Francisco Javier Rodríguez Vílchez, more simply known as just ‘Francisco', might be the youngest manager in La Liga (aged 36), but he managed to keep Almería in La Liga and on top of that, placed his faith on young players. As a result, he was rewarded with a contract extension for the 2014-2015 campaign. A lot of managers can take a leaf out of his book. Ramon Azeez, Thomas Partey, Wellington Silva, Thievy Bifouma, Jonathan Zongo, Edgar Mendez and Ximo Navarro. These are just a few of the highly promising young footballers who have been given a chance by UD Almeria to shine in Spanish football. Yet who exactly are these players and how good are they?
Ramon Azeez
Age: 21 |
Country: Nigeria |
Position: Central Midfielder |
Nickname: R.Azeez |
Azeez y Nigeria siguen adelante en el Mundial de Brasil http://t.co/pd4dXObwwc pic.twitter.com/8xNgcgH6qY
— Almería VAVEL (@AlmeriaVAVEL) June 25, 2014
Oluwashina Okeleji of BBC Sport writes: "Azeez played every match for Nigeria as they finished runners-up to Switzerland at the 2009 Fifa U-17 World Cup in Abuja where he was voted the third best player of the tournament. He also captained the Under-20 side as they narrowly lost to France in the quarter-finals at the Fifa World Cup in Colombia three years ago. When Azeez first arrived at Almeria in 2011, he was placed in the reserves to give him time to adapt to a new brand of football and environment."
Yet his progress has been lightning quick, he has now been capped four teams for Nigeria, and even represented his nation at the World Cup, every footballer's dream, no doubt.
Oluwashina Okeleji of BBC Sport writes: "He was a stand-out performer for Almeria's B side in the past two seasons and his effort was rewarded with a promotion to the first team last summer. His debut came as a 74th-minute substitute in the La Liga fixture against Elche in August and subsequent appearances followed before he made his first start in the 3-0 defeat by Real Sociedad on 27 October. The 21-year-old kept his place in the first-team and in December he scored the only goal in Almeria's away win at Real Betis."
"It has been a long and tough journey getting to this level," Azeez told BBC Sport. "I got to Spain at such a young age and I realised the only way to survive was to be mentally strong and work extra hard. I'm happy with my progress this season, living my dream, but I know it's just like the start of a book and I still have a lot ahead of me."
He is a complete footballer who appears to have it all. His reading of the game is great, he has an outstanding engine, and he can pass and tackle. In terms of areas of improvement, whilst he is a jack of all trades, he can certainly improve some areas of his games; this includes his tackling and passing. He needs to be more authoritative and take control of midfield battles during matches. Yet his future is bright and his defensive reading of the game is among the best in the league for his age.
He was described as a "tireless defensive midfielder with good vision and technique, links defence and attack," as per FIFA.com during the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
He credits Francisco Rodriguez for aiding his development and allowing him to mature on and off the pitch. "I must thank Francisco for the opportunity because I started under him in the reserves and he promoted me to the main team," said Azeez. "I think that has helped me a lot. He told me from the beginning to do exactly what I've been doing under him and the sky will be the limit. He's been saying the same thing, 'Azeez continue to work on your strength, have faith and I believe you can become a great player ', that's a motivational compliment that is pushing me to get better."
It's clear that the feeling is mutual. Almeria's manager Francisco said: "Ramon works hard for the team and has the ability to excite and make everyone play better."
As with many of Almeria's young players, it shouldn't be too long before they play at a bigger club. For example, Azeez would be the perfect fit for a team like Arsenal. As Allan Jianga of Bleacher Report put it: "When Claude Makelele was at Nantes, Deco at Salgueiros, Gennaro Gattuso at Salernitana, Michael Ballack at Chemnitzer, what do you think they all wanted?
Just one shot at the big time.
Azeez has the potential to turn into an elite midfielder and he would be a low-risk, high-reward type of signing."
