6ft 3 inch frame in order to be adept at winning challenges in the air or on the ground. His height means that not many strikers are able to beat him in the air whilst a fine reading of the game, impressive at the relatively young age of 24, sees him able to cut out danger on the ground. His imposing height also makes him a threat at set pieces, suggested by his 18 goals during his time at Vasco.

His extremely impressive pace also means that he is rarely out-foxed by the through ball, cutting out the threat that strikers pose lying on the shoulder of the back four. As well as boasting fine intelligence and strength to block and intercept many shots and dangerous passes, he also possesses superb technical ability that allows him to be comfortable in bringing the ball out of the defence and moving it on.

As well as the two nicknames Vasco fans creatively derived for Dede, they also named him “Dedekenbauer”, suggesting his likeliness to the famous German defender who revolutionised the role of the central-defender, operating on a fine reading of the game, imperious positioning and superb ability on the ball.

Dede really is a complete defender who has attracted the interest of Manchester United, Milan, Benfica and Liverpool during his time with Vasco, all top European clubs basing their interest in the knowledge that Dede, with his physicality and ability on the ball, would not look out of place on the continent should he ever head east from Brazil.

 

His move to Cruzeiro

With the Selecao heading into their home World Cup of 2014, Dede has seen best to stay in his native league and head to Cruzeiro in a deal that is worth £4.7 million. The two clubs are believed to have arranged a 55% and 45% share in player ownership which helps to ease cash-strapped Vasco’s financial troubles. Three players, Diego Rennan, striker Allison and Wellington Paulista will also head to Rio in exchange for the defender.

After moving, he voiced his reluctance to leave Vasco De Gama but understood such a move would help to aid the financial crisis at his former club. He said that even though he was moving to a new setting, his heart would remain with the Rio-based club.

There has been a financial dispute with the transfer, with the move being blocked by the FERJ, a main football institution from Rio, who claim Vasco owe a debt to the Brazilian Federal Justice. They have ruled that until the dispute is sorted, Dede is unable to play for any club, disrupting his immediate start with Cruzeiro. However, that will only be a small snag in a career that threatens to go very far.

Look out for Dede at next year’s World Cup.

 

Written by Adam Gray

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamGray1250

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Andreas Weimann: Villa’s Sprightly Little Austrian Gem

  By O-Posts Team | April 13, 2013 - 13:59 | , , , , , ,
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As a result of a drastically slashed budget and wage bill at Villa Park this season, Paul Lambert, in his first year in charge, has had to resort to young, unproven talent in order to form his squad that remains in transition.

Ashley Westwood, Joe Bennett and Matthew Lowton arrived from the Football League whilst Christian Benteke and Ron Vlaar were signed for cheap fees from Belgium and the Netherlands respectively.

A relegation battle has ensued, but as they pull clear with a good run of results there has raised an optimism that they may well survive to take to the Premier League once more with an exciting young squad.

One of those promising talents was already at the club before Lambert but one the Scot has not been averse in showing faith in, the Austrian striker Andreas Weimann.

 

Profile

As a seven year old, Weimann joined his hometown club of FC Stadlau for whom he progressed through the youth set-up to be involved more in the senior reaches of the squad. His progress was monitored by Rapid Vienna, who invited the striker for a trial in 2005.

In a practice match, Weimann duly impressed and he was signed up by Vienna, with whom he spent two years in the academy before being noticed by scouts of Aston Villa.

Weimann signed for Villa on youth terms in 2007 together with fellow Austrian Dominik Hofbauer, and was allowed to train and develop with the club before he was due to turn professional in 2010.

In his final year of his youth contract, Weimann travelled with the club on the pre-season Peace Cup tournament of Asia, then went on to top score for the reserves with nine goals. His impressive performances for the reserves earned him a new deal, which he signed to tie him to the club until 2012.

Weimann featured heavily in Aston Villa’s pre-season of the 2010/11 campaign and he made his full league debut as a substitute against West Ham. Caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald gave him a substitute appearance against his old club Rapid Vienna in the UEFA Cup, but he suffered a long-term injury, not returning to training until January.

After returning, he moved on loan to Watford for the rest of the season, playing 19 times for the Hornets in the Championship, scoring 4 goals.

Weimann.... in action with Watford.

Weimann…. in action with Watford.

The striker featured in the early rounds of the League Cup in the following season and he signed a new deal to keep him at the club until 2014. He immediately returned to Watford for a second loan spell, this time playing just 3 times as he returned to the Midlands amidst growing injury concerns.

However, he went on to feature 14 times as Villa narrowly avoided relegation under Alex McLeish, bundling in a late winner against Fulham for his first ever Villa goal, and also earning them a vital 1-1 draw against Stoke.

This season under the guidance of Paul Lambert, Weimann has shown his talent, scoring eleven times so far in his breakthrough year. 2 strikes against Manchester United hinted at his strong finishing and predatory instinct, whilst a superb team goal away at Liverpool indicated a blossoming partnership with Benteke in attack.

The combination also linked up for Weimann to score against Swansea. Lambert has played his Austrian striker 32 times this season in a tremendous show of faith in the promise and talent he possesses, the 21 year old has repaid his boss with eleven goals in all competitions.

Weimann celebrating his brace against the mighty Red Devils.

Weimann celebrating his brace against the mighty Red Devils.

On the international scene, Weimann has represented Austria at all levels from under-17s to under-21s, scoring 14 goals along the way, but in October 2012, the striker earned his first senior cap for Austria, appearing against Kazakhstan.

The youngster has gone on to earn 5 caps for his country.

 

Strengths, style and weaknesses

The most striking factor about Weimann is his versatility that allows him to play as the centre-forward, or right across the attacking three in Paul Lambert’s 4-2-3-1 which is usually led by Christian Benteke. Playing to the right of the Belgian, Weimann has appeared 7 times, scoring 3 goals and registering 1 assist.

As a centre forward, the Austrian has appeared 6 times, scoring twice. He was also used as a left midfielder against QPR recently, proving a success as he scored and assisted another in a 3-2 win.

His low number of assists, just 2, and only 20 chances created from his 26 appearances so far in the league, suggests Weimann is a direct striker, preferring to head straight towards goal rather than link the play. He averages just 20 passes per game and for a player who spends most of his time in the final third, his lack of key passes, under 1 per game, indicates his single-minded attacking play.

