IBWM

Yann M’Vila 22 Midfielder Rennes

One year ago, Yann M’Vila appeared to be a young midfielder with the footballing world at his feet. Established in the French national team at the young age of 21 and with a long line of potential suitors ready to take him off Rennes’ hands at the conclusion of Euro 2012; M’Vila looked set to fulfil his footballing potential before most have had a look in.

He is a player that possesses every skill required to be the stand-out defensive midfielder of his generation. On the face of it; that doesn’t sound like the sexiest of propositions for any player but defensive midfield is an area that has changed dramatically in the last few seasons. It’s no longer about a player throwing their weight around or constantly scurrying across the park to break up play. An elegant balance to combine shielding the defence with setting attacks in motion is required and M’Vila, at his best, strikes it perfectly.

Having joined Rennes in 2004, Yann was quickly identified as future star of the club. In the first four years, he played a key role in the youth side claiming a number of important trophies before signing his first professional contract with the club.

By the time M’Vila made his first-team debut in August 2009, everyone around the club were vividly aware that they had a special talent on their hands. Few that had aided his development were surprised that by the end of that first season in and around the Rennes first team, he was already in contention for the full French national side. Raymond Domenech included him in his preliminary squad of 30 players for the World Cup in South Africa. It’s probably to his benefit that he wasn’t a part of that ill-fated trip.

The incredible rise continued into the following season. He starred for Rennes in the league as they set themselves up for a fine sixth-place finish as well as establishing himself in Laurent Blanc’s France team. M’Vila, and others, were “clean” of any involvement in what happened at Knysna as France crashed out of the World Cup and as such, was seen as an important part of the “new France” team.

Crucially for the player, he began to show real signs that he was developing into a really mature footballer. His biggest weakness, impulsive mistakes, had been the downfall of his early years but they were cut out of his game more and more.

Unfortunately for Yann, his career has constantly been blotted by a string of misdemeanours. Just as the furore of one seems to die down, he gets involved again where he shouldn’t. While on international duty, he was robbed by a woman that he met in a nightclub and took back to his hotel room.

Following a surprising defeat in the Coupe de France with Rennes, M’Vila had a run-in with some angry supporters and then a few weeks later, he was accused of hitting a 17 year-old and held by the police for 24 hours.

Following each occasion, M’Vila’s form dipped but not enough to warrant a shunning by either club or country. They were the honest mistakes of a young, impressionable man. Eventually, after the attention of each situation disappeared; M’Vila returned to his usual self.

During the Euro 2012 quarter-final against Spain, M’Vila was substituted by Blanc in favour of Olivier Giroud. The midfielder wasn’t pleased with the decision and stormed past both Giroud and Blanc on his way to the bench. It warranted a warning from the French Football Federation and instruction to watch his behaviour.

Unfortunately, his latest off-the-field antics will have repercussions for the next two seasons and should prove harder for the player to move past. Having started the season out of the Rennes first-team, M’Vila has yet to be called up for international duty by Didier Deschamps. Instead, he was called upon by Erick Mombaerts for the under-21s crucial play-off with Norway.

Following a 1-0 win in the home leg, M’Vila was praised by Mombaerts for his influence on the squad; using his experience with the senior team to help the others around him. However, on the Saturday night in-between the two legs, M’Vila and four team-mates headed for a night out in Paris. They made the near 250 mile round-trip (two hours or so each way) from their base in Le Havre for the glitz and glamour of the capital. We’ve all been there. There is nothing quite like the temptation of a few beers on what should be a school night although the effort does seem a little excessive.

France crashed to a 5-3 defeat in the away leg (three days later) and as such, M’Vila and his cohorts, Chris Mavinga, Wissam Ben Yedder, Antoine Griezmann and M’Baye Niang were reprimanded by the FFF. Their night out wasn’t to blame for the defeat but in light of the under-21 side letting a glorious position slip; it didn’t help the players’ case.

As M’Vila was seen as the ring leader and the French football authorities are getting ahead of themselves with punishments of late, the midfielder was banned from international team duty for 20 matches or approximately 25 matches. Ultimately, he’s out of contention to go to the World Cup in Brazil, assuming France qualify.

The punishment is far too harsh, as brilliantly argued by Andrew Gibney here, but it’s something that continues to remind interested managers that the biggest thing holding the midfielder back right now is his attitude.

On the pitch, M’Vila has everything in his game to be a star of world football. Great passing ability and the awareness to find space in one of the most congested areas of the pitch, it’s unsurprising that Arsenal were for a long time seen as the favourites to take him away from Ligue 1. His ability to avoid the lure of going forward and remain smartly positioned is something the Gunners could do with this season and his natural leadership skills mark him out as a man capable of wearing the captain’s armband at the Emirates. Yes, we’re aware we’ve pigeon-holed him as the new Patrick Vieira. Trust us, it works.

The fact that M’Vila remains a Rennes player tells you all you need to know about where the interest has gone. The potential line of suitors that were around this time last year either lost interest or lowered the price they were willing to pay. Arsenal are said to have completely cooled their interest in a player that they spent over 18 months watching.

Right now, there is too much nonsense surrounding the player to tempt the very biggest clubs to take a chance on him. Rennes are unlikely to let such an asset leave at a cheap price even if isn’t playing nearly as much as he has in previous years.

We have no little doubt that M’Vila could anchor any midfield in any league in the world if he got his head down, worked hard and played as well as he has previously shown. If he uses his time away from international football to his advantage, he can knuckle down and ensure that when the next World Cup is out of the way all is forgotten.

It might just be that Yann needs a change of scenery to do that.

“The talent is there, unfortunately it seems to be his attitude that isn't quite right. Needs guidance under the right manager.” – Andrew Gibney (French Football Weekly)

D A move might just be what is needed to get things back on track. Won’t be going as high as everyone originally expected

Xherdan Shaqiri 21 Midfielder Bayern Munich

Comparisons aren’t everything, but sometimes they can be useful. Often a direct analysis of how one player performs in his role compared against another individual that plays in the same position can tell you a lot. The number of crosses whipped in, the number of goals scored - yes, that works. But then, there are other things to consider. Those contextual issues that you might not immediately pick up on. How was the team playing? What was the role the coach selected for the player? Did they need to play defensively/offensively? Was keeping a close eye on an opponent the main job rather than supporting a striker?

But let’s do some comparison on how the last twelve months have played out for three players that we identified on this list in December 2011. Three players that operate in midfield, but whose roles are different. Nonetheless, their careers - so far - are inexplicably linked, and not just because we tipped them for big things in 2012. We are going to go Takashi Usami, the Japanese midfielder, Pajtim Kasami the wayward Fulham youngster, and Xherdan Shaqiri, the golden boy of Swiss football.

Comparing Shaqiri and Kasami is a fairly obvious one. Both are of Albanian descent and both have played at junior international level for Switzerland. Despite being only eight months older than Kasami, Shaqiri’s career so far has been light years ahead of his compatriot. Whilst Kasami has been a regular for the Swiss under 21’s, Shaqiri was rapidly fast tracked to the full national side and, to date, has hit an impressive seven goals in 22 international appearances. With a low centre of gravity and a frame that lends itself to the description ‘stocky’, Shaqiri could perhaps just as easily run through defenders as he can run past them.

That proved the case in club football with Basel as the two footed wide man excelled, twice winning the double. As an out and out winger, or as an explosive second striker, Shaqiri’s stock was at its highest following Basel’s demolition of Manchester United in the Champions League just over a year ago. With two assists in the match, the Kosovo born youngster received widespread acclaim and attention from a global audience.

Whether that was the moment in which Bayern Munich decided that Shaqiri was the man for them, we can’t really speculate on here, but the decision to make a secure at all costs bid to Basel for their new superstar coincided with a decision not to exercise an option to buy Takashi Usami. That’s our ménage á trois, and if we are going to continue with the comparisons, Shaqiri looked, and continues to look a much better player than the Japanese starlet. With that in mind, Bayern’s decision was no great surprise.

So far this season, Shaqiri has performed well in a limited number of games for Bayern. He’s done everything that has been asked so far, and with the ageing and ever more fragile Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry his only true hurdles to claiming a place Jupp Heyncke’s first eleven, thinks could not look rosier. It’s been a good year for those roses.

That said though, in our opinion, Shaqiri will need to expand his repertoire a little further. Definitely too good for the Swiss League, he has the ability to become a headline grabber in the Bundesliga, but being effective at Germany’s top level may still not be enough to guarantee long term involvement at a club that will be ruthless in its attempts to succeed.

Used mainly as an impact sub so far, Shaqiri’s strength and pace, not to mention the explosive power contained in his boots, highlight a player that will terrify tiring defences across Europe. But to become a true global star, and we suspect that this is the level Bayern are aspiring, Shaqiri needs to show more in the way of intelligence and nous. There will be occasions when a herding toward the corner flag by a doubled up group of defenders is not a problem, but on others, he will need to think about how he positions himself and where the smart ball needs to be played.

Shaqiri has more than enough about him to suggest he is never going to be just a one trick pony, but Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller are clever cohorts and as they develop further as players, their Swiss friend will need to ensure he is on the same wavelength to truly succeed.

"When quizzed on his Ram-Man resemblance, Shaqiri says: "My father looked like this. I'm naturally this way." Besides, it's skill as much as strength that makes him stand out. But his physique invites inventive descriptions. Swiss newspaper Blick like to use 'Zauberwürfel', meaning... Rubik's Cube." - Jon Holmes (Sky Sports)

C+ Going well, let’s see how things are this time next year

Wojciech Szczęsny 22 Goalkeeper Arsenal

It was going to take some character to replace Jens Lehmann. The Teutonic Terror gave so much more to Arsenal than great goalkeeping: he was a giant physically and culturally at the London club, and finding a custodian to fill his boots was never going to be easy. While other goalkeepers had their opportunities, Wojciech Szczęsny - highly rated while on loan at Brentford - was quickly picked out by many as Lehmann's true heir.