Thomas Partey
Age: 21 |
Country: Ghana |
Position: Defensive Midfielder |
Nickname: ‘New Felipe Melo' |
Thomas Partey (@ArmahSenegal22). Fotografía por @diego7carmona y @OrtizPhoto. Más en VAVEL: http://t.co/r15NgPdXEL pic.twitter.com/36OKppDdBq
— Almería VAVEL (@AlmeriaVAVEL) September 14, 2014
Thomas Teye Partey arrived in the Spanish capital in 2011 - a year after helping Tema Youth, a Ghanaian Premier League side gain promotion to the top flight.
Upon touching down at the Cerro de Espino, Atletico Madrid's academy that has produced many of Spain's illustrious footballers, he was handed over to Oscar Mena, the Rojiblanco's youth development coach.
"When you arrive in a big club like Atletico Madrid, You're thinking: ‘Am I a bit too small for this big space? It is there and then that you realise the hefty challenge at hand."
According to Ghana Soccer, Partey breaks into laughter as he tells the story of his Atletico Madrid debut, and he recalls what it was like to be a teenager mixing with players such as Tiago, Raul Garcia and Arda Turan - players he watched on the screen in Ghana.
"The 76 minutes I lasted on the pitch was really a great joy for me because these players are my role models and playing alongside them was a dream accomplished for me."
Nicknamed the "New Felipe Melo" on his arrival to Almeria by his own fans, due to similarities with Felipe Melo in style and substance. In July 2007, Melo moved to Almeria. He was a regular in the starting XI and made 34 league appearances with an impressive seven goals. An outstanding season led to the attraction of several European clubs, scouting the defensive midfielder, and in the summer of 2008, Melo moved to the Serie A to play for Fiorentina.
On his qualities and style of play, Partey's comment is carefully delivered in a softly spoken manner. He is a humble and courteous young man, brought up with strong values by his parents in Ghana.
He used to say: "I like the vision of Alonso, Gerrard's power and dedication and Busquets deftness in the middle and try to emulate them." Yet he now has another role model: "When I was little I liked Steven Gerrard of Liverpool but now I think I look more like Yaya Toure. He's a great player who makes strong runs and I would like to emulate him," Partey told Peru.com.
An imposing defensive midfielder, he is powerful, extremely athletic and has great awareness to spot danger as he helps protect his back four. Thomas' qualities are plenty and clear for everyone to see. He is an absolutely beast in the middle of the park with brilliant through balls, tackling and passing under his armory. He plays very similar to Toure in that he likes to drive forward at every opportunity, but he needs to learn to read the game a bit better, he is often yellow carded at games for tactical fouls. His shooting also needs to improve, but his potential is massive. It would be great seeing him play for Atletico Madrid within a few years time if given the opportunity. They could certainly do worse than give him a chance.
On his future in the Spanish capital, Partey is modest with his progress but talks with a burning ambition. It is easy to understand why he is tipped to be a world class midfielder for years to come.
"I don't want to just settle for making it, I want to make it as big as possible here in Spain and elsewhere in big European leagues," Partey says. "There's no limit. You just keep doing it until you hit stardom."
Wellington Silva
Age: 21 |
Country: Brazil |
Position: Winger/ (Second) Striker |
Nickname: ‘New Neymar' |
Ya en Valencia, a descansar que mañana tenemos un partido muy importante! Vamos equipo @U_D_Almeria pic.twitter.com/9SnKYaR8CW
— Wellington Silva (@wsilva11) November 1, 2014
Nicknamed the "New Neymar", you don't need me to explain what Wellington's potential is, but I will anyway; it's exponential - "A star in the making."
Mark Greenwood of Football Fan Cast writes: "Wellington is certainly one to look out for - he scored four goals in one game during his trial spell at Arsenal in December 2008, destroying Norwich's Under 16's in the process. This was just a few months after Wellington proved the star of the tournament during the Manchester United Premier Cup where he led Fluminense to the trophy at Old Trafford having destroyed opponent after opponent (including United) en route to the final.
He continues: "As a player Wellington is still quite small, but he is physically strong. The boy is technically fantastic, brilliant on the ball with great footballing intelligence - he cuts inside opponents and curls well-placed strikes into the bottom corner of the net with ease. Wellington has even already played for Fluminense's first team as they looked to ward off interest in him but financial problems have led to them having to agree a deal with Arsenal with the Gunners offering to pay part of his £3.5 million transfer fee now instead of when he arrives in London."