Weimann, with only one goal in his mind..... scoring.

Weimann, with only one goal in his mind….. scoring.

He has taken 43 shots in his 26 appearances at an accuracy of 55%, again hinting at his willingness to go direct. This is a consequence of his pace fitting into Lambert’s system where Villa soak up pressure and pounce on the counter attack with quick, energetic players running off the hub of the physical target-man Benteke.

Weimann’s low passing accuracy of 79% suggests how little of the ball the Austrian sees of the ball in the final third, instead he makes a nuisance of his pace, operating off knock-downs from his Belgian partner.

His ability to turn and run at defenders, using his pace to full effect, makes Weimann a vital part of Lambert’s team, another youngster the Scottish manager has seemingly got the best out of as he seeks to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The biggest testament to Weimann’s burgeoning talent is that he appears to be ahead of senior strikers Darren Bent and Gabriel Agbonlahor in the Villa Park pecking order.

Weimann... forming a devastating partnership with Benteke.

Weimann… forming a devastating partnership with Benteke.

It has been a great achievement for the 21 year old who has made over 20 appearances in one season for the first time in his career. The suspicion is that there will be many more to come yet.

 

Transfer situation

Weimann has just 12 months left to run on his current deal and Villa have grown a concern that he may walk away for nothing next summer. The club have offered the Austrian striker 2 previous deals while reports claim that he has even turned a third offer, but the Austrian press say that negotiations are still going on between the player and the club.

Liverpool are reportedly being kept unofficially informed over Weimann’s situation and believe he could move for as little as £5 million this summer. The Anfield club see him as a potential replacement for Dirk Kuyt as an industrious striker who can play out wide.

Norwich and Inter Milan are also rumoured to be chasing the young Austrian, as well as Borussia Dortmund who are looking to add to the fine attacking line of Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus and Mario Gotze.

Villa and Lambert will be desperate to keep the young Austrian however after he played such a vital role in last year’s escape from relegation and is continuing to contribute significantly to this season’s late charge.

Whatever happens to the striker, there is little doubt that Villa have unearthed another young gem who will go far in the game.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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James McCarthy: Wigan’s unheralded, lung-busting gem

  By O-Posts Team | April 11, 2013 - 19:01 | , , , , , ,
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After playing a vital role in their desperate scramble to avoid relegation in the last two seasons, Wigan’s Irish midfielder is helping Roberto Martinez’s side attempt the great escape again with a series of battling performances at the heart of the side.

McCarthy will also turn out for the Latics at Wembley this Saturday in the FA Cup semi-final with Millwall, a huge achievement for a side that continues to fight above all expectation with a squad that, with the likes of McCarthy, has been assembled sensibly on a small budget.

 

Profile

22 year old McCarthy was born in Glasgow and after numerous trials with childhood club Celtic, he was turned away after the club had already taken on a large quota of players. He then joined Hamilton Academical where he became the youngest player to turn out for the club in the 21st century.

His full debut, against Airdree United in 2006 came a day short of his 16th birthday, his talent being spotted from a very young age.

He continued to break club records with his goal in a Scottish Cup defeat against Livingston, aged just 16 years and 55 days, making him the youngest ever scorer in The Accies’ history. He earned a reputation for being an unheralded force in the side, allowing others to thrive as he went about his business quietly and intelligently in midfield.

His performances helped Hamilton gain promotion to the Scottish Premier League in 2008 and he duly signed a three-year contract extension in the summer, going on to play 37 times in the club’s first year back at the top in 20 years. It was a successful year as the club finished a respectable 9th place and McCarthy, who scored 6 goals, was rewarded for his quality by winning the SPFA Young Player of the Season.

Despite reported interest from Chelsea and Liverpool at the time, the Blues were said to have scouted the midfielder at least four times, it was Wigan Athletic who acquired his services for £1.25 million in the summer of 2009 with the promise of first team football appealing to the player ahead of approaches from Spurs and Wolves who made no such guarantees.

Martinez initially eased McCarthy into the team, handing him 20 matches in his debut season, scoring his first goal in an FA Cup tie with Hull before marking his full Premier League debut with a goal against Wolves.

An impressive start to the following season was stalled by a foot injury that ruled him out for three months, though he still managed to make 24 appearances, helping Wigan to stay up and managing to earn a five year contract extension the summer of 2011.

He has grown into an integral member of Martinez’s squad since, making 33 appearances in total last season and then going on to make 31 so far this year. He has cemented his place in Wigan’s midfield alongside James McCarthur, who McCarthy also played alongside at Hamilton, pulling the strings in Martinez’s favoured 3-4-3 system.

Despite being born, raised and receiving his education in Scotland, McCarthy was influenced to play for Ireland by his grandfather, and he has gone to represent them at all youth levels since receiving an invitation to play for the Republic at the age of sixteen.

He has yet to score for Ireland but has eleven caps to his name, plus an inclusion to the country’s Euro 2012′s squad from which he later withdrew after his father was diagnosed with cancer.

 

Strengths, style and weaknesses

McCarthy can play in defensive midfield, but mainly operates as a centre-midfielder in a double-pivot with Scotsman McArthur in a 3-4-3, he has appeared 30 times there so far this term.

Comfortable on the ball, he is also able to mix it in the engine room of Wigan’s side, attempting 87 tackles so far this season and winning 74% of them. He has also made 51 interceptions at an average of 2 per game, showing his effectiveness at patrolling the areas in front of his defence. His dogged attitude towards midfield play has also conceded a lot of fouls, impeding players with 49% of his attempted challenges for which he has picked up 8 yellow cards.

However, his defensive contributions hasn’t managed to detriment McCarthy’s creative influence and he remains a very tidy player, averaging 59 passes per match at an accuracy of 87.9%. Despite his 28 chances created, he seldom manages to get forward, taking just 19 shots in this campaign and scoring just 2 goals. He has also managed just 1 assists from his 31 matches so far.