Szczęsny quickly became a vital presence in Arsene Wenger's Gunners side and became known as much for his candid tweets as for his burgeoning reputation between the posts. Szczęsny is more than just a goalkeeper. He's confident, mouthy, endlessly entertaining - in many ways, he's delightfully old school. For a 22-year-old he imposes himself extremely well on and off the pitch, no mean achievement in the shadow of the mad master. With the Polish international standing at a not inconsiderable 6' 5", it probably shouldn't be a surprise.

Szczęsny has all the makings of a top class goalkeeper. He uses his size well to command his penalty area as assuredly as any other 'keeper in the Premier League, bellowing advice and orders to his defence and making sure everyone on both sides know exactly where he is. Sadly, his vocal presence doesn't always mean good organisation.

Since coming through the ranks at Arsenal after moving to London from Legia Warsaw, Szczęsny has established himself as a regular starter for one of the biggest clubs in England and has graduated from Poland's Under-21s to the senior team.

For all these reasons it is perhaps a surprise that Szczęsny has stalled in 2012. After an excellent start to last season, he endured a less than spectacular Premier League run-in with UEFA Euro 2012 looming. It was a tournament that should have been the making of him, but in Poland's opening match as co-hosts against Greece it all went wrong.

Poland led at the break through Robert Lewandowski's goal, but early in the second half the world got a glimpse of Szczęsny's rash side. Dimitris Salpingidis went through on the Polish goal and was unceremoniously dumped over by the Arsenal goalkeeper, whose tournament was ended by his red card and the form of his replacement, Przemysław Tytoń. The penalty was scored and Poland were destined to be eliminated after three matches.

In that moment, Szczęsny demonstrated a big weakness in his game. In one-on-one situations, the giant Pole can be dangerously eager and prone to a rush of blood. Some Arsenal fans would argue that the biggest weakness of his game, the flaw that acts as the source of all the others, is a lack of calmness and composure.

On top of that, his kicking isn't always the best and there is a case to be made that Szczęsny fails to save some of the shots he should be halting. Thankfully, shot-stopping is an aspect of his game that has been back on track at times this season.

Nevertheless, his place may have been in doubt in recent months. With injuries to both Szczęsny and his compatriot Lukasz Fabianski, Vito Mannone enjoyed an extended run in the team. Szczęsny has been characteristically open in his self-criticism since his return to action - in December he pointed out that he doesn't feel he's done enough to impress Wenger - and he may yet pay the price. While undoubtedly inferior to at least one of his Polish counterparts, it was reported earlier in the season that Mannone could be in line to take over as first choice.

Mannone failed to grab his opportunity, but has Szczęsny progressed this year? After a stellar ending to 2011, it's difficult to argue that he's moved forwards in 2012. How much of that is down to Arsenal's relative decline in general is up for debate.

"Is it possible for the jury still to be out on Szczęsny?" - Jeff Livingstone (IBWM)

C- A fixture for club and making headway for country, but for how long?

Valon Berisha 19 Midfielder Salzburg

Another player of Kosovar stock, Valon (and his younger brother Veton, also a talented footballer) was born in Sweden. Growing up in Norway, he spent his early years at local club Egersunds IK where his technique, poise and balance were noted from an early age.

Invited for trials with a number of English clubs, the teenager opted to remain in his home country and, after making a third division debut for EIK at 15, joined Viking FK of Stavanger in 2009. A Tippeligaen debut for De Mørkeblå, when Berisha was still just 17, against Brann followed on 21 March 2010.

Valon Berisha had long since been marked out as a player of enormous potential and has been somewhat fortunate to progress through the various levels of international football without overly excessive hype. The reason for this is that Norway are really starting to turn out some fine players and Berisha is in good company alongside Magnus Eikrem, Markus Henriksen, Havard Nielsen, Harmeet Singh, Jo-Inge Berget and several others.

That’s not to say praise hasn’t been lavish at home. In 2010, Viking youth team coach Jone Mathisen described Berisha as “The most exciting footballer I have ever seen” and former Viking manager Åge Hareide was just as complimentary; “Valon is perhaps the very best (Norwegian player he has worked with). There is only Ole Gunnar Solskjær who can reach up to what he has to show."

Considered something of a left field choice for The 100 by many, we watched Berisha quite regularly before announcing this list in December 2011. We liked what we saw, so the praise is easy to understand. Pretty much identifiable as the future of Norwegian football, Berisha does not fit the stereotype of imposing centre forwards and towering centre backs usually associated with the Scandinavian nation. He is very different and has more of a Latin air to his play.

Not long after we selected him, Berisha was the subject of much transfer speculation, but endeared himself to us greatly by being regularly quoted in the Norwegian press suggesting that his next move would be a gentle step, rather than a leap. With interest from English clubs remaining strong, Berisha was expected to move to the Netherlands as the next stage of his footballing education. However it was to the Austrian Bundesliga and the relative riches of Red Bull at Salzburg which proved the most enticing.

While Austrian league football doesn’t always prove to be a springboard to success, the move, to us at least, looks tremendously sensible. Berisha, now a full international at 19, is a first team player and has already shown that the impact he made in Norway is more than likely to be repeated in his adopted home.

At present, Salzburg are tussling with Austria Wien for top spot and this is a battle that is likely to continue through the season. As things stand, Wien’s free scoring striker Philipp Hosiner is receiving the most plaudits in the division. Nonetheless, we’ve seen enough of Berisha recently to suggest that he may be the player who really stands out by the end of term. If the league is new to you we’d encourage you to check in via the many streams that are available these days, it’s going to be quite a battle.

A genuinely two footed skilful attacker with a dash of Paul Gascoigne thrown in. A dribble king with a ridiculously low centre of gravity and a brain that is completely switched on off the football field as well as on it. We’d wager that you’ll be hearing an awful lot more about the magician from Malmo – as well as his equally special younger sibling - in years to come.

"There is a risk that people might be duped into thinking Berisha is just for the YouTube nutmeg archive, but watch him regularly and you'll see the swift thinking and slick movement that mean this boy is going to be a star." - Jeff Livingstone (IBWM)

C+ We are MASSIVELY excited about this kid. He is just going to make you feel ALIVE!

Toni Kroos 22 Midfielder Bayern Munich

“Unbeatable for years to come”. Not an idle boast, but a very reasonable assessment of the future for a unified German Football Team, declared by none other than Franz Beckenbauer after leading his charges to victory in the World Cup Final of 1990. Very reasonable because of the calibre of personnel available to future Nationalmannschaft coaches with a pool of personnel which included the current World Champions from the West, but also a highly technical legion of talented footballers from East Germany.

While not entirely ‘unbeatable’, the newly unified Germany was in good shape during the early 1990’s. Finalist, Quarter Finalists and winners in their next three international tournaments, things looked as good as ever, but by 1998 issues that had been raised by several commentators within German football were beginning to look very significant.

Suggestions that the Bundesliga, drunk on money generated by rapidly increasing TV and sponsorship deals so commonplace around Europe at the time, had become a league of mercenaries were beginning to look true. An influx of expensive foreign recruits, a shift in focus away from the national team and towards self-absorbing club sides were not the German way. Debt was becoming a problem and, more significantly, the question for watchers of the German national team was all too obvious; where were the new players?

It took the perfect storm of failure at France 98, the fragmentation of national youth coaching and the collapse of the Kirsch Media Group for Germany to put its house in order. At national level, things were not working and the groundwork undertaken by Beckenbauer and a number of other visionaries at the end of the 90’s has manifested itself into a full blown production line now.

With the buy-in of Bundesliga clubs, Germany is in the rudest of rude health at both club and international level. While Spain will continue to take the plaudits, we are only really at phase one of a new Germany right now. Where Schweinsteiger, Podolski and Lahm made the first inroads, Müller, Ozil and Khedira soon followed. The next batch looks better again.

At the forefront of the newest Germany is a player that was described in 2010 by Werner Kern, head of player development at Bayern Munich, as, “the most naturally gifted player I have seen since Karl Heinz Ruminegge”. That player is Toni Kroos.

The coaching staff at Bayern were already well aware what a wonderfully gifted player they had on their books in 2009, but opted to send the precocious Kroos out on loan to Bayer Leverkusen to gain first team experience and to get to grips with the Bundesliga.

The move was a resounding success; Kroos had been a stand out performer for the Workself and returned to Munich in prime condition. Yet there remained some doubts within the club. Kroos’ talent was so abundant that he had, on occasion, been forced to play with no boots as a youth player, so far was he ahead of the players in his age group. With the Leverkusen stint just adding to the clear confidence Kroos had in his own ability, there remained a tendency to coast through matches, rather than become completely ruthless. Hardly a trait that sits well in Germany.

However, since the turn of this year, whatever it is that Bayern have done, Kroos looks a truly imperious player now. While many foreign observers will point to how impressed they have been by Thomas Müller’s ascendance, we will say this: Toni Kroos is a much better player and will be the focal point through which all attacking play will channel for club and country for the next decade.

Versatile, creative, strong, intelligent – all of these traits are in evidence. This time last year, we’d have picked out Mario Götze as the best thing happening in German football, but right now it’s the boy that would have been playing for East Germany had things been different If we have any criticism at all, it is that we still maintain a sense that the true Toni Kroos is not yet fully visible

In terms of mark, there’s a very valid argument for giving a young man from Griefswald an A, so important has he become for club and country, but are we really witnessing a player operating at full tilt? Not for us we aren’t. There is a lot more to come.