He further continues: "Not only is Wellington a deadly striker but he can also operate on the wing as he can deliver a good cross and also force his way into the box himself. He has been described as one of the biggest talents outside Europe and given the past history of highly rated Brazilian strikers that could prove an excellent thing for Arsenal. Fears of him becoming another South American flop in the Premiership are unlikely due to the long adaptation period he will have in the country following his move due to his young age and Arsenal have already been assured that there will be no work permit problems when it comes to his eventual arrival at the Emirates."
Arsenal wonderkid Wellington Silva has revealed that he will finally be allowed to play for the Gunners first team, having been granted Spanish citizenship. Not many players have represented six different clubs by the age of 21. Silva appeared for Fluminense back in 2010. In his wait for a work permit, he has subsequently played for Levante, Alcoyano, Ponferradina, Murcia and Almeria. He'll now be desperate to add a seventh club to that list in Arsenal.
Wellington possesses blistering pace, is excellent with the ball at his feet and despite his knack for scoring goals, he can provide solid service from wide areas. He is great at crossing, holding up the ball and dribbling. His passing can be improved and he is very weak in the air. His progress has somewhat stagnated over the last few years, which is unsurprising considering his young age and the fact he has spent the past few years on loan at a variety of different Spanish clubs. Yet he was recently called up to the Brazil Under 21 squad, certainly a step in the right direction. There are a lot of similarities with Neymar; pace, dribbling, tackling, crossing, drawing fouls, holding up the ball and short passes. One thing that is at the moment lacking is end-product. Yet he is only a year younger than Neymar, so his time is now.
Thievy Bifouma
Age: 22 |
Country: France |
Position: Forward |
Nickname: Thievy |
El Almería refuerza su ataque con el fichaje de Thievy http://t.co/FoTipDJ553 #fichajesUDA pic.twitter.com/uyi5iEJsQ3
— UD Almería (@U_D_Almeria) August 13, 2014
Josh Bland of Soccer Souls writes: "Spotted playing for Strasbourg as an 18-year-old in his native France's third division, Thievy was signed by Barcelona based club Espanyol (then managed by Mauriccio Pochettino) in 2010, and within weeks he had made his debut in team, impressing with a series of pacy displays. He firmly established himself as one of the hottest prospects in Spanish football at the start of the 2011-12 season when a 19-year-old Thievy scored a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Catalan Cup Final."
"Thievy's pace and ball skill was there for all to see, however, it quickly became clear that while he showed the occasional moment of brilliant technique he was inconsistent and there were question marks over whether or not he had the discipline to improve. He was subsequently loaned out to Spanish Second Division Side Las Palmas, where he scored an impressive 11 goals in 38 games (mostly playing from the wing) - enough to convince Espanyol to sign him to a long term contract until 2017."
Explosive speed, quick first step, havoc-like on defences, and a rocket for a left foot, Thievy holds a tremendous amount of talent. His primary asset is speed and that was one of Pepe Mel's first compliments of the then Espanyol loanee, per West Brom's official website: "He is quick, can score goals and is able to play across the front three positions." Thievy also has a real instinct for goal, and is technically a very gifted player. He is as Sid Lowe tweeted: "Erratic but very, very, very fast." His shooting accuracy is pretty good too. There is little doubt that he has the ability to succeed. Yet Thievy is inconsistent and it is uncertain whether he has the mental willpower to succeed.
Jonathan Zongo
Age: 21 |
Country: Burkino Faso |
Position: Winger/ Forward |
Nickname: Jonathan or Zongo |
Jonathan Zongo looks set to be up against Neymar once again this weekend. Check out the scouting report on Friday! pic.twitter.com/smPzAATt8q
— Ahmed Shahin (@AhmedShahin_AS) November 5, 2014
Skilful, fast and dangerous, Jonathan is unstoppable on his day. He can be very unpredictable though, and his career has been marked by ups and downs. Jonathan Zongo is another player with pace to burn. In contrast to many other wingers though, on top of possessing all the qualities an ideal winger would, he is also very strong in aerial duels and headed attempts. He holds the ball up well and likes to do flick ons. As a result, he brings a different dimension to the team and therefore usually starts in most games. There are sides to his game which he can improve, and this includes crossing, and crucially, finishing.