His main work is carried out in the centre of the park, using his vision to feed the ball forward rather than leave his disciplined station in-front of the defence. With the pace and movement of Arouna Kone, Jean Beausejour, Franco Di Santo and Shaun Maloney in front of him, McCarthy is not short of options, able to avoid going long, as indicated by his avoidance of the long ball, attempting just 157 in contrast to his vast amount of short passes, over 1,300 in total.

It shows that McCarthy is always on the lookout for a pass, constantly willing to keep the ball moving, in-keeping with the Martinez philosophy of ball-retention.

Despite only being 22, McCarthy, having been exposed to professional football since the age of 15, has bags of experience to call upon, vital in Wigan’s annual fight for Premier League survival. It is this strong know-how, in tandem with his youthful endeavour in a midfield partnership with his 25 year old counter-part James McCarthur that is providing a solid back-bone to Wigan’s run to the latter stages of the FA Cup and has given them a great chance of avoiding Premier League relegation for an eighth successive year.

 

Transfer situation

Whilst there can be no doubting McCarthy’s ability or his worth to this Wigan side, there is a growing feeling that the club, who continue to operate on one of the smallest budgets in the Premier League, may not be able to hold on to their battling midfielder for much longer.

Arsenal and Liverpool have both recently been linked with the Irishman who has done little to dispel speculation, saying “it is always nice to (receive links with other clubs) but I remain a Wigan player and we shall see what the end of the season brings”.

Although McCarthy has said he’s happy at the club, he may have to leave to further his career and become a more permanent inclusion in the Irish team, Giovanni Trappatoni has only picked him eleven times in the last three years despite his emergence in the Premier League.

With his career still in its relative infancy at just 22, McCarthy’s ambition may want to move to something higher than yearly battles with relegation. The possibility of an FA Cup success, together with yet another great escape, could provide him with the perfect chance to leave Wigan.

There is no doubt however, that the Latics will demand a big fee for their energetic, dynamic midfielder who has been a revelation since his bargain move in 2009.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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La Liga: A Lowdown on the League’s best rising talents

  By O-Posts Team | April 6, 2013 - 19:05 | , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Every season in a league there is a number of breakthrough talents, and arguably the league that produces the most talent is La Liga. In this era of Spanish dominance in international football the conveyor belt of young stars seems endless. Last season there was plenty of young players making a name for themselves.

The likes of Isco, Griezmann and Tello all made their breakthrough last season and this season the amount of young stars coning through is no different.

Here is a lowdown on the best rising talents in La Liga -

 

Raphael Varane

The ex-Lens defender has been nothing short of a revelation this season. He was recommended to Real Madrid by Zidane and the money they paid for him was hefty for a teenager but boy has it paid off.

Jose Mourinho put his faith in him by playing him in both legs of the Copa Del Rey against Barcelona and he proved Mourinho right by putting in fantastic performances in both legs, as well as scoring in both matches.

It’s hard to believe Varane is still only 19 when you see him shutting out likes of Messi, Drogba and Van Persie. It really is scary how good this Frenchman could become.

 

Koke

In what has been such a successful season for his club, Atletico Madrid, Koke has been magnificent. The Spanish midfielder has largely been utilised at right midfield for Atletico and is not only a threat going forward, but works very hard and helps out his full-back constantly which shows his maturity.

The main strength in his game is his creativity and this is proved by the fact he has the most La Liga assists in the Atletico squad. He isn’t blessed with amazing pace like the most conventional winger but he makes up for this with clever passing and intelligent play.

Under Diego Simeone’s guidance, Koke will only get better and who knows, maybe a Spain call up could be on the way if he can keep up these performances.

 

Leo Baptistao

In his first season for Rayo Vallecano’s senior team Leo has stepped up for Rayo after the loss of Michu. There are rumours that his representative has already agreed a deal with Atletico Madrid to replace Falcao in the summer. Those are big boots to fill but Baptistao’s performances this season have been very good for a 20 year-old.

His goal tally of 7 this season isn’t anything to shout about but the fact he has 6 assists shows he is a well-rounded player. He can drop deep, get involved in the play and create chances for his team mates as well as hold the ball up and run in behind the opposition defence.

If the rumours are true, I’m sure it will prove to be a superb move for him to continue his development and play in the Champions League as well as a clever acquisition for Atletico.

 

Geoffrey Kondogbia

In what has been a tough season for Sevilla, Kondogbia has been a shining light. His tackling rate of 2.6 per game is impressive for a 20 year-old but he also reads the game well and has made 1.4 interceptions per game this season.

Furthermore, his height and strength allow him to drive through midfield and boss a match unlike most players his age.

To be such a complete player at 20 is great and no wonder Man City and Arsenal are interested in signing him this summer. Due to Sevilla having financial trouble and with Kondogbia’s performances being consistently superb, a move to a bigger club is certainly on the cards.

 

Written by Charlie Smith

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Jack Cork: A Calm Presence In The Heart of The Saints’ Midfield

  By O-Posts Team | March 25, 2013 - 16:50 | , , , , , ,
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Southampton’s first season back in the Premier League started slowly for Jack Cork after an injury ruled him out until November, but his return to fitness has seen him develop, together with Morgan Schneiderlin, a strong centre-midfield partnership charged with the task of keeping the Saints in the top tier.

With Schneiderlin providing the energy and drive in the defensive side of the duo, we have a look at what the 23 year old Cork brings to the table.

 

Profile

Cork is a Chelsea academy graduate having joined their youth set up aged 9 and going on to captain both the youth and reserve teams. Despite travelling, and playing, on Chelsea’s pre-season tour of America in 2007, the midfielder failed to make any first team appearances for the Blues and spent the majority of his five years in west London out on loan.

Temporary spells with Bournemouth, Scunthorpe, Southampton, Watford  and Coventry in the lower leagues, it was finally Burnley and a half-season loan spell in 2010 that exposed him to Premier League football. The Clarets failed to stay in the division but managed to secure Cork for a further year in the Championship, where he enjoyed a fruitful season, playing forty matches to establish himself as one of the most promising players in the Championship.

Chelsea had made it clear a year previously that they wanted to sell Cork and his form at Burnley sparked a bid from Southampton for £700,000 in the July of 2011. After joining the south coast club, Cork’s impact was immediate, playing in every single league match as Nigel Adkins’s side earned promotion back to the top, and striking up a solid partnership with Schneiderlin , who missed just four games in that promotion year, that has carried on to this year.