Magnificent at times, if he can engage that extra gear, then the prospect of the next best player in the world being German is entirely plausible.

"There are times when football just looks too easy for Toni Kroos, it'll be interesting to see how well he maintains focus over the next few years. If he does, he'll be a monster." - Jeff Livingstone (IBWM)

B The voyage to legendary status has already begun

PlayerToni Kroos

TeamFC Bayern München

Appearances24

Starts20

Minutes On Pitch1,750

Goal Attempts

Goals6

Mins per goal291.67

Headed goals0

Right footed goals5

Left footed goals1

Goals inside box4

Goals outside box2

Penalty goals0

Direct free kick goals0

Shots31

Shots On Target17

Shots Off Target14

Shooting Accuracy55%

Chance Conversion19%

Blocked shots9

Passing

Touches1596

Touches per game66.5

Goal Assists5

Key Passes42

Total Passes1,260

Pass Completion %89%

Pass Completion in final third %82%

Duels

Duels245

Duels won %49%

Crossing

Total Crosses92

Cross Completion %30%

Dribbling

Dribbles & Runs48

Dribble Completion %56%

Defending

Tackles Made44

Tackles Won %82%

Blocks0

Clearances3

Interceptions28

Discipline

Fouls27

Fouls won41

Offside5

Yellow Cards1

Thibaut Courtois 20 Goalkeeper Chelsea (on loan at Atlético Madrid)

It happens every once in a while. A European nation, not normally recognised as one of the continent’s big players, produces a group of individuals that offer the chance of real international elevation for a few years before drifting back to the wilderness. Consider Hagi’s Romania and perhaps Stoichkov’s Bulgaria as semi-recent examples. Football moves in cycles, and in amongst the clubs and countries currently residing in the doldrums and wastelands of the good game, lie a group that are rebooting their whole set up, gearing a brighter future.

Getting it right isn’t always easy. You can get the structure in place, employ the right people in the right jobs, but if the talent just isn’t there, then you have a problem.

For Belgium, talent has never really been an issue, maintaining consistency though, has.

Missing out on five of seven World Cups prior to1982, the Diables Rouges were present in the final stages of the Spanish version and at each of the subsequent five tournaments. 1986 proved a high water mark as Belgium made the semi-finals only to suffer at the hands of Maradona’s Argentina, and the red devils were hugely unlucky to lose out to David Platt’s late, late winner against England at Italia 90. With the backbone of a side that, at various stages, included Ceulemans, Gerets, Pfaff, Preud’homme, Wilmots and the enigmatic Scifo, Belgium could be relied upon to get there, without necessarily ripping up any trees.

With qualification for only one of the last seven European Championships occurring due to their status as hosts, and with the disappointment of missing out on two consecutive World Cups fresh in the mind, it must be time for that cycle to spin back round in Belgium’s’ favour. And it has. In very big fashion.

Usually a country can rely on producing two or three very good players in one go, for Belgium, the jackpot has been truly hit with a group that has the potential to outstrip any others in the history of the country’s national football team.

Lukaku, Benetke and Mirallas as forwards still have work to do to master their position, but the prospect of midfield support arriving from Hazard, Witsel, De Bruyne, Dembélé, Chadli and Fellaini eases the burden of goalscoring duties somewhat. So just an attack minded team then? Not at all. Consider that defensive ranks are bolstered by such excellent players as Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Kompany and Vertonghen, you can see why excitement is high in Brussels and beyond. And remember, all this is before we’ve considered a strong group of even younger players, with the excellent Dennis Praet at the centre of things.

And so we come to goalkeepers. A weakness here perhaps? Not at all, in fact there may be an argument to suggest that this might just turn out to be the strongest position of all. While Simon Mignolet has received praise for his development at Sunderland, the long term prospects of a rapidly improving goalkeeper remain in the shadow of one of Europe’s finest custodians, still just 20 years old.

Incredibly tall, but with breathtaking agility, Thibaut Courtois managed fourteen clean sheets during Genk’s 2010-11 title winning season. Whilst a strong defence made a difference, there were times when the young keeper was positively outstanding. If nerves were present, they were never on display.

Playing to that standard is going to attract attention, and as part of their current remit to secure some of the world’s best young footballers, London club Chelsea confirmed Courtois’ signature on a five year contract in July 2011.

With the ink still wet on said document, Chelsea confirmed that Courtois would not be joining their first team squad immediately, but would instead move on loan to Madrid to replace the departing David De Gea at Atlético.

Unquestionably, De Gea, a popular figure at the Vicente Calderón, would be a hard act to follow, but while Radamel Falcao was doing his thing at one end, Courtois has continued to keep his team in the running at the other.

Now something of a veteran with more than sixty games for Los Colchoneros, Courtois has picked up exactly where he left off with Genk. A league title in Belgium was followed by Europa League success with Atlético.

While many will suggest that the current purple patch being enjoyed in the red and white part of Madrid is almost entirely down to a certain Colombian goalscoring machine, the input of colleagues, and his colleague in goal in particular should not be overlooked. At time of writing, Atlético have one of the best defences in the Primera División, and have conceded fewer goals then Barcelona. All the more impressive when you consider that five of the thirteen goals that have passed were notched in high scoring victories over Rayo Vallecano and Betis, with Courtois not even featuring in the latter.

Right now there are few, if any goalkeepers playing as well as the Bree born youngster. Brilliant at capturing the high the balls and those pesky in/outswinging crosses, Courtois can also deal comfortably with the low stuff too. Gets down well, gets up well.

It’s very apparent as to why Chelsea sent goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon to Belgium to see a potential signing performing well, and if he still makes the trip to Spain, the subsequent reports will continue to gush accordingly. Over the next ten years, there may turn out to be better goalkeepers in World football, but right now, we know who our money is on.

"Look closely and you'll see trembling hands in Petr Cech's gloves. This young Belgian means business and despite his young age has the wise head and moves to be a top class Goalkeeper. Hasn't put a hand wrong at Atleti." - David Cartlidge (Spanish Football Correspondent)

B Wow. Remind us, at what age do goalkeepers peak?

Thiago Alcântara 21 Midfielder Barcelona

To understand where we are now with Thiago perhaps the best thing to do is to look at where we’ve come from. This time last year the football Twitterati along with the great and the good were all locked in a collective drool over a player who already looked like Xavi-incarnate. He had not so much burst onto the scene as casually played a one-two with it and then expertly rounded the scene’s keeper to finish from a tight angle. Thiago 1 Scene 0.

We were also under the same spell as everyone else, his report in last year’s 100 absolutely glowing. We gave him a B and not only described him as potentially the most exciting player in the entire list, we also felt he may make the move for Cesc Fábregas a redundant gesture in years to come. Perhaps the highest praise we gave him was that we felt he was becoming ‘…the attacking midfielder’s attacking midfielder’, a bold claim but at that moment in time a correct one. He was the outstanding prospect in European youth football and he had broken into the match-day squad of one of the greatest teams in the history of the game.

Thiago was, to use an absolutely terrible expression that we promise not to revisit any time soon, ‘the man’.

So on to 2012 and bigger and better things then? Well yes and no - he has further cemented his place as a huge part of Barcelona’s future midfield but it has also been the year realism set in. After 12 months of sensational goals, international recognition, a new contract and massive claims about his talent in 2011, this year has been more about trying to find a consistent level of form, being dogged by injury and discovering a bit about the character required to keep working through several disappointments.

Having finished last season in the first team and playing well, it was clear he was growing as a player. The sensationalism had died down a little and been replaced by a hard working footballer who fitted the Barca mold perfectly thanks to his schooling there. Just as Pep left and the succession plan was already in place in the form of Tito Vilanova, it seemed Xavi and Iniesta would one day simple step aside for Cesc and Thiago with the minimum of fuss.

In the season’s Copa del Rey final he picked up the first big injury of his Barca first team career. A knock on the leg seemed relatively innocuous but was diagnosed as an edema and needed serious attention. Recovery was monitored carefully to ensure there would be no lasting damage but he missed Spain’s Olympic campaign and all of pre-season meaning no chance to run back into form gradually.

Having been carefully bought back into the first team he then picked up another injury that ruled him out for a further 8 weeks. At the time of writing he has just made his comeback from this setback and has been plunged straight back into first team affairs. Make no mistake about it, as much as should be made of the succession plan that will see him play a huge role in the club’s future, he also has a part to play right now and Barca’s wonderful but relatively thin squad would welcome an injury-free few months ahead.

So a difficult few months but he will have learnt an enormous amount about himself during the time spent on the treatment table. The hype was all well and good but working to get back from injury will have done a great deal for his character. Throughout his career his father Mazinho has worked to keep both Thiago and his brother Rafa (also a resident at La Masia, also an attacking midfielder getting a reputation as a huge prospect for the future) grounded and so far so good. As huge a talent as he is, there is very little arrogance or entitlement on show from what we can see. He remains the player we talked so excitedly of last year despite a slightly stunted 12 months and the expectations are just as high.

The future for Thiago appears to be mapped out for him. Not only does he inherit Xavi’s mantel at Barca but he also takes it in the national team. He slips seamlessly into both roles and remains a humble genius throughout, going on to have a career played out from start to finish at the very highest levels of the game. He retires with hundreds of Barca appearances to his name, several trophies and with the minimum of fuss as the new Thiago has been playing alongside him for some time by this point.