He once famously rejected a full professional contract extension and played for Almeria B for a few months as a result. Heath Chesters of Inside Spanish Football writes: "He was one of their key players last season in the Segunda a couple of seasons ago, whilst contracted to the club, his terms were akin to those of a youth player or a B team player. Almería were keen to sign him over to a full professional contract, but remarkably, Zongo declined the terms that were offered. Manager Francisco and club president were understandably perplexed at the time, pointing at poor advice the player was receiving from representatives."
Jonathan is another fantastic player with massive potential if he puts in the hard work.
Edgar Mendez
Age: 23 |
Country: Spain |
Position: Attacking Midfielder/ Winger |
Nickname: Edgar |
Édgar Méndez, entre los mejores rematadores de la Liga http://t.co/EDsDw9CnIJ pic.twitter.com/mlUu3JMlB9
— VAVEL España (@VAVELcom) October 23, 2014
Edgar Mendez graduated from Real Madrid's academy and made his debut with them in 2008 for their C team, he has since played for several teams, including Atletico Ciudad, Betis B, Merilla, Almeria B, Jaen and Tenerife, before cementing himself as a starter for Almeria this season. He is not only Almeria's top goalscorer so far this season, but he has an assist to boot.
Edgar Mendez is the name of the new sensation of Almería. He has the double status of currently being the team's best player and top scorer with two goals, as best illustrated at the Riazor where he scored the winning goal.
The striker recalled the development of the action that ended in a golazo. "There had been a pass. The fantastic initiation between Wellington and Thievy. I came, I struck it hard and luckily it went in," he said. "We are working and raising the game well and it is bearing fruit. Now we have to give joy to the fans at home," Edgar said.
Edgar Mendez smiles, but it has not always been so. In fact, he finished last year in Tenerife, after having started in Jaen, on loan from Almeria. And his service was discreet. So much so that he played 1149 minutes, mostly coming off the bench, this equalled 31 games between the two teams, with one goal against Ponferradina to show for it. In his first few games in La Liga, he has already doubled this goalscoring record for the season.
Tall, strong and cunning, Edgar Mendez is a menace to defences of all kinds. He is great at playing long-balls, cutting inside from the left onto his right foot, inverse Robben-esque. He also gets fouled often, likes to shoot from distance as the whole of Almeria generally does, likes to dribble, cross but the flip side is he commits quite a lot of fouls. He needs to improve his defending and discipline, passing, crossing and aerial duels against more aggressive centre-backs.
Edgar has come a long way and has the potential to go even further with a fantastic season.
Joaquín Navarro Jiménez
Age: 24 |
Country: Spain |
Position: Right-back |
Nickname: Ximo Navarro |
— Ximo Navarro (@ximo_navarro27) September 13, 2014
Ximo is a fast defender who excels at reading the game and snuffing out danger. He is all about sheer pace, strength and power. While most full-backs love to run up and down the flank in order to overlap their wingers and create on the offensive end, Ximo Navarro favours the defensive aspect of the game and stays put in his position. He is the ideal full-back because he knows how to defend.
Aside from loan spells with Recreativo de Huelva and Córdoba, Navarro is a product of the youth system at Mallorca, where he has been contracted thus far, during his professional career. Speaking with the official website of Almería, having had prior experience in the Primera with Mallorca, Navarro welcomed this opportunity to return to the Spanish top-flight.
"I take this as a good challenge for me to get back into the Primera and I hope to reciprocate the trust that Almería have placed in me."
Ximo is very strong at tackling and blocking the ball. He likes to dribble, cross and tackle. In terms of weaknesses, his aerial duels and discipline can be a bit lacking sometimes. Ximo certainly has the ability to play for a bigger club. He is the same age as Douglas and arguably just as good, if not better. Plus he knows Spanish football inside out. It's weird the way football works, sometimes.