Despite an ankle injury, picked up in a pre-season match against Bristol City, curtailing his first few months of the campaign, him and Schneiderlin have managed to form the solid backbone to a midfield that has driven Southampton to a good chance of survival with eight games of the season remaining.

It is indicative of how much the Saints missed Cork at the beginning of the season as they lost 8 of their first 10 matches. The duo has now featured together 20 times and has remained consistent through the managerial change from Adkins to Manuel Pochettino in January.

Cork’s form and reputation for possessing technical quality in the heart of midfield has also seen him establish himself in the England under 21s after representing the national side at every previous youth level. He also received a call-up for the under-23′s in last year’s London Olympics, playing three times for Stuart Pearce’s side as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

 

Strengths, style and weaknesses

Schneiderlin and Cork have acted as the central midfield duo in Southampton’s 4-4-2 system that was favoured by Adkins and has verged into a 4-2-3-1 under Pochettino. Whilst Schneiderlin focuses more on the “uglier” side of the partnership with his tough tackling and superb reading of the game, it is down to Cork to pick up the ball and distribute it from his deep position alongside his French partner.

Cork averaged the most passes per game in the Southampton side under Adkins with 53.6%, dropping deep to provide the link between the defence and attack with his wide range of passing, as well as enabling the full-backs to move forward on either side in order to provide further width.

His positioning off the ball was deep under Adkins, in a move designed to ease the defensive burden on Schneiderlin in a league where they would face the free roaming talents in the Ilk of Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla.

With the duo sitting, usually behind the attacking force of Gaston Ramirez, they could avoid being drawn out of position by the opposition, allowing them to be rigid in terms of offering protection to the defence; it is no coincidence that they have lost just five games since Cork’s November return, with their defence cleaning up dramatically with five clean sheets after registering none in their first ten league games. In the 18 games they have played together, Southampton have lost just 5.

Under Pochettino however, the two players have been pushed higher, with Cork still the deepest but lying on the half-way line behind his partner, who has been instructed to push higher up in keeping with the Argentinian’s emphasis on a high pressure game. The Frenchman’s rabid style of charging around his midfield area looking for the ball is supplemented by Cork’s calmness alongside him, waiting for the second ball to come free in order to launch an attack with his fine vision on the ball.

Cork’s discipline and presence behind him has allowed Schneiderlin more freedom to join the attack to operate off the knock-downs of Rickie Lambert, hence his five goal (his most ever in a campaign) haul this year.

Cork..... cool and unfazed under pressure.

Cork….. cool and unfazed under pressure.

Cork’s positioning behind Schneiderlin gives safety to the midfield in the knowledge that if the first barrier of press is breached, Cork is there to win the ball back in his withdrawn position, his 61% challenge success rate suggests he can win the ball back strongly and move it forward with his 83% passing accuracy. His 19 chances created this season shows how positive he is with the use of the ball.

With both of Southampton’s 23 year old central-midfielders displaying intelligence in terms of defensive positioning and a good technical ability which allows for quick movement of the ball, which is vital to Pochettino’s fast counter-attacking philosophy, it is a promising partnership that the St Mary’s club will be hoping that will be around for years to come.

Such is the excellence in understanding they have both performed with this season, that may hinge on whether they can stay in the Premier League, but with the Anglo-French partnership of Cork and Schneiderlin, the beating heart of Southampton’s well-drilled system, they will have a massive say on whether that will happen or not.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Morgan Schneiderlin: Southampton’s Tenacious Bull-Terrier

  By O-Posts Team | March 22, 2013 - 17:27 | , , , , ,
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It has been a long way from the depths of League One for Morgan Schneiderlin, a Southampton player since 2008 who has been with the Saints every step of their journey from the third tier back to the Premier League.

This year, they have lost their manager and have played some exciting football as they battle with relegation back to the Football League. At the heart beat of it all has been the 23 year old centre-midfielder, who has remained rather unheralded.

 

Profile

Born in the commune of Zellwiller in the region of Alsace, located in the north-east of France, he joined local side RC Strasbourg as an eight year old where he spent a decade in the youth-set up before making his debut against FC Gueugnon in a Ligue 2 fixture. He only made 2 appearances in that season as Strasbourg earned promotion and only 3 more appearances followed in the following season, but Southampton scouts saw enough to lure the midfielder across the channel to St. Mary’s.

£1.2 million in fact, was the fee Southampton were forced to fork out for the then 18 year old talent, ahead of an offer from neighbours Portsmouth and rumoured interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. The size of the fee considering he only had 5 professional games under his belt and identity of teams interested in his services were suggestive of his burgeoning ability as he developed into his 20s.

It was Alan Pardew, who is now making a habit of unearthing young French talent at Newcastle, who was in charge of Southampton when Schneiderlin arrived, though after being relegated in 2009, he was replaced by Nigel Adkins. After gaining his place in the first team the season before, he was immediately given a permanent role by Adkins as he made 37 appearances in League One before making a further 27 in their promotion year.

Becoming an integral part of Adkins’s promising squad, the Frenchman signed a new four year deal in August 2011, just before embarking on a successful campaign in which the Saints gained promotion back to the top tier after a 7 year absence. Schneiderlin played 42 times as the club finished runners-up in the Championship.

Since starting against Manchester City on the opening day of the season, the midfielder has missed just one of Southampton’s 30 games so far, providing the back-bone to a side that has confounded expectation to lie four points clear of the relegation zone with eight games remaining. His previous boss Adkins was removed in January in controversial circumstances but Schneiderlin has remained in the plans of his successor, Mauricio Pochettino.

It is his performances, in which he has registered 5 goals, that have seen mentions of a possible call-up to the recent French national team. Though that has come to early for him, it is not to take away from a player who has impressed beyond expectation in his debut year at the top.

Whilst Didier Deschamps is yet to pick Schneiderlin, he is very much on the radar of the national team having represented France at every youth level up to the under-21s. With Paul Pogba, Maxime Gonalons, Jeremy Toulalan and Yohann Cabaye all available to Deschamps, France are very strong in the central-midfield area, but such has been the standard of the 23 year old’s performances this year that it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was mentioned in such esteemed company.