Now on paper that seems simple but we know in reality anything can happen from serious injury to loss of form. From what we’ve seen over the last 12 months we believe his character is stronger than most and between his coaches and his family he’ll be abundantly aware that nothing comes unless he continues to work hard. Thiago is a superstar right now but the weight of expectation of his future doesn’t seem to faze him.

Injury and development may have made this year a C but it shouldn’t be viewed as a step back from last year’s mark. In 2011 he earned a B on the back of a talent few knew about before. This year he has taken being a marked man in his stride and grown accordingly. Thiago is one of the biggest talents on this list just as he was on last year’s, get used to him, he’s going to be around the highest level of the game for a long time to come.

''He's a cracking talent with a gigantic future ahead of him, just hopefully this season and next year the injuries are kinder to him. He's got what it takes to shine at this level, I don't think there's much doubt and he's already proved it to a certain extent, with a lot of hard work and determination he'll one day become Xavi's replacement within this side''– Gary Linton (Inside La Liga)

“Sharp, confident and intelligent as always few move on the Camp Nou surface with such brilliance. Given the company he keeps that's some compliment. Injuries continue to drag him down though, and it's frustrating not to see him more.” – David Cartlidge (Spanish Football Correspondent)

C A very good 2011, a more realistic 2012 for a fantastic player who’ll be around that Barca midfield for years and years

PlayerThiago Alcántara

TeamBarcelona

Appearances17

Starts13

Minutes On Pitch1,100

Goal Attempts

Goals1

Mins per goal1100.0

Headed goals1

Right footed goals0

Left footed goals0

Goals inside box1

Goals outside box0

Penalty goals0

Direct free kick goals0

Shots16

Shots On Target8

Shots Off Target8

Shooting Accuracy50%

Chance Conversion6%

Blocked shots5

Passing

Touches1417

Touches per game83.4

Goal Assists1

Key Passes20

Total Passes1,178

Pass Completion %92%

Pass Completion in final third %88%

Duels

Duels165

Duels won %60%

Crossing

Total Crosses18

Cross Completion %22%

Dribbling

Dribbles & Runs45

Dribble Completion %58%

Defending

Tackles Made43

Tackles Won %91%

Blocks1

Clearances9

Interceptions32

Discipline

Fouls14

Fouls won25

Offside2

Yellow Cards3

Takashi Usami 20 Midfielder Gamba Osaka (on loan at Hoffenheim)

Before he became, somewhat bizarrely, involved with Plymouth Argyle in the late noughties, Yasuhiko Okudera blazed a trail as the first Japanese footballer to play in Europe.

Okudera arrived at FC Köln after being spotted by Foals coach Hennes Weisweiler whilst on tour with the sporting arm of the Furukawa Electric Co Ltd in 1977 and over the next ten years, would be a regular face in the starting lineups of the aforementioned Köln, Hertha and Werder Bremen.

His legacy was guaranteed, but it took time for Japanese players to really break through in Germany. Junichi Inamoto and Naohiro Takahara enjoyed reasonable success during brief stints with Hamburger SV over the last decade, but the meteoric rise of Shinji Kagawa at Borussia Dortmund over the last few years has occupied the thoughts of many.

To suggest that Kagawa’s impact at Dortmund scrambled the scouting networks of Germany’s top clubs would perhaps be a little unfair. Nonetheless it’s worth noting that during 2012, no fewer than 10 Japan born players were involved with Bundesliga clubs. During the intervening thirty years from Okudera’s 1977 arrival and 2007, that number stood at a total of three.

So is that a reflection of Japan’s improved standing within world football, or just a host of clubs wanting in on whatever Dortmund were doing?

“"The Japanese are disciplined, hard-working and obedient toward the team. They have speed, technique and discipline." That’s how the now jobless Felix Magath summed things up a little earlier this year, and his comments support a growing attraction for all things Nippon in the Bundesliga.

In late 2010, Bayern Munich were extremely impressed by Gamba Osaka’s 18 year old attacking midfielder Takashi Usami. Despite being named as the J-League’s best young player, Bayern decided against the outright purchase of Usami in June 2011, and instead opted to take the player on a season long loan, with a view to purchase.

Training regularly with the first team, Usami was given some game time and managed three Bundesliga appearances for his new club. While not an absolute standout performer, Usami did ok in three matches against Wolfsburg, Werder and Stuttgart, in which he was on the winning side each time. A series of good displays for Bayern’s second team bode well for the young man, and while it wouldn’t be fair to suggest that Usami could have done no more, he had certainly performed adequately for a young player making his first steps at a new club on a new continent.

Sadly for Usami, performing adequately was never going to be enough for a club which ended the season being stung badly by a second consecutive title win for Borussia Dortmund, and a heartbreaking European Cup final defeat at the hands of Chelsea. A strong and lively midfield where widemen Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben were ably assisted in attack by Toni Kroos, Luis Gustavo and, on occasion, Thomas Muller and David Alaba, and with Mitchell Weiser and Emre Can already well regarded within the club competition for places at the Allianz Arena was always likely to be tough, to the point of near impossible. Long before the big money purchases of Javi Martinez and Xherdan Shaqiri were completed, and well in advance of Matthias Sammer’s elevation to the sporting director role, Takashi Usami’s services were declared to be no longer required and the player was informed in February that he would be allowed to return to Osaka.

While a return home and the chance of megastar status in his native Japan may have appealed, he had no intention of returning home just yet. Having made the move to Germany, Usami confirmed in several interviews that he was determined to seize the opportunity to make it in the Bundesliga. Talks were held with a number of clubs alerted by Munich’s decision and while Fortuna Dusseldorf appeared to be the destination of choice for a long while, the chance of first team football with Hoffenheim proved the most tempting.

What is clear now, is that the experience of training regularly with such a high calibre of player at Munich has clearly worked in Usami’s favour. A diminutive, but effective midfielder, he started the season well and has looked dangerous linking midfield with attack. However, it takes more than the odd piece of skill or neat pass to win a game and Marcus Babbel’s ushering out of the door has suddenly made a place in the first eleven at Hoffenheim a little more difficult to secure.

Ultimately Takashi Usami has been a little unlucky over the last year. He has done what he can, when asked, but the task of breaking into Bayern Munich’s team was a mammoth task for any player, not just a young hopeful from Japan. These are certainly testing times for the 20 year old, but his determination to learn the language as well as make an impact in Germany is admirable.

It might not be immediate, it might not be in Germany, but we’ll wager that Takashi Usami will enjoy a very successful career as an important player for club and country.

"Really gifted and was unlucky to land at Munich when they've been so badly bitchslapped by rivals. At any other time he'd have cruised through into the first team but the bar has been raised higher than Usami can currently reach" - Jeff Livingstone (IBWM)

D Stick at it, keep working, you have the talent to succeed

Stephan El Shaarawy 20 Midfielder AC Milan

Stephan El Shaarawy was already creating something of a buzz at junior international level long before Milan came calling. The fourth youngest player to take to the pitch in Serie A, El Shaarawy was by far and away Genoa’s brightest gem for a number of years. Not yet fully ready physically to become a regular starter, he trained regularly with the first team and was given occasional opportunity to get some game time as a substitute for Il Grifone.

Aware that their gangly young striker really needed more than reserve team football, the young forward of Egyptian descent was sent out on loan to Padova, in what must be classed one of the finest moves for all parties witnessed in recent years. Taking Serie B by the scruff of the neck from very early on, El Shaarawy made light of his inexperience and scored goals aplenty alongside seasoned pro’s Davide Succi and Danile Vantaggiato. While the latter pair weighed in with a higher goal tally, Padova’s excellent season, in which they were unlucky not to return to the top flight of Italian football, was very much due to the heroic performances of a skinny eighteen year old.

While Genoa may have had designs on promoting their talismanic young forward to the first team for the following season, Milan made sure they acted before anyone else was able to. A €10m transfer was agreed at around the same time that the Rossoneri were concluding a deal to take Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to Italy following an expensive twelve month sabbatical in Catalonia.

After a debut against Napoli, El Shaarawy arrived as a substitute for the injured Alexandre Pato in a home Serie A match against Udinese. He had only been on the pitch for eight minutes when Antonio Di Natale did his thing and Milan were behind. Nevertheless, 19 minutes into the second half, El Shaarawy scored his first goal for his new club, allowing his sluggish team mates to salvage a draw.

Politics, as someone probably didn’t once say, is a funny old game, and in Italy it tends to be more unusual than most. With the country in financial crisis, and with scandal enveloping Silvio Berlusconi, AC Milan became something of a barometer for Italia’s financial plight and general being. After decades of success - some very recent - and a penchant for purchasing the very best that world football has to offer, word soon got round European football’s elite that something of a fire sale was occurring in Northern Italy.

In the space of little more than twelve months, what was almost a roll call of Europe’s most respected professional footballers had decamped from the Giuseppe Meazza. Cassano, Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Nesta, Seedorf, Gattuso, Van Bommel, Pirlo, Ronaldinho, all gone. Nothing wrong with advising your more ‘senior’ players that they might be best suited to another club - Milan had retained a dad’s army tag for some time after all - however, in the past, those little periods of ‘moving people on’ had been minimal transitions. A freshening of the squad in previous years had often proved the catalyst for success - this is a club that had already got over Gullit, van Basten, Baresi, Maldini and many others - but this time, things were very different.

Whereas the cream of the world’s emerging talent would have been drafted in, the names that have arrived at Milan recently are hardly those that could set pulses racing. Nigel de Jong, Giampaolo Pazzini, Francisco Acerbi while steady, would not be likely to invoke a series of trips to tattoo artists for the incumbent members of the Curvas Nord and Sud.

Ultimately, Milan, like the Italian economy, hit something of a meltdown and a return to the top looks unlikely at best right now. But just to maintain a sense of balance, let’s get back to El Shaarawy, because this where we hit silver lining territory.

While it had looked, initially at least, likely that he might have accepted another season on loan, El Shaarawy has grasped his opportunity to stay at a disheveled Milan in the most emphatic sense possible.

Pato is still there, Robinho is still there, but there is absolutely no doubt who is the current king at AC Milan. At time of writing, El Shaarawy has hit a dozen goals from fifteen Serie A starts, a further four from nine in cup matches. Leading the line as a poacher par excellence, or as a creator of some repute, he has emerged as the golden boy of a new Italia. The prospect of an Azzuri forward line containing the massive explosive potential of Mario Balotelli alongside El Shaarrawy should be enough to induce a trail of saliva from your mouth.

Right now, Stephan El Shaarawy is the closest thing that European football has to the new global champion elect, Neymar. Completely direct and very, very willing to pick the ball up from deep and attack defences, Milan have one of the world’s most exciting prospects on their hands. You’d better wipe your chin by the way.

"A genuine ray of hope for Milan in what is quickly becoming their annus horribilis, his goals are one of the only positive notes in their half of the city right now. While Pato continues to prove nothing other than the fact he is made of glass, the former Padova starlet is quickly becoming a huge player" - Adam Digby (ESPN, Sports Illustrated)

B Firing, with much more to come

PlayerStephan El Shaarawy

TeamMilan

Appearances25

Starts15

Minutes On Pitch1,414

Goal Attempts

Goals8

Mins per goal176.75

Headed goals0

Right footed goals6

Left footed goals2

Goals inside box7

Goals outside box1

Penalty goals0

Direct free kick goals0

Shots38

Shots On Target25

Shots Off Target13

Shooting Accuracy66%

Chance Conversion21%

Blocked shots15

Passing

Touches850

Touches per game34

Goal Assists2

Key Passes17

Total Passes522

Pass Completion %83%

Pass Completion in final third %74%

Duels

Duels179

Duels won %41%

Crossing

Total Crosses49

Cross Completion %22%

Dribbling

Dribbles & Runs76

Dribble Completion %32%

Defending

Tackles Made29

Tackles Won %93%

Blocks3

Clearances3

Interceptions20

Discipline

Fouls11

Fouls won15

Offside12

Yellow Cards2

Stefan Savic 21 Defender Fiorentina

Stefan Savic’s rise from BSK Borca centre-half to being Manchester City’s latest new thing perhaps went too quickly for the defender to fully adjust. Just 12 months before he made the move to the Etihad Stadium, he was still a very rough around the edges defender in the Serbian SuperLiga.

Amidst apparent interest from Arsenal (only ever talked about by the player himself rather than the London club), Savic decided on Partizan Belgrade as his destination in the summer of 2010. He moved from mid-table to the odds-on favourites for the title.

During his one and only season with Partizan, Savic helped the club to the league and cup double as well as some positive showings in the Champions League. With each glowing performance, his growing reputation across Europe was enhanced.

It set up a scramble for his signature amongst a host of Europe’s bigger clubs and he packed his bags for the second summer in a row. Looking back, we’d have preferred to have seen Savic enjoy a second season with Partizan.

The constant first-team football would have left him in much better health than the misfiring, struggles that he endured during 13 months in Manchester. Ultimately, the Serbian league provides neither the same lucrative wages nor level of competition as the English Premier League. Stefan was never likely to shun Roberto Mancini’s advances.

When he was unveiled, City were rather pleased with themselves to have captured one of Europe’s rising defensive talents. Physically strong, Savic is also blessed with a decent turn of pace that means he is rarely out-run in a straight sprint. His understanding and reading of the game is very good. His performance at right-back for Montenegro against England in October 2011 also helped showcase his versatility.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go to plan at City. He didn’t look entirely confident when introduced into the team and a number of mistakes, usually born from a lapse in concentration, meant he was unable to put a string of solid performances together. His time with City saw his weaknesses magnified and then exploited by opposition teams. Savic was rarely used in the team alongside captain Vincent Kompany and instead deployed as his understudy. With Kompany, who was inspirational for the Citizens last season, out of the team, it encouraged opposition sides to attack the “soft” centre of the City defence.

Rather than having a year or two to shoulder the expectation of playing in one of Europe’s top leagues and for a team chasing trophies at every opportunity, Savic was left exposed in the games that he did play. Instead of being used sparingly to help him accommodate to the speed and style of the Premier League, Stefan found himself elevated beyond the rapidly declining Kolo Toure and into the role of third-choice centre-back.

Despite being strong, agile, comfortable on the ball and capable of getting on the score-sheet responsibly regularly, his first season will be remembered more for the errors than any age-defining performances. That said, we do have sympathy for him being packed off to Fiorentina on August 31st.

Perhaps he will be remembered as a victim of Manchester City’s wealth. Maybe there just wasn’t enough shown by him in training to suggest he could consistently perform in a title-contending side. We won’t quite know about either.

What we are happy to say is that Italy is a league perfectly suited for Savic to get his development and growth as a player back on track. Serie A will be a more forgiving place than the Premier League as he works out the kinks in his game. If he can improve his concentration levels and grow in self-confidence so that he comes to realise he can play at the very highest of the game, Savic can go on to make Manchester City regret their decision to part with him so quickly.

In recent weeks, he has started to get his chance in the Fiorentina side. The early signs have been good and he’s looked happy on the left side of a three-man defence. As long as he learns from the mistakes of 2012 and works hard on his weaknesses, he can put his troubles quickly behind him and be the well-rounded, ball playing, instinctive defender he threatens to be.

“A move to Manchester City might be a golden chance for many youngsters, but one suspects Savic will view his time at Eastlands as a lost year. Still, it's better to have that lost year when you're 21, when there's time to recover. To be frank, Savic looked like a walking calamity on the few occasions he played for City, and they weren't exactly shy about shoving him the way of Fiorentina in the summer.” – Nick Miller (Football365)

D It was always going to be hit or miss at Manchester City. 2012 can be quickly put right in Florence

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Sotiris Ninis 22 Midfielder Panathinaikos

It was never going to be easy, it really wasn’t. When you pick up a tag such as ‘The Future of Greek Football’, you’re pretty much ruined long before you’ve even started (the Greek/ruins thing wasn’t even deliberate there by the way).

Under intense pressure from a young age, Sotiris Ninis was liberally dubbed Panathinaikos’ bundled equivalent to Maradona and Pelé well in advance of any base touching with Trifylli’s first team. A standout player at junior level with the famous Apollon Smyrnis academy in Athens, Ninis was regarded as a hot prospect throughout European football circles from his early teens. Signing professional terms, and a five year contract, with Panathinaikos in December 2006, he made his first team debut for the club within a fortnight, aged just 16.

While some players at this age would, quite understandably, freeze when confronted with ‘the big stage’, Ninis excelled. All that talk of imminent superstardom? Completely justified. Pana had found a robust but tricky kid that often looked ten times better than the players around him. Quick, nimble and clever; if this was the future, it looked good.

While a gradual introduction to the rigors of top flight football is often sensible, Ninis rapidly became so important to his club that it was virtually impossible to leave him out of the team. Not yet 17 but playing regularly, and playing well, scouts from across Europe would fill large sections of the Olympic and Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadiums to catch a glimpse of Greece’s ascending starlet. Offers would soon follow.

First to show their hand were Manchester United, and discussions were believed to have been ongoing for a lengthy period during the late noughties. For their part, Panathinaikos could see that Ninis’ stock was on the rise and the choice between selling now for a good price, as opposed to selling later for an exorbitant one, pretty much made itself.

The burden of expectation at such a young age invariably took its toll on young Ninis and much of the 2007-08 season was lost to injury. A spate of muscle tears offered conclusive proof of too much too soon.

It took almost a year for Ninis to return to first team action in Greece, but a lot less to show how useful he was. Selection for the national team became a given, even if injuries continued to hamper progress. By 2010, with a good run of games behind him and the shared captaincy of Panathinaikos in place, Ninis was playing the best football of his career as he led his team to a League and Cup double. Another good season followed, but the most significant month of Sotiris Ninis’ career - so far - came in September 2011. Having scored the goal which virtually assured Greece a place at Euro 2012, Ninis was badly injured playing for his club during the same month.

The crushing blow of a serious knee injury cast doubt over Ninis’ chances of making his mark in Poland in Ukraine in what would be his first major international tournament. Euro 2012 could have been an opportunity for Ninis to show what he could do as the focal point of the Greek national team, but despite recovering fitness and returning for Panathinaikos in the spring of this year, Ninis was clearly not the same player.

On the 16 May, 2012, Ninis scored the only goal of the game for Panathinaikos in a 1-0 victory at Atromitos in the league. Four days later, he made his final appearance at the Athens Olympic Stadium, leaving the field for the final time as a Pana player in the 71st minute of a 1-0 win over AEK. Ahead of Euro 2012, a move to Italy with Parma had been agreed.

On reflection, there is little doubt that Sotiris Ninis has been extremely unlucky to suffer the injuries that he has, especially the significant knee trauma which occurred in September 2011. The injuries have made an impact and it is going to take time for Ninis to get back to the levels he was at previously, if he is to recapture that form at all. Confidence has obviously taken quite a dent and his eventual departure from Greece saw Ninis leave with barely a whimper, rather than the bang many had predicted two years earlier.

As his transfer to Parma was declared a ‘free’ move (Ninis was out of contract), Panathinaikos might well have lamented their decision not to permit the sale of Ninis some years earlier, when significant amounts of cash were available in exchange for the young midfielder.

Has Sotiris Ninis failed? It’s difficult to tell. Parma would not have been a likely destination for the player in 2010, but his stock has fallen sharply. Time spent on the pitch for I crociati has been limited so far, but perhaps this is more to gradually ease the Greek midfielder back into football. Considering the amount of pressure he has had to endure, it’s a reasonable bet to suggest that psychological issues could be as prevalent as physical ones.

If Roberto Donadoni’s outfit have done their homework correctly, they have a very good player on their hands. Someone intelligent enough to link play right across the pitch, that – fully fit – could really excel in Serie A.

It’s been a very traumatic, and ultimately disappointing twelve months, but Ninis has enough talent to make the grade once more. We wish him the very best of luck.

"In a perfect world he'd be one of the best in Europe at this point, but shit happens and it has certainly happened to Ninis. Looked amazing at 17, but a little on the burnt out side now" - Jeff Livingstone (IBWM)

E Euro 2012 came too soon. The move to Parma might just turn out to be perfect

Son Heung-Min 20 Striker HSV

"TSCHA BUM!!" It requires volume and preferably a Low Saxon twang, but even if German isn’t your mother tongue you’ll still understand the relevance of someone hollering ‘Sha-Boom!’ loudly when a ball is thwacked with extreme force.

This vocal ejaculation was a readily recognizable sound at German football stadia in the 1980’s as legendary South Korean striker Cha Bum-Kun worried nets for Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. Singled out as one of the finest players to grace the top flight of German football during the decade by Kicker magazine, Kun was also a hero in his homeland, notching an impressive 55 goals in 121 international appearances between 1972 and 1986.

Since Kun’s heyday, a number of Asian footballers have made an impression on European football and Germany in particular. But none have enjoyed such resounding success, or left as permanent a mark on the Bundesliga as the explosive forward. That could be about to change in the coming years though, as Korea’s latest footballing icon begins to make his presence felt.

Son Heung-Min didn’t hesitate when offered an apprenticeship with Hamburger SV at the age of 16 in 2008. Choosing to put studies on hold in exchange for a chance to make his name as a professional footballer, he was able to force his way into the HSV second team during the 2009-10 season.

Playing primarily as a winger, Son was proving to be highly effective in the German regional leagues. His speed and ruthlessness were singled out as good reasons to allow the teenager to train with Die Rothosen’s first team squad in 2010.

Making his debut in the 2010/11 season, Son exposed flashes of his ability in a limited number of appearances, scoring three times. His first goal, scored in a 3-2 defeat at FC Köln on October 30, was especially significant as it meant that he was the youngest ever Bundesliga scorer for HSV, breaking the previous 39-year record held by Manfred Kaltz.

By this stage Son was really beginning to gain a reputation amongst regular Bundesliga watchers. His hard work, coupled with quick feet and true natural ability meant he was popular with the fraternity at the Volksparkstadion and further starts were inevitable.

And that’s exactly how things panned out. Son picked up a couple of injuries during 2011/12, but his recovery time was short, and by the end of the season he had made eleven Bundesliga starts and emerged as a substitute in a further sixteen matches, scoring five times.

Son’s emergence as a player that can create as well as finish has allowed HSV to be a little more creative in the transfer market and they have spent heavily this year in an attempt to get things firing again. A relatively high turnover of players at Hamburg is nothing new, the club have consistently chopped and changed since their late seventies and early eighties heyday. The main arrival this year has been returning hero Rafael Van Der Vaart, with the former Tottenham midfielder tasked with bringing the best out a fledgling frontline which features prolific Latvian forward Artoms Rudņevs and Son Heung-Min.

While coach Thorsten Fink still has some work to do in terms of upping the scoring ratio for his side, both young strikers have looked good so far this term, Son especially so. Now one of the first names on the HSV team sheet, 2012/13 is proving to be a real breakthrough season for him and with a regular international place seemingly assured, we could very well be looking at the finest player to ever emerge from South Korea.

That’s a fairly profound statement, but catch sight of Son and you’ll see where we are coming from. Pace, slalom like dribbling ability, that stereotypical work rate and a wickedly accurate shot that is finding its mark with increasing regularity are all traits of a player on the way up. Just twenty years old, for Son Heung-Min the future is looking very bright indeed.

"Meets the 'works his nuts off' stereotype fully, but then goes and looks absolutely class with it. Going to be huge" - Jeff Livingstone (IBWM)

C+ Keep doing what you are doing

Ŝime Vrsaljko 20 Defender/Midfielder Dinamo Zagreb

Enterprising. That’s a really good word. It’s not ‘graceful’, ‘thrusting’ or ‘flamboyant’, but by the same token it’s not ‘erratic’, ‘inconsistent’ or ‘wayward’.

The reason we are focussing on the word ‘enterprising’ is because it sums up Ŝime Vrsaljko nicely. A consistent performer, but someone who is able to maximise their ability, a clever player that can cause a lot of damage with seemingly little effort. That sounds just about perfect.

Born in the same town as Luka Modric, Vrsaljko is also a product of the Dinamo Zagreb youth academy. While technique is a very big part of his game, comparisons with the former Spurs’ midfielder stop there; Vrsaljko is a very different type of player.

Farmed out to Lokomotiva as a teenager to gain first team experience, Vrsaljko didn’t take long to make something of a name for himself in Croatian football. Equally at home anywhere on the right hand side of a football pitch, but can also canny enough to cover the left too, he is a much more defensive player than the surging Modric. But that doesn’t mean Vrsaljko can’t torment defences in an attacking capacity if need be. We’ve watched him play regularly for the blues and have enjoyed witnessing a player put in a strong shift as an ultra-defensive full back on both flanks. Tucking in when necessary and showing a very mature mind set for such a young player, Vrsaljko has the technical ability and tactical nous to know when to do certain things. On other occasions, Dinamo have allowed Vrsaljko to remove the hand break and he’s been equally good to watch as a proper right sided midfielder, and on some occasions as a marauding wing back. More than once we’ve seen some neat forward passing and a few wicked deliveries.

Aged 20, Vrsaljko is something of a veteran at Dinamo with more than 100 appearances for the club since making his debut in early 2010. International recognition has been gained too with four full caps for Croatia in the bag and a promise of many more to come.

It’s not difficult to see why Vrsaljko has been tracked by some of Europe’s leading clubs for a long time too. As you can tell, this is a hugely versatile operator, someone that can perform very well in a number of roles - just the sort of player that fetches a high price in today’s market. Inter have retained a long standing interest, but Marseille, Manchester City, Arsenal and Valencia have all been credited with monitoring, or in some cases making an offer for, the young Croat. And they are just the ones that we know about.

Dinamo have been sensible with their prodigy so far, tying him to a long term contract and for his part Vrsaljko has been wise to avoid the advances of potential suitors. Invariably, he will move on at some point, but we haven’t reached that point just yet and Vrsaljko is clearly enjoying his football in a very good Dinamo side.

At time of writing Dinamo are on course for an eighth successive league triumph and this will furnish Vrsaljko with his fourth consecutive league winners’ medal. For a young player, these must feel like the happiest of times. A key contributor to a good side that wins matches much more often than it loses or draws. Who wouldn’t be happy?

At this stage it’s difficult to find any fault with Ŝime Vrsaljko or his development. We see an intelligent, hardworking player with plenty of ability and everything points to a flourishing future. There have been one or two injuries over more recent times, but nothing that looks to have dented confidence.

We might have liked to see more in the way of advanced positioning, and maybe a few more goals, but Vrsaljko seems more than content to do a job for his team and tactical instructions are carried out to the letter. The big question really is with regard to which coach takes Šime Vrsaljko under his wing next. They’ll be gaining a good player.

"Still yet to cement his place in Dinamo's side this season, thanks to the presence of Domagoj Vida. Remains a hugely exciting attacking full back, whose delivery from the flank can be fruitful." - Domm Norris (Slavic Football Union)

C+ Continues to maximise everything he has, a long and distinguished career beckons

Sebastián Coates 22 Defender Liverpool

It’s eighteen months since the debate was opened, but opinion remained fairly divided among regular South American watchers last year. The question being considered was whether Sebastián Coates really was all that.

The tall defender had been a regular for Nacional for two years before he took to the field for his national team in the Copa America in 2011. With Brazil and Argentina, as is so often the case, hugely disappointing in South America’s showpiece international competition, Uruguay seized their opportunity and were worthy winners of an exciting tournament. While most attention centred on the potent threat posed by Forlan, Cavani and Suarez, the emergence of a 20 year old central defender who had only recently progressed to full international level was noteworthy.

Up until that point, Coates had been a steady player for his club, a good all-rounder with a nice touch, but nothing that could be quantified as exceptional. By the summer of 2011, Coates was not just a national hero, but had also been singled out as the best performing young player from a pool which also included Neymar. Invariably with such merited accreditation comes much interest and as by the time the tournament had closed, Coates was receiving a great deal of attention. With a keenness to pacify their most significant player, Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, and with the Comoli/Dalglish scattergun transfer policy still very much in place, Liverpool made their move and secured the signing of the Montevideo born centre back just over a year ago.

Based on the recent evidence of the Copa America itself, the move looked astute on the reds’ part. They had, amid stiff competition from a number of European sides, secured the services of a player that was now one of South America’s brightest stars. Nevertheless, many of the Nacional fans we spoke to couldn’t quite understand the fuss. Coates was popular, and there was a great deal of satisfaction in seeing one of their own do so well, but the general consensus was that Sebastian Coates was a world away from being the finished article. While technique was highlighted more than once as a positive, others were more scathing when referring to a lack of pace.

With a high transfer fee and a newly gained reputation, Coates didn’t see a huge amount of playing time under Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool stuttered their way through 2011/12. Four league starts were an always likely return for young defender adapting to life in another country.

Coates is a willing worker and possesses good technique for a defensive player but hasn’t really looked likely to force his way into Brendan Rodgers first XI on a regular basis. That’s a big ask of course, expectations are perpetually high at Anfield and in Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger, Liverpool possess two excellent defenders.

And that may turn out to be the biggest issue for Sebastián Coates. At 22, he might have expected to be playing a little more regularly than he is, but first team starts have been restricted to Europa League and League Cup outings only this season. Both Skrtel and Agger have recently signed lengthy new contracts at Liverpool and while good quality backup is always needed at a top club, Coates lacks the experience, and perhaps the ability, to step straight into the shoes of more a recognisable name.

Coates can trap a ball, turn and dribble his way out of tight positions. He can pick out long and short range passes, but put him head to head with a forward possessing any level of swiftness and you’ll see a defender turned inside out. Pace isn’t everything for a centre back, we acknowledge that, but it is an important commodity for a defender hoping to hold down a regular place in any of Europe’s top divisions. Positioning can be a far more effective weapon, but obtaining the nous to know where and when to hit certain positions is something that tends to come with experience rather than being a natural gift. At present, Coates is devoid of pace and experience. The former is unlikely to ever arrive, the latter looks doubtful at present.

That’s not to say that Coates won’t turn out to be a player of some repute, he’s already shown that he can step up at international level, but to suggest that his career has done anything but stall badly would be unreasonable.

While we can aim criticism at the player, we’re witnessing a situation that has happened at Liverpool before. Last year we wondered quite why Danny Wilson hadn’t been sent back to Scotland on loan as soon as his transfer to Liverpool had been rubber stamped. Wilson looked a star in the making at Rangers so a big move was no surprise, but a brief loan spell at Blackpool is the only first team football he has enjoyed in over two years.

Liverpool fans will also recall their club completing the signing of Gabriel Paletta from Banfield amid much hype in the mid noughties. While Paletta suffered injury problems at Anfield, the move looked too big a step and it took a return to Argentina with Boca for a highly rated player to find his feet over the course of three years. He is now an accomplished defender, performing regularly for Parma in Serie A and looking very much the type of player that Liverpool could use should injuries or loss of form affect their incumbent backline.

And there lies the catch 22. Coates has potential, but it needs to be coaxed out over a period of time playing first team football. Liverpool were right to take a punt, but having gained his signature, they now have a player that lacks the experience they will need should the aforementioned injuries or loss of form occur to first choice players.

"Wonderful technique, we've all seen *that* goal, but is that going to be enough for Liverpool?" - Jeff Livingstone (IBWM)

D Unless drafted to replace an injured colleague, the next year doesn’t look promising

Ryad Boudebouz 22 Midfielder Sochaux

The thing about summer is that there is no football.

Actually, that’s not true at all. We enjoyed the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, and you don’t need to be the most enquiring of football followers to track down top flight club football while Europe’s main leagues are in recess.

What we mean, when we say no football, is that there just isn’t enough football to write about. For newspapers and websites, something has to fill that gaping void.

So what does all this have to do with Sochaux’s Ryad Boudebouz? Well, for the second consecutive summer, Boudebouz found his name occupying a hefty proportion of those vacant column inches, as every press outlet and their grandmother listed him as transfer fodder extraordinaire with a succession of links to the likely, unlikely, weird and wonderful of football’s elite. PSG, Marseille, Lyon, Borussia Dortmund, Milan, Arsenal and, especially, Liverpool were cast as suitors for the Algerian schemer.

For one reason or another, the move failed to transpire. As a succession of team mates in Ideye, Martin and Maiga departed from Sochaux, Boudebouz, potentially the best of this group, remained.

Born in Colmar in Western France, he elected to represent his parents’ home country of Algeria, rather than remain within the French international set up where he had already been an envoy for Les Bleus at under 17 and under 19 levels. In 2010, immediately prior to the World Cup Boudabouz received his first call up for Algeria and made the trip to South Africa as part of his adopted nation’s final squad.

An intelligent two-footed player, Boudabouz was certainly at his best in the early days of his Sochaux career. Indeed a mesmerising spell between 2009 and 2011 saw Sochaux elevated to their highest league position for a number of years with the Algerian winger/playmaker the focal point of the team’s attacking intent. Linking admirably with Marvin Martin, Sochaux looked good and good performances from their attacking players were a given. Invariably a difficult 2011-12 for the club led to conflict and further departures of the better players. In amongst all this is a talented individual that resembles a pale shadow of his former self. Indeed, Boudabouz has not only suffered a significant loss of form over the last year, he also found himself on the receiving end of some truly abhorrent racial abuse from a small section of the Sochaux support earlier in 2012.

Reflecting upon the abuse, Boudabouz remained dignified in his response, but the nasty undercurrent of the chanting appears to have left a mark. This is not the same player we saw two years ago.

We remain concerned that a young talent who really was amongst the best attacking players in France eighteen months ago looks set to drift into obscurity. A transfer to a club where Boudabouz can perform at on a more prominent stage would be wonderful, however he will need to recapture some form first and with his body language suggesting that isn’t going to happen imminently a great travesty looks to have occurred.

"Nobody suffered from Sochaux's demise more than Boudebouz. Mecha Bazdarevic was not the right man to get the best out of the Moroccan, neither is Eric Hely. Needs to move on or he runs the risk of stagnation." - Jonathan Johnson (French Football Weekly)

D A player that needs to be loved and coaxed back onto the path he was previously fixed. Find a new home and shine again

Romelu Lukaku 19 Striker Chelsea (on loan at West Bromwich Albion)

With more than thirty goals scored in top flight Belgian football at Anderlecht before he had even turned 18, it’s difficult to imagine a more exciting striker bursting onto the scene anywhere in world football. Nevertheless, when we were compiling this list at the end of 2011, we already had concerns about Romelu Lukaku….

We have a tendency to wince at the ‘stockpiling’ of young footballers at any top club. However when Chelsea hastily agreed a fee - widely reported to be in the region of €22m - with Anderlecht to secure the transfer of Lukaku in the summer of 2011, we were optimistic. Andre Villas Boas had been installed to refresh the West London club and his remit included a reduction to the average age of the first team squad. In summary, Didier Drogba was coming to the end of his career and Lukaku had been identified as his replacement. Now, if you had asked us, with money no option, which young striker would we have earmarked for the role as Drogba’s replacement, we’d have come up with Lukaku. It was a real no-brainer. The similarities in playing style were clear, and while Drogba was something of a late bloomer, Lukaku, with more than 70 appearances for club and country already secured, was the perfect fit to learn from, and then replace, the Ivorian legend. Everything was in place.

But just as Lukaku was finding his feet in English football, making the odd appearance from the bench, Villas Boas, another manager coming to terms with Jose Mourinho’s lengthening shadow at Chelsea, received his marching orders. While the games didn’t dry up quite as badly as they did for Oriol Romeu, Lukaku was very much an emergency back up only.

It’s hard to be critical of what happened to Lukaku at Chelsea. We’d all like to see young talent persevered with, but few managers can afford to offer time to anyone but their most senior personnel. Striker B was brought in to eventually replace striker A, but team is struggling. Manger builds remainder of season around striker A as team begins to win games. When striker A ultimately delivers the biggest prize in club football for a manager that has kept him in the team, what is there to argue about? But having enjoyed such a formidable opening to his career (remember Lukaku was the top scorer in the Belgian First Division whilst still at school), it must have been difficult to take.

And so to the summer of 2012. Chelsea are European Champions and Didier Drogba is no longer at the club. Lukaku time?

With Fernando Torres FINALLY finding his shooting boots as the main striker at Chelsea, and a summer long flirtation with Porto’s Hulk as evidence, things remained unhappy for Lukaku. With a rebooted Chelsea side now utilising Torres, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard, ably backed up by Marko Marin, Oscar, Florent Malouda, Victor Moses and Daniel Sturridge as their primary attacking blend, 2012-13 was looking less good for the tall Belgian. With the prospect of duking things out with the hotly tipped Lucas Piazon for a place on the bench, this was looking like a second year of stagnation.

We felt, at the time of the transfer, that if Lukaku was not immediately set for a role in the Chelsea’s first team, he would have been better served to remain with Anderlecht for another season. That Chelsea acted when they did may have been driven by Jose Mourinho declaring Real Madrid’s interest in the striker. Forced into the market early, they effectively parked Lukaku and, just like Gael Kakuta before him, there was a sense of Chelsea buying to prevent anyone else strengthening.

As the 2011/12 Premier League season drew close, things appeared bleak for Romelu Lukaku. But just when things look at their worst, salvation comes from an unlikely source. Enter a White Knight from the Black Country. While a loan move to Stoke was originally mooted not long after Lukaku’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, salvation has come from the West Midlands.

West Bromwich Albion have enjoyed a period of relative stability of late, and a club which became the archetypal yo-yo outfit of English football recruited Lukaku on a season long loan as September loomed. The move has been a success for all parties. In his favour, Lukaku is now involved in first team football again at a wonderful club that does a much better job of developing players than it is given credit for. For the Baggies, results have been positive. Manager Steve Clarke has to take credit for some wonderful performances and excellent results, but his sparing use of Lukaku has been first class. He looks a little better every time we see him. Lukaku, that is.

The rough edges have been very evident, but the young forward is making galloping progress. Lukaku could not be in better hands right now and we’d wager that a very different player will return to Stamford Bridge when the loan period ends.

Not yet 20 and with one of the biggest reputations in world football, Romelu Lukaku was always going to have to adapt quickly. The good news is that he now is.

""He came from Stamford Bridge, he's bigger than a fridge" sing the Albion fans when Lukaku's lurking. Size isn't everything though, and it's the Belgian's anticipation that helps him win so many aerial duels. Saying that, his timing is far from perfect - few strikers are called offside so often." - Jon Holmes (Sky Sports)

"Last season was a complete write-off for the former Anderlecht frontman, unable to make an impact at Chelsea in any shape or form. Being sent to West Brom was a blessing as Clarke is ideal coach to nurture his raw talent. Featuring mostly from the bench to exploit weary defences, Lukaku has settled to life in West Midlands well and expect him to start more regularly soon." - Chris Mayer (Belgian Waffle)

C- It looked grim for a while but things are beginning to happen

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Rodrigo Moreno 21 Striker Benfica

Rodrigo Moreno Machado was extremely close to not being on this list. Despite a prolific scoring streak as a youth team player with Celta Vigo and an impressive haul of strikes at junior international level, we were unconvinced by the Brazil born forward as 2011 drew to a close.

We weren’t the only ones. Despite being snatched from Celta by Real Madrid in 2010 and ascending rapidly through the ranks at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real were more than happy to accept Benfica’s €6m offer for a teenage striker just one year after acquiring his services. A series of assurances from ‘in the know’ types in Spain meant we took something of a leap of faith when publishing this list in December 2011 by including the boy Rodrigo. It’s a good job we listened.

While the fee set by Madrid appeared excessive, Benfica were exceptionally keen. Glorioso had tracked the player during his time at Celta, were keen to purchase when Real first stepped in and were pleased to finally land the Spanish Under 19 international at the second time of asking. Interested to see how Rodrigo fared elsewhere over the coming years, Madrid retained an option to buy their former player back at a future date, a clause that was later removed as part of the deal that took Fábio Coentrão to the Bernabéu.

Benfica knew what they were doing. Keeping their player back until fully ready, Rodrigo was offered on loan to a number of European sides, with a spell of toughening up in the English Premier League at Bolton Wanderers the preferred destination for player and club.

A total of nineteen appearances under Owen Coyle, predominantly as a substitute, offered Rodrigo the chance to try something different and he was clearly adapting to the unforgiving Premier League style of play during his stay in the North West. A request for a further loan period at Bolton in the 2011-12 season was rejected by Benfica as they readied their young striker for regular selection in Portugal’s top flight.

During the last year Moreno has performed well, very well actually, and the faith that Benfica maintained in their young striker has been rewarded. From a mixture of starts and substitute appearances over the last eighteen months, Rodrigo has managed a goal every 124 minutes for his current employer, an excellent return for any striker. Goals are continuing to arrive in more frequent bursts and Rodrigo is starting to look the finished article as a top class finisher in a strong division. If we are going to draw comparisons here, we see lot of Guiseppe Rossi, the injury prone Italian front man who also possesses a knack of being in the right place at the right time.

International level has been a pleasant hunting ground too, and Rodrigo’s superb record for the Spanish under 21’s (11 strikes from 7 starts) suggest that it will not be too long before the Rio born hitman finds himself in Vicente del Bosque’s plans….especially if Brazil consider exercising their right to make a call.

"For such a youthful player he's got lovely fluid movement, and his finishing is deadly. Only problem at the moment is he can't into the team ahead of Lima & Cardozo. He will though, massive long contract and buyout clause." - Ben Shave (PortuGOAL)

C+ More than just a poacher, but goalscoring looks so easy. Could be a major player for years to come

Richmond Boakye 19 Striker Juventus (on loan at Sassuolo)

When we included Richmond Boakye in this list last year, we received a great number of tweets and emails asking why we had selected a player that, at that stage, was only a semi regular performer in Serie B. We expect to receive a similar number of queries this time around as Boakye is still plying his trade in Serie B. But that’s only half the story.

After receiving glowing reports from contacts that knew of a very youthful Boakye in Italy and his native Ghana, we made a point of catching up with a young striker during a number of cameo appearances for Genoa. While the edges were rough, we liked what we saw. And that faith has been entirely justified with at radical upturn in fortunes for the player over the last twelve months.

While the brief appearances for Genoa highlighted a talent, it was abundantly clear that Boakye was not yet ready for a full season in Serie A. As a club, Genoa maintain a degree of pride in a system that identifies and develops talented young players from a global catchment, but need to be realistic about who can play each week. While not quite operating at the same level as Udinese, the idea of nurturing a youthful talent into becoming an admired, and therefore valuable, commodity is central to the club’s being. Not able to offer immediate first team outings, the next best thing for Genoa was to farm their player out on loan and a spell with Sassuolo in Serie B looked a perfect fit.

Boakye was duly loaned to second tier outfit for a year and it was here that he really shone during the 2011-12 season. Boakye’s performances were good, and he finished an impressive campaign with 12 goals from 34 matches, second only to Gianluca Sansome in the scoring charts for the Modena club.

Boakye’s form did not go unnoticed and it wasn’t just international recognition that came his way during the summer. Enamoured with the Accra born strikers ability, Juventus paid €4m to secure his services and immediately reinstated a loan move back to Sassuolo for the current season. Juve are a much more coherent organisation these days and there is a clear intention that the young striker will pull on the famous black and white striped jersey when ready.

The return to Sassuolo was an excellent move on Juve’s part. The player has clearly developed well, and, had it not been for Sampdoria’s intervention (Samp defeated Sassuolo in the Serie B play offs), Boakye and his current club may already be playing in Serie A. At time of writing Sassuolo have been the outstanding team in Serie B, but several fellow hopefuls, such as Livorno and Hellas Verona remain close.

As 2012 draws to a close, Richmond Boakye is playing well next to fellow Ghanaian hopeful Raman Chibsah and scoring regularly alongside Leonardo Pavoletti and Andrea Cattelani. With the opportunity to maintain his progress in familiar surroundings, there is no need for Juve to rush their new acquisition just yet.

"Already a full international for Ghana, the 19 year old won four trophies as part of a great generation of talent in Genoa’s youth ranks, forming a superb partnership with Stephan el Shaarawy that defences at that level simply could not live with." - Adam Digby (ESPN, Sports Illustrated)

C Has the potential to become an explosive forward at the very highest level. Be excited Juventini

Ricardo Rodríguez 20 Defender Vfl Wolfsburg

The general consensus among scientists is that around 70-90% of the world’s population are right handed. Applying this to football, and maintaining that ratio for left feet, highlights what a rare commodity a good ‘lefty’ is.

Football tactics are often about symmetry and while that might be an overrated concept, if you can get the number of left and right footers bang on, a balanced team will ensue. It doesn’t always guarantee success, but finding a good left sided player is always a good thing.

Whilst not quite striking the rich vein that Belgium have hit of late, Switzerland can be very happy with the progress of some of their younger footballers. We all now know about Xherdan Shaqiri and the group that won the Under 19 World Cup in 2009 featured some very good kids, with Granit Xhaka and Nassim Ben Khalifa perhaps the stand out attacking players. Said attacking players often get the headlines, but that shouldn’t detract from the impressive progress made by another member of that triumphant squad; left footed defender Ricardo Rodríguez.

Born in Zurich in 1992, Rodríguez was schooled as a junior at the highly regarded FC Schwamendingen before moving to FC Zurich on schoolboy and ultimately professional terms. He made his Swiss Super League debut at the end of the 2009-10 season coming on as a substitute for veteran Finnish defender Hannu Tihinen in a 2-0 win over Bellinzona. The 17 year old full back impressed over the coming weeks and soon secured a regular starting position for the club.

Over the next two years, Rodríguez would begin to steadily increase the number of appearance he made for his home town club and quickly ascended from junior to full international level, making his debut in 2011 for Switzerland in a friendly against the Netherlands.

An impressive series of performances during the first half of 2011-12 were enough to persuade Wolfsburg to pay over €7m for the young full back. Despite Rodríguez’ tender years, Felix Magath made the youngster a first choice for his team following the move and he would become a regular starter as Die Wölfe maintained a respectable mid table position in the Bundesliga.

2012-13 did not start well for Magath’s team and when the somewhat dictatorial coach was relieved of his duties in late October, one of the first players to be culled by from the Wolfsburg starting eleven was one of Felix’s favourites, Ricardo Rodríguez.

Recently caretaker boss Lorenz-Günther Köstner has steered his ship through the seemingly regular choppy waters that Wolfsburg face and with experienced defender Marcel Schäfer playing well at left back, Rodríguez has become a victim of Magath’s ill-fated second coming.

Over the rest of the season, Rodríguez is likely to be utilised from time to time at the Volkswagen Arena, but his inexperience has worked against him at a time when Wolfsburg desperately required results.

The reason that we picked up on the whole ‘left-footed’ thing is because it looks as if Rodríguez has enjoyed something of a charmed life so far. Whilst not sluggish, he is not the fastest footballer you will ever see, and pretty much every box that you could complete would point to an overly average player. He did look good in the Swiss League, hence his inclusion, but we didn’t pick up on anything in the Bundesliga to suggest that a really good player is going to emerge. In early November we were extremely surprised to read in a number of newspapers and spurious transfer frothing websites that Rodríguez had been monitored by Milan and both the Manchester clubs, while also being identified as a long term replacement for Ashley Cole at Chelsea. All this just days after he was dropped at Wolfsburg. Were we looking at the same player?

Ricardo Rodríguez is still an international footballer, and can still make use of a decent left foot, but we remain unconvinced that he is anything above average.

"An interesting one. Usually I can understand what some people see in a player, but I just don't get it with Rodríguez" - Jeff Livingstone (IBWM)

D D is for drifting and also for decent, but nothing more