Transfers
Almeria are one of the many clubs in La Liga who didn't spend much in transfer fees. Most of the transfers were either on a free or on loan.
Julián from Sevilla FC is the only signing UD Almeria made for a transfer fee (undisclosed).
They have brought in several players on a free, this includes Mauro dos Santos from Real Murcia, Quique from CD Guadalajara, Rubén from Rayo Vallecano, Tomer Hemed and Ximo Navarro both from RCD Mallorca.
Almeria have loaned in four players; namely, Wellington Silva from Arsenal FC, Thievy Bifouma from Espanyol, Teerasil Dangda from Muangthong Utd and Thomas from Atletico Madrid. Fran Vélez was promoted and has made two appearances in La Liga this season.
Almeria have had one high-profile departure. Aleix Vidal was arguably Almeria's best player last season and he left to Sevilla FC for £2,64.
Further to this, Raul Garcia, Marcelo Silva, Esteban and Rafita were allowed to leave on a free. Marcos Tébar and Óscar Díaz also left to Brentford and Real Valladolid respectively.
Form
The Andalusian club are 14th in the table but haven't won since their 1-0 victory over Deportivo in September. They have also lost three of their last four encounters, against Levante - a 2-2 draw being their best result in that run of games - and didn't score in those three games. There's also the factor that they don't score many goals. Many experts expect Almeria to be one of the three teams to go down, and whilst it is very much a possibility, I think they might have just enough about them to escape relegation and finish 17th, as they did last season. Yet for that to happen, they'll have to start getting results (and scoring goals), and fast.
Strategy
Unsurprisingly, Almeria don't keep the ball very much (they've got the third worst possession statistics in the league) but with so much pace existing within the team, their counter-attacks can be absolutely devastating at times, as best illustrated with Edgar's (golazo) winner against Deportivo. Navarro won the ball with a brilliant tackle. An all-around top defender. Wellington then went past a player as if he wasn't there and passed the ball to Thievy who cunningly dummied for Azeez to pass it to Edgar. Edger turned with his right foot and hit a rocket that found the net off the bar via a slight deflection. A golazo. Long balls and long shots are their forte.
Almeria's problem is that they are not scoring enough. They've only scored eight goals all season in La Liga so far and that's nowhere near good enough. Edgar is their top goalscorer with two goals and that tells you everything. They prefer to attack through the flanks, unsurprisingly given the number of quality wingers they have. The past year suggests they can be found wanting against the big teams. To their credit, they haven't lost by more than two goals all season, and even that, only once (against Villarreal).
A Few Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Almeria
The Libero Guide writes: "After a long line of short-lived clubs that failed to make the grade, Unión Deportiva Almería have at last brought regular, top-flight football to a city starved of it for decades. Indeed, after Almería Club de Fútbol, formed in 1989, had been renamed UD Almería in 2001, more than 8,000 fans turned up for the initial game with Cádiz, a huge number for the fourth-flight Segunda B. Three generations of fans had seen local clubs come and go. The most significant, AD Almería, had also turned out in red-and-white stripes and played at the Estadio Juan Rojas. Their two-season spell in the Primera came in 1979-81.
"Although not direct descendants, UD Almería were determined to set the record straight. Promoted to the Segunda in 2002, the Rojiblancos took four seasons to work their way to a second-placed finish and the Primera in 2007. Now based at the newly built Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos, leaving the reserve team to play at the Juan Rojas, Almería enjoyed a relatively stable debut season in the top flight. Long-term club captain, Almería-born attacking midfielder José Ortiz, and manager Unai Emery, helped steered them to an eighth-place finish, above Valencia and Athletic Bilbao."
"The Mediterráneo, by definition a multi-sports arena with a running track, has been gradually revamped to suit its main role as a venue for top-class football. Two main alterations have brought the crowd closer to the pitch. Though the venue still feels municipal, it retains its contemporary style thanks to its signature curving roof. Beneath, Fondos sit behind each goal, while the main Tribuna stand and Preferencia opposite, are also divided into upper and lower (Alta and Baja) tiers. Away fans are allocated a corner of the Preferencia."