 

Style, strengths and weaknesses

Schneiderlin is mostly deployed as a centre-midfielder alongside Jack Cork, providing a defensive shield to a back-four that has improved over the course of the season. In doing so, the Frenchman has made more tackles than any other player in the Premier League with 121, 20 more than Steve Sidwell in second-place on the list. He also has the most interceptions, 112 indicative of a spectacular reading of the game far in advance of his age.

His enthusiastic tackling, he has won 58% of his challenges in total and averages 4.1 tackles per game, is vital to Pochettino’s philosophy of intense pressing in midfield and moving the ball quickly after winning it back. His high tackle rate also inevitably attracts a lot of fouls, averaging 1.8 per game, though as suggested by just 7 yellow cards, he has managed to keep his play clean.

Standing at just under 6 ft, Schneiderlin isn’t particularly big physically, but his tenacity and willingness to battle away like a bull-terrier in midfield is vital to Pochettino’s Bielsa-like values of high-press and high energy off the ball. His determination is summed up by his success rate in aerial challenges, winning 42 out of 82 despite not being particularly big, it is this will to win, hunger and drive that casts the French youngster as one of the main players in Southampton’s survival hopes.

His passing accuracy also fits perfectly into the system, registering the highest total at the club with 1470 with a success percentage of 84.5%, bettered only by Steven Davis at the newly promoted club. As well as passing from deep, the Frenchman can also be a threat with the ball in attacking areas, creating 25 chances in total this season.

A stringent 4-4-2 was used under Adkins, utilising Schneiderlin’s ability to move the ball forward quickly as they hit on the counter attack. His willingness to drive into the opponent’s half has been a huge advantage, registering 852 of his passes in the attacking half, as well as scoring 5 goals, more than his previous four years at the club, and something the player himself puts down to fitness;

“Fitness is something I have worked on a lot. When I was in League One I could not finish a game without blowing or after 60 minutes feeling tired on the pitch, so I’ve tried to make sure I eat the right things and look after my body better. When I was 18 I thought if I ate a pizza and a lot of takeaways at nights it wouldn’t affect you but it did. Now I eat only healthy French food.

It has helped me score goals – before, I couldn’t make those forward runs because I wasn’t fit enough to get back in position.”

His leadership skills have also been a huge asset at the heart of Southampton’s midfield, being trusted with the captaincy as he led the Saints back from 2 goals down to draw at Chelsea.

His performances have been key in the fight for survival down on the south coast and he will hope his future, after signing another new deal in February which expanded his contract to 2017, will lie in the Premier League. He certainly deserves it.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Gael Bigirimana: More Than An Amazing Story

  By O-Posts Team | March 13, 2013 - 16:02 | , , ,
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For someone who lived the first 11 years of his life in fear, Gaël Bigirimana has surprised many with his selfless attitude and optimism. Since arriving in England from war-torn Burundi, via Uganda, Bigirimana’s life story thus far has amazed all who’ve read about it. However, he is more than just a “fairytale-esque story of humble beginnings”.

 

Humble Beginnings

Gaël Bigirimana left his homeland (Burundi) as a refugee during a civil war, with the Burundi Government fighting against the rebel forces. Gaël’s mother fled first, making her way to Coventry, England, where the Bigirimana family would be reunited 4 years later.

Walking to the supermarket with his brother, Gaël spotted Coventry City’s youth academy. The determined youngster, then aged 11, went over the next day to ask for a trial. Though Coventry scouts were forced to turn him down, they were so impressed with the turn of pace he showed as he left the training facility that they made sure they gave him a chance.

In Gaël Bigirimana’s own words (in an interview with BBC Sport):

“They asked if I had all the equipment, boots, shin pads and stuff like that. I said ‘yes’ but I did not. They said they saw me running fast but to tell you the truth I was jogging. The next day they gave me a trial. It was near the end of the season but they took me on for the following campaign. It must have been a miracle.”

 

Coming good at Coventry City

After signing youth forms at Coventry City in 2005, Bigirimana developed so well that, aged 16, he was named on the 1st team’s bench for a League Cup tie against Morecambe. In that same 2010/11 season, he again made the bench – this time in a Championship fixture away to eventually-promoted Norwich City.

With such progress, he naturally signed a professional contract in the summer of 2011. After being involved in the 1st team’s pre-season preparations ahead of the 2011/12 season, Bigirimana made his debut on the 8th of August 2011, playing every minute of a 0-1 home defeat to Leicester City.

Bigirimana – who made an impressive total of 28 appearances that season – proceeded to play at such a level that he was named the Championship’s “2012 Apprentice of the Year”, beating off competition from other highly-rated youngsters – most prominently Jonathan Williams (of Crystal Palace) and Jordan Obita (of Reading).

In his 2011/12 debut season at Coventry, the Sky Blues were relegated from the League One, finishing 2nd from bottom. Considering that Coventry had been involved in relegation fights for the previous few campaigns, the fact that then manager Andy Thorn was willing to place his faith in an 18-year-old Bigirimana speaks volumes of the Burundi youngster’s maturity.

After all, the Championship has been referred to as “the hardest league to get out of and the hardest league to stay in”. It is most definitely not a league where just about any raw youngster can be thrown into and expected to survive, let alone shine.

 

Big step up

After such an impressive debut season, it was of no surprise that Coventry were not able to keep hold of Bigirimana, especially after their relegation. Newcastle United snapped him up for a relative bargain fee – rumoured to be between £500k and £1 million.

“Bigi has done really well. He has impressed us. He has come in from Coventry with a season of first-team football under his belt at 18. He is exactly the type of player we should be bringing to Newcastle United. And he will get better here – 100%. Oh, and he gets Bigi as a nickname being as he’s 5ft 4in! He has looked really fine in training with guys who are at a higher level than he’s been used to. Bigi has looked really good and that’s great credit to him.”

- Newcastle boss Alan Pardew on Gaël Bigirimana after Newcastle’s pre-season preparations.

 

Despite low expectations of Bigirimana’s 1st season on Tyneside, in the sense that he wouldn’t be a 1st team regular, he has gone on to make 23 1st team Premier League appearances at the time of writing. ‘Bigi’ has held his own over the course of this 2012/13 campaign, be it in the UEFA Europa League or in the English Premier League, scoring 1 goal – a brilliant strike from outside the box against Wigan Athletic – in the process.

