Oriol Romeu has had to bide his time for much of his career, but the former Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder is finally shining under Claude Puel at Southampton. Nick Wright charts his rise with the help of the man who brought him through the youth ranks at La Masia. Even the most optimistic Southampton supporters could have been forgiven for feeling nervous when the transfer window shut without the arrival of a Victor Wanyama replacement. His departure to Tottenham had left a huge hole at the base of their midfield, and a winless start to the Premier League season only added to the anxiety.As it turns out, they need not have worried. Southampton have made a habit of reinvention, and this year Oriol Romeu has been the biggest success story. The 25-year-old Spaniard started fewer than half of the Saints Premier League games in his first campaign on the south coast, but he has stepped into Wanyamas shoes and made an impressive impact this season. Southampton are looking up again. Romeu has played every minute of their five-game unbeaten run, and on Sunday in front of Pep Guardiola, the manager who gave him his debut at Barcelona back in 2010, he produced a man-of-the-match performance as Southampton claimed a 1-1 draw at Manchester City. Romeu successfully screened Southamptons back four against Man City Romeu might have lined up for the other side had things worked out differently, but this weekend he will be eager to impress more familiar faces when Southampton face his old club Chelsea. Its another stern test for Claude Puels side, and for Romeu its another reminder of a long, frustrating journey that began on the training pitches of La Masia.He came to us from Espanyols academy when he was 13, former Barcelona youth coach Pedro Abraham tells Sky Sports. The first year was difficult for him. He found it difficult to be an important player, but gradually he became indispensable. He was very intelligent and very serious. That was important for his development. He improved every year.In a youth team that included attacking talents such as Thiago Alcantara and Cristian Tello, Romeu was the no-frills midfielder who held it all together. He did the dirty work, as Abraham calls it. El trabajo sucio. It was a very good generation, says Abraham. Oriol played as the pivote in front of Marc Bartra and Martin Montoya, with Thiago further forwards. Romeu (37) made his Barcelona debut in the Spanish Super Cup in 2010 Thiago was the rising star - He had it all, recalls Abraham - but Romeu quietly carved out a reputation of his own. He was quite slow and didnt have an explosive turn of pace, but he knew how to use his body very well, says Abraham. He knew how to anticipate the play so you didnt see his lack of pace. By the time he was 15 or 16, you could see he was going to make it at the top level.Romeu spent two years with Abraham before becoming a key player in Luis Enriques Barcelona B, and it looked like he was destined for the first-team when Guardiola thrust him into the starting lineup for a Spanish Super Cup clash with Sevilla. Romeu acquitted himself well, but Barcelona had signed Javier Mascherano that summer. The youngster slipped down the pecking order before accepting an offer from Chelsea in 2011.Andre Villas-Boas said Romeu had a brilliant future when he was unveiled at Stamford Bridge alongside Romelu Lukaku. He soon broke into the team, but Chelsea were in the midst of a tumultuous period. Villas-Boas was sacked in March 2012, and Romeu only made two further appearances under Roberto Di Matteo that season. Romeu made 24 appearances in his first season at Chelsea Romeus prospects looked brighter when Rafa Benitez took over from Di Matteo, but a cruciate knee ligament injury in December 2012 was the next roadblock. The midfielder was ruled out for the rest of the season, and when he returned to fitness, Benitez had been replaced by Jose Mourinho and Romeu was sent on loan to Valencia.His progress was hampered by more injuries on his return to Spain, and there was further misfortune when he moved to Stuttgart for the 2014/15 campaign. The Bundesliga side sacked their manager Armin Veh after just three months, and Romeu spent the season battling against relegation in an unfamiliar environment. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. It was not easy. Between signing for Chelsea in 2011 and returning from his loan spell in Germany in 2015, Romeu had played under eight different managers in three different countries. It is only now, a year after making his permanent £5m switch to St Marys, that he has finally found stability. It is only now that he is finally fulfilling his potential.He needed that, says Abraham, who is now a coach for Marbella FC in the Spanish third tier. Its like when he came to Barcelona. He needed continuity and he needed to feel important. It was difficult for him at Chelsea after Villas-Boas left, but hes an intelligent boy and hes humble. He kept working and working and working and he has made the most of his opportunity. Romeu in action for Southampton in their goalless draw with Leicester Romeu has been one of the Premier Leagues best ball-winning midfielders this season. Danny Drinkwater, NGolo Kante and Jordan Henderson are the only outfield players to have recovered possession more times (76), and the Spaniard made more tackles against Manchester City (eight) than any other Southampton player has managed in a single game all season.Other areas of his game still need work, but Romeu is getting better with the ball, too. His passing accuracy has improved in each of the last three seasons, and Puel insisted he should be in contention for his first senior Spain call-up after he was named Southamptons player of the month for September. His work in every game is very important to the team, he said. Oriol Romeus passing stats Season Team Passing accuracy 2014/15 Stuttgart 83% 2015/16 Southampton 85% 2016/17 Southampton 89% Abraham has been similarly impressed. Romeu was seen as a possible heir to Sergio Busquets as a teenager, and his former coach still sees the similarities. Ok, hes not Iniesta or Xavi, he says. He is more physical than your typical Barcelona player, but for me he has a similar profile to Busquets. He is a bit stronger and not as technical, but he would have fought for that position. He gives a lot of balance to the team.Hes certainly striking the right balance for Southampton this season. Its been a long road for Romeu, but he has offset Wanyamas departure and the Saints are feeling the benefits. We are seeing that he can be a fundamental player for his team, says Abraham. Now he has many years ahead of him to keep improving. Southampton will be hoping it continues against Chelsea on Sunday.You can watch Premier League and EFL Cup football, plus Englands tour of Bangladesh and the Mexican Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy six months at half price! Also See: Man City v Southampton highlights Shaqiri tops power rankings Wholesale Custom Devils Shirts . 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Essendon coach John Worsfold says the new-look Bombers deserve to be recognised as frontrunners for a return to the AFL finals.The Bombers have welcomed back ten players, including stars Jobe Watson and Dyson Heppell, from drug bans that kept them sidelined for all of the past season.Add to that this years No.1 draft pick Andy McGrath, a mercurial key forward with massive potential in Joe Daniher and a young midfield star coming off a breakout year in Zach Merrett, and Worsfold has plenty to smile about.Much of the preseason hype has centred on other top-eight hopefuls but Worsfold is confident the Bombers can bounce back strongly from their bottom-placed finish this year.(Finals) has to be realistic, Worsfold said on Tuesday.Were one of (ten) clubs that didnt play finals last year that want to play finals this year. We think we deserve as much recognition as one of the teams that want to challenge for that top eight as Collingwood, Richmond, Melbourne, Carlton or Fremantle.As an experienced hand at the helm of a Bombers side decimated by their long-running supplements saga, Worsfold faced little scrutiny when the team managed just three wins in 2016.That certainly wont be the case in Worsfolds second year at Essendon, and he wouldnt want it any other way.I love (pressure), Worsfold said.Id rather havve that than people saying ah well, youre going to be last again.dddddddddddd Thats not a good position to be in.The better your squad becomes, the more expectation there is, and as coaches, we should be thriving on that.A key priority for the Bombers over the offseason is improving their firepower.Essendon were dead last in scoring last season, averaging just 65.31 points per game, compared to Adelaides competition-leading 112.86.Worsfold is hoping the addition of James Stewart from Greater Western Sydney, the return of swingmen Cale Hooker and Michael Hurley and the continued development of Orazio Fantasia will give Daniher plenty of help.Its certainly an area we have to improve on. Weve struggled to kick scores over the last few years, Worsfold said.Theres been a massive amount of expectation on (Daniher) as a rookie but hes not a rookie anymore. Hes now developed to the point where we know how well he can impact and hes got that support around him now.Its okay having talent there (but) if you dont get it in there quick, it plays into the oppositions hands. We want to move the ball a lot more cleanly through the midfield and from the back half to get it inside 50 quick. ' ' '