"Strikers Pablo Piatti, a record signing at €8 million, and Álvaro Negredo, then arrived. Top scorer in his both of his two seasons at Almería, Negredo grabbed an impressive brace in a 4-1 win at Sevilla that encouraged the hosts to sign him up afterwards. Negredo's departure caused Almería to stumble, and the club finished bottom of La Liga during the three-manager season of 2010-11. It required another two seasons for the Rojiblancos to climb out of the Segunda - as well as 32 goals from prolific Brazilian striker Charles, since transferred to Celta de Vigo. His five goals in the 2013 promotion play-offs, though, saw Almería scrape past Las Palmas and sail past Girona. At the helm for Almería's precarious stay in the Primera is Francisco, the club's all-time record scorer from their rise through the ranks in the mid-2000s."
Predicted Line-up
Ruben will start in goal. The rest of the back five is also set in stone. Ximo Navarro will start on the right, Trujillo and Dos Santos as the centre-backs with Dubarbier as the left-back.
There is less certainty among the other positions. Partey will start as part of the double-pivot. He could start with Verza, Soriano, Azeez or Corona. I think Verza will start further forward as part of a more defensive-minded approach. I would put Partey with Azeez, but Corona and Soriano are options if Francisco decides to go with experience. Jonathan Zongo should start on the right side of midfield, Verza in the centre and Edgar on the left. Wellington and Soriano should be really good options off the bench.
The lone striker position will be between Hemed and Thievy. I think Hemed may be given the nod.
Possible XI (4-2-3-1): Ruben; Ximo Navarro, Trujillo, Dos Santos, Dubarbier; Partey, Azeez; Jonathan, Verza, Edgar; Hemed
Key Battles
With the fact that team battles are more pertinent, this week's edition will focus on team battles.
Ability to break down vs A compact defence: This is the battle which is usually key in this sort of matches. The attack usually either scores an early goal and then a few more, or does the opposite and struggles to even score one. There is no doubt that Barcelona will attack in numbers and Almeria will try to defend well and counter-attack. Almeria might struggle if Barcelona's front trio get it right. Yet a youthful Almeria team means it may take a while before they tire.
Counter-attack vs High defensive line: Almeria's couter-attack is nowhere near as good as Celta's, but it's still capable of causing Barcelona problems, especially at home. Villarreal's manager Marcelino said in the run-up to their match against Almeria (which the Yellow Submarine won 2-0, incidentally): "Almería is a strong team; they have a lot of pace and a strong counter-attack. We will have to choose well and not give them the advantage, we have to attack well and with judgement in order to not lose the ball and allow them counter attacks."
Set-pieces vs Set-pieces: How will the two teams fare in set-pieces? Villarreal's manager Marcelino said in the run-up to their match against Almeria: "[Almeria] are very strong in set-pieces with Verza, who is a great executor. It's a team with a good rhythm in the game, and they're strong in the battles. They will demand a lot from us in the physical aspect." Almeria have already scored three goals through set pieces this season (indeed they scored one just last week against Levante), with Barcelona scoring none.
Complacency vs Hunger: If Barcelona are complacent or simply not up to it then they will struggle, but with back-to-back La Liga defeats in the back of Barcelona's mind, they should be hungry.
Final Thoughts
Almeria's form is very poor at the moment and it's almost certain to get worse before it gets better. Almeria's head-to-head against Barcelona is as poor as it gets, with no wins in 12 meetings. It's almost impossible to envision it being another 8-0 like it was four seasons ago, it will instead remain competitive throughout. It must be noted that Almeria have failed to win at home so far this season. Yet Almeria have had the whole week to prepare for the match. Barcelona's plane back from Ajax was delayed until Thursday morning. The match in Almeria is on Saturday afternoon. It will probably be a win by two or three goals. I provisionally predict a 2-0 win to Barcelona.
There is a lot to respect about Almeria, not least the fact that they give younger players (and coaches!) a chance. I therefore wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season.
Which of the above players do you think will be the most successful and who will you be following closely? How do you rate them? Who will be Almeria's next Felipe Melo or Aleix Vidal? Let us know in the comments!
Thank you for reading, take care and goodbye until next time!