Oriol Romeu has had to bide his time for much of his career, but the former Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder is finally shining under Claude Puel at Southampton. Nick Wright charts his rise with the help of the man who brought him through the youth ranks at La Masia. Even the most optimistic Southampton supporters could have been forgiven for feeling nervous when the transfer window shut without the arrival of a Victor Wanyama replacement. His departure to Tottenham had left a huge hole at the base of their midfield, and a winless start to the Premier League season only added to the anxiety.As it turns out, they need not have worried. Southampton have made a habit of reinvention, and this year Oriol Romeu has been the biggest success story. The 25-year-old Spaniard started fewer than half of the Saints Premier League games in his first campaign on the south coast, but he has stepped into Wanyamas shoes and made an impressive impact this season. Southampton are looking up again. Romeu has played every minute of their five-game unbeaten run, and on Sunday in front of Pep Guardiola, the manager who gave him his debut at Barcelona back in 2010, he produced a man-of-the-match performance as Southampton claimed a 1-1 draw at Manchester City. Romeu successfully screened Southamptons back four against Man City Romeu might have lined up for the other side had things worked out differently, but this weekend he will be eager to impress more familiar faces when Southampton face his old club Chelsea. Its another stern test for Claude Puels side, and for Romeu its another reminder of a long, frustrating journey that began on the training pitches of La Masia.He came to us from Espanyols academy when he was 13, former Barcelona youth coach Pedro Abraham tells Sky Sports. The first year was difficult for him. He found it difficult to be an important player, but gradually he became indispensable. He was very intelligent and very serious. That was important for his development. He improved every year.In a youth team that included attacking talents such as Thiago Alcantara and Cristian Tello, Romeu was the no-frills midfielder who held it all together. He did the dirty work, as Abraham calls it. El trabajo sucio. It was a very good generation, says Abraham. Oriol played as the pivote in front of Marc Bartra and Martin Montoya, with Thiago further forwards. Romeu (37) made his Barcelona debut in the Spanish Super Cup in 2010 Thiago was the rising star - He had it all, recalls Abraham - but Romeu quietly carved out a reputation of his own. He was quite slow and didnt have an explosive turn of pace, but he knew how to use his body very well, says Abraham. He knew how to anticipate the play so you didnt see his lack of pace. By the time he was 15 or 16, you could see he was going to make it at the top level.Romeu spent two years with Abraham before becoming a key player in Luis Enriques Barcelona B, and it looked like he was destined for the first-team when Guardiola thrust him into the starting lineup for a Spanish Super Cup clash with Sevilla. Romeu acquitted himself well, but Barcelona had signed Javier Mascherano that summer. The youngster slipped down the pecking order before accepting an offer from Chelsea in 2011.Andre Villas-Boas said Romeu had a brilliant future when he was unveiled at Stamford Bridge alongside Romelu Lukaku. He soon broke into the team, but Chelsea were in the midst of a tumultuous period. Villas-Boas was sacked in March 2012, and Romeu only made two further appearances under Roberto Di Matteo that season. Romeu made 24 appearances in his first season at Chelsea Romeus prospects looked brighter when Rafa Benitez took over from Di Matteo, but a cruciate knee ligament injury in December 2012 was the next roadblock. The midfielder was ruled out for the rest of the season, and when he returned to fitness, Benitez had been replaced by Jose Mourinho and Romeu was sent on loan to Valencia.His progress was hampered by more injuries on his return to Spain, and there was further misfortune when he moved to Stuttgart for the 2014/15 campaign. The Bundesliga side sacked their manager Armin Veh after just three months, and Romeu spent the season battling against relegation in an unfamiliar environment. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. It was not easy. Between signing for Chelsea in 2011 and returning from his loan spell in Germany in 2015, Romeu had played under eight different managers in three different countries. It is only now, a year after making his permanent £5m switch to St Marys, that he has finally found stability. It is only now that he is finally fulfilling