Want an example of Bigirimana at his current best? That came in a pulsating fixture – A 4-3 loss at Old Trafford, where he held his own in central midfield before being replaced in the 65th minute. The fact that his direct opponents that day were Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick simply makes it all the more impressive.

 

Overview

(2012/13 stats from WhoScored, accurate till the time of writing)

Bigirimana is not afraid to put in a shift defensively and “get stuck in”, with per game averages of 1.3 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1 clearance. Additionally, ‘Bigi’ has, per game, blocked 0.3 shots and has been dribbled past just 0.6 times. Though he might not be the biggest of players, he has won an average of 0.4 aerial duels per game. Qualitatively, the Burundi youngster has the pace, aggression and tenacity needed to survive and, possibly, thrive in the Premier League.

Offensively, ‘Bigi’ has shown his talent. This season alone, he has averaged (per game) 0.9 key passes. Though he has shown his inexperience at times, such as losing the ball 0.5-0.6 times per game, that should improve with experience.

An overall passing accuracy of 87.7%, is a startling statistic for a young debutant in the English top flight.

Holistically, Gaël Bigirimana has shown that he has the potential to be a good box-to-box central midfielder – what with his high energy levels, tenacity, work ethic and willingness to get forward et al.

 

Look to the future

Where his future at International level is concerned, Bigirimana could play for England, Rwanda or Burundi. Currently without any international caps to his name, not even at youth level, perhaps England should call him up at U21 level to take a good look at his current ability and potential. Though he might end up playing for Rwanda or Burundi, it’d be a win-win situation for both England and Gaël Bigirimana as they’d possibly gain a future senior international while he’d gain more valuable experience regardless.

Having looked at his career thus far, I’d say that ‘Bigi’ could develop into a consistent Europa League-standard midfielder. With the plan at Newcastle United being consistent qualification for at least the Europa League, and having looked at the Newcastle squad, Bigirimana could eventually become a stalwart player in the Toon’s central midfield. My expectation is that his peak years will be spent plying his trade on the hallowed turf of St James’ Park.

Then again, I could be wrong and Bigirimana goes on to feature regularly in the UEFA Champions League, be it for Newcastle or a bigger club.

Considering all that he’s been through thus far in his fledgling football career and, more importantly, his life, anything is possible for this Burundi Footballer.

As has been seen, this God-fearing (young) man will face all challenges head-on, with a ‘Bigi’ smile on his face.

 

Written by Mark Ooi

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Romania: A Gold Mine for Top Talent and Brilliant Prospects

  By O-Posts Team | March 4, 2013 - 20:56 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Romania have been unlucky in recent years – poor results in tournaments and qualifications or just missing out due to stupid mistakes made by the manager and players have cost them. Despite beating the likes of England, Spain, Netherlands, Germany (Romania beat them 5-1 in 2005) on several occasions in recent years.

There’s always been something – or in fact, many things – stopping them from reaching their potential. Player’s mentalities, awful selections and tactics made by managers, and the most talented players wasting their potential for various reasons are all part of the reason Romania are now seen as just a somewhat average side nowadays.

As this article is meant to be about Romanian youth, let’s not go into too much detail over those issues. While the 80s and 90s were a special time for Romanian football (both club-wise and for the national team), it’s possible that this upcoming generation could bring Romania back to being the world class side it used to be.

That is, if those involved don’t screw it up the way they have in the last decade or so. The good news is, loads of young Romanian players are popping up directly in top leagues like the Serie A, La Liga, and Bundesliga.

It’s much better for players to start their youth careers in these top leagues immediately as in Romania they are likely to be held back by managers or owners and their potential wasted (although some of the clubs in the league seem to be improving their mentality).

Now, let’s get on to business. Here are some of the top U23 Romanian prospects at the moment. Of course, this isn’t intended to give you the full view of future Romanian stars, only a sample. There are many players I won’t list with loads of potential that could become top players anyway.

 

Goalkeepers

Laurentiu Branescu

The 18 year old Juventus keeper has been dubbed “the next Buffon” by the Italian media and is being held in high regard by club’s staff. Before signing with Juve, clubs like Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United were extremely interested in him but were not able to secure his services in time.

He doesn’t have very many weaknesses, his handling and reflexes are top notch and he’s a great young keeper overall. He is currently the main keeper for Romania’s U19 national team.

Potential rating: 5/5

 

 

Valentin Cojocaru

The 16 year old Steaua Bucharest stopper is widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents to come out of eastern Europe. He’s been attracting a lot of interest from clubs such as Liverpool in recent times and despite his young age, could find himself at a top club very soon.

Potential rating: 5/5

 

Silviu Lung Jr

The 23 year old keeper currently plays for Astra Giurgiu, who are currently second place in the Romanian Liga I. Russian giants Zenit St. Petersburg were close to signing him during the January transfer window but unfortunately the deal didn’t go through.

He has loads of ability and can pull off amazing saves but sometimes can make stupid blunders, which have cost him. But he is very talented and still has his whole career ahead of him.

Potential rating: 4/5

 

Defenders

Chiriches

Dubbed the “Romanian version of Thiago Silva,” Vlad Chiriches is one of the most hyped Romanian youngsters at the moment. The 23 year old Steaua Bucharest is truly a phenomenal young defender.

He is not only great at the back, but he is very technical for a defender. He dribbles well and often adds to his side’s attacks and has scored a handful of beautiful goals this season (both in the EL and the league).

Several big clubs are after him, including Barca, Milan, Chelsea, Inter, and Lyon. Some have made offers of up to 7 million euros but the crazy owner has refused them asking for a minimum of 10 million euros.

He will most likely leave to one of these big clubs in the summer. I don’t see them backing down after his most recent performances in the Europa League. He certainly has a bright future ahead of him.

Potential rating: 5/5

 

 

Valerica Gaman

Gaman currently plays for Astra Giurgiu, who currently lie in second place in the Liga I, and is a very good CB prospect. Although he is 24, I will make an exception as he just turned yesterday.

Like Silviu Lung Jr, he was also close to signing with Zenit but it didn’t happen. He is a talented defender, great in the tackle and also great at heading the ball.

Potential rating: 3.5/5

 

Alexandru Matel

23 year old RB at Astra Giurgiu. Despite having a slight injury problem, his performances for both club and national team have been impressive recently. He definitely has a lot of potential.

Potential rating: 4/5

 

Paul Papp

The 23 year old Chievo Verona central defender joined in the summer from FC Vaslui. He scored on his debut for the club and while he isn’t yet a regular (for some reason), he still has made an impact in the games he’s played in the Serie A and for the national team.

Potential rating: 4/5

 

Cornel Rapa

The recently turned 23 year old promising right-back signed for Steaua Bucharest from Otelul Galati in the January transfer window.

After Matel, he is the biggest Romanian RB prospect at the moment and has been a solid performer this season and the last.

Potential rating: 3.5/5

 

Constantin Nica

The 19 year old Dinamo Bucharest right-back has three U21 caps to his name and looks to have a bright future.

Potential rating: 4/5

 

Alin Tosca

The 20 year old versatile defender and midfielder can play as a right-back, left-back, and as a right midfielder. He is one of the top young defenders in the Liga I at the moment and plays for Viitorul Constanta (Hagi’s club & academy). One to look out for.

Potential rating: 3.5/5

 

Deian Boldor

18 year old CB currently playing for AS Roma U19. Potential to develop to a very good Serie A and Romania defender in the future.

Potential rating: 2.5/5

 

Bogdan Tiru

18 year old Viitorul Constanta central defender who’s been on trial at Ajax and has good potential.

Potential rating: 2/5

 

Midfielders

 

Gabriel Torje

Nicknamed “the Romanian Messi,” Torje is probably the best prospect of all. His technical, dribbling, and finishing ability is phenomenal. He has lots of pace and likes has a very similar style to Messi (and a similar stature), therefore the comparison.

He has been on fire for the national team this season and although he scored a couple of goals, racked up some assists and played well in his debut season at Udinese, he is currently on loan at Granada in the La Liga. Fiorentina made an offer for him but he had already agreed to go on loan.

The 23 year old winger has aroused interest from Arsenal and Real Madrid in recent times. With his natural talent, he should have a great career and has the potential to be a star at any club.

Potential rating: 5/5

 

Claudiu Bumba

Bumba just turned 19 in January and has been playing for Roma’s primavera team since the summer of 2012, after the Italian giants paid 600,000 euros to secure his services. He is probably the best young Romanian player at the moment after Torje (although Torje is older) and maybe Stanciu.

His most notable achievements so far this season include scoring a goal in the Supercoppa Primavera final to help his team win the trophy, scoring 4 goals in 16 matches (making him the club’s third top scorer, with the other two having played more matches) in the league and, more recently, scoring two goals against Spartak Moscow in the Viareggio Cup.

He also has several assists and is the captain of the Romanian U19 national team.

Potential rating: 5/5

 

Nicolae (or “Nicusor”) Stanciu

The 19 year old FC Vaslui youngster has been widely sought by big clubs across Europe. He is definitely the best teenage talent in the Liga I at the moment, and probably the best Romanian prospect in midfield after Gabriel Torje and Claudiu Bumba.

He is generally regarded as a creative CM but also plays well on the wings and has great speed, technical ability, and finishing. He has scored several beauties this season and in the past both in the league and in Europe.

He also captains the Romanian U21 national team and made his Liga II debut at the age of 15 years and 18 days coming on as a substitute. During his spell for Unirea Alba Iulia, Stanciu was tracked by various European clubs, including Hoffenheim, Celtic, Brescia, and VfB Stuttgart.

Potential rating: 5/5

 

Alexandru Maxim

The 22 year old attacking midfielder is yet another young Romanian star in midfield – he’s one of the best dribblers on the Romanian national team and has impressed in the 5 matches he’s played for Romania (in which he managed to score 2 goals).

He recently joined German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.

Potential rating: 4.5/5

 

Adrian Stoian

It’s incredible how many creative, young midfielders Romania has begun to produce. Here’s yet another one. Adrian Marius Stoian, a 22-year old winger, is a product of the famed Gheorghe Popescu (former Real and Spurs defender) Academy and joined Roma in 2008.

Between 2008 and 2012, he’s only made one first team appearance, coming on as a substitute against Juventus in a Serie A match in March of 2009. While it may seem odd that he only played in once first team match, one should take into consideration his age at the time – he was only 18 when he made his Serie A debut.

Since then, he’s gone on loan to Pescara and Bari, where he had an excellent season. In the summer of 2012, he joined Chievo in a co-ownership deal of 500,000 euros which involved Michael Bradley going the other way.

Since joining Chievo, he’s played in 11 matches and scored 2 goals, and putting in some fine performances. With a little more time and faith from his manager, he could develop into one of their best players and Roma may very well buy back the other half of his deal!

Potential rating: 4/5

 

Vlad Nicolae Marin

The 17 year old left winger was involved in a controversial move last summer. He was playing for Lazio’s youth side until Manchester City decided to offer him a contract without Lazio’s permission and sign him for free. This of course angered the higher-ups at Lazio and City were forced to compensate them with 300,000 pounds.

While I haven’t seen much of him, it seems like he could be an extremely good player if City snatched him up like that and Lazio reacted the way they did. Oddly, though, he hasn’t been capped at any youth level for Romania yet.

Potential rating: 5/5

 

Alexandru Chipciu

Chipciu (pronounced ‘Keep-choo’) is a 23 year old attacking midfielder and winger currently playing for Steaua Bucharest. He’s played 7 matches for Romania and has scored one goal (in a friendly match against Greece).

His performances at Steaua this season, both in the Europa League and the Liga I, have attracted a lot of attention from bigger clubs and have gotten him call-ups to the national team. He may not be Romania’s #1 midfield prospect, but he’s certainly a great option and

I’m looking forward to see where he ends up in the future. His main strengths are dribbling, crossing, passing, and a good first touch.

Potential rating: 4.5/5

 

Liviu Antal

23 year old right midfielder, Liviu Antal, had his first taste of the UEFA Champions League experience last season with Otelul Galati. He put in some thrilling performances against the likes of Manchester United, SL Benfica, and FC Basel.

In the 2012/2013 season, he joined FC Vaslui and scored his first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. He made his debut for Romania (and his single appearance to date) in a friendly match against Paraguay in 2011.

He’s not at the top of the picking order but he’s still one of the better young wingers in Romania.

Potential rating: 2.5/5

 

Chitu

The 21 year old left winger is a rising star at the Romanian club owned by Hagi, Viitorul Constanta. He’s scored 3 goals and racked up 3 assists in 20 matches in the Liga I. His value has been steadily rising in recent months and it looks as though he may find a new club in the summer.

Potential rating: 2.5/5

 

Gabriel Iancu

The 18 year old Gheorghe Hagi Academy product and former Viitorul Constanta player (both owned by Hagi) midfielder is one of my favourite youth players at the moment. Ajax and Galatasaray have been in close contact with Viitorul for several months, however he’s now at Steaua Bucharest after joining in the January 2013 transfer window.

He is a very reliable and mature player for his age and should turn out to be a top player.

Potential rating: 4.5/5

 

Dan Nistor

Nistor is 24, however I will make an exception as he fully deserves to be mentioned here. He is the best young Romanian DM at the moment, despite only having one cap for Romania, and has put in stunning performances at Pandurii this season (who are currently third in the league).

He’s a good passer of the ball and can set up attacks with ease. He is also solid at the back when needed, and is an ideal DM for a lot of clubs.

Potential rating: 4/5

 

Mihai Radut

The 22 year old DM has the potential to surpass Nistor, although at the moment the latter is probably better. He spent part of his youth career at Sporting CP in Portugal and now plays for Liga I leaders Steaua Bucharest and is currently on loan at Pandurii.

He has been capped by Romania three times, which is quite an achievement for a DM of his age (Nistor only has one, surprisingly).

Will be an important national team player in the future and asset to most clubs who would be interested in buying him.

Potential rating: 4/5

 

Raphael Stanescu

Born in Germany, 19 year old attacking midfielder Andrei Raphael Stanescu is one of the best products of Dinamo Bucharest’s academy and has been capped for Romania U19 4 times, scoring one goal. He has played 5 first team matches in the Liga I for Dinamo and scored one goal.

Potential rating: 3/5

 

Andrei Tugui

Andrei Ionut Tugui is a 17 year old midfielder and the captain of the Romanian U16 national team. He joined Roma on loan (with an option to buy) in the January transfer window and has impressed the coaches there.

He is just one of the many Romanian youngsters at Roma but is probably one of the brightest talents after Claudiu Bumba.

Potential rating: 4.5/5

 

Strikers

 

Dragos Iacob

This 16 year old striker, currently playing for Frosinone’s youth, is considered one of the most valuable teenagers in Italy. His family moved to Italy in 2001 so he is eligible to play for Italy. However, he has already been asked to play for their national team but he declined as he states that his dream is to play for Romania.

He was the club’s top scorer year after year and was nicknamed “The Cannibal” by the Italian media because of his aggressiveness and determination on the pitch. He also helped his team win the “Manchester United Premier Cup” last season and won both his youth league and the Italian Super Cup for his age group.

According to reports, stats, and videos, he seems to have loads of potential and could very well be a super star in the future.

Potential rating: 5/5

 

Rusescu

I have to make another exception – Raul Rusescu is 24 years old, but is the top scorer in the Romanian league and has scored several beautiful goals this season, both in the EL and Liga I. He is just unbelievable and will probably move to a bigger club in the summer.

He has scored 31 goals in 51 matches since joining Steaua in 2011. He’s made a single appearance for Romania but will surely be capped again soon.

Must-see goal!

Potential rating: 5/5

 

Gheorghe Tucudean

The 21 year old Standard Liege striker is the best U21 Romanian striker at the moment. He has scored 3 goals in 5 matches for the U21 national team and 9 goals in 12 matches while on loan at UTA Arad in 2010.

After joining Standard from Dinamo Bucharest this January transfer window, he’s played two matches for the Belgian club without scoring, however has had several great opportunities and looks certain to score soon.

Potential rating: 3.5/5

 

Denis Alibec

The 22 year old striker is currently on loan at Viitorul Constanta from Inter Milan. While at Inter, Alibec scored 8 goals in 9 appearances in the Campionato Primavera Girone B and won the Viareggio Cup in 2011.

He is a left-footed player and is known for his composure, balance, and relaxed way of playing. He has scored 3 goals in 5 appearances for Romania’s U21 national team and has been capped once for Romania’s senior team in a friendly match with Poland in February 2013.

Potential rating: 4.5/5

 

Gheorghe Grozav

The 22 year old winger, who has also been employed as a striker with good results, is currently playing for Petrolul Ploiesti who are in fifth place in the Romanian Liga I at the moment. He’s also played 15 matches for Standard Liege before coming back to Romania and has scored 5 goals in 19 matches for Petrolul this season.

He’s been capped for the senior national team 9 times and scored 3 goals.

Potential rating: 3.5/5

 

Fabian Himcinschi

Himcinschi is an 18 year old striker currently playing for Empoli’s youth team. He’s played 6 matches for Romania’s U17 NT, scoring an incredible tally of 9 goals.

Potential rating: 4.5/5

 

Marius Alexe

Alexe is turned 23 years old on February 22nd 2013 and is a left winger and second striker for Dinamo Bucharest. He has played in 95 matches for the Liga I club, scoring 24 goals. He’s also played for Romania’s senior team 7 times. He is best employed as a left winger as he isn’t a ‘poaching’ type of striker.

Potential rating: 2.5/5

 

George Puscas

The 16 year old striker currently plays for second division club FC Bihor Oradea, but has been on trial at Arsenal recently after he impressed the Gunners’ scouts in a Romania U17 match.

He seems to have a good deal of potential however he may not fulfill it if he doesn’t actually end up signing with a big club like Arsenal.

Potential rating: 4.5/5

 

Cristian Gavra

The 19 year old Viitorul Constanta striker went on trial with Ajax recently and the club seem interested in securing his services over the summer. He’s scored 5 goals in 8 matches for the Romanian U19 national team and is regarded highly by Hagi himself.

Potential rating: 4/5

 

Written by Filip Buduru

Follow Filip on Twitter @Hagibest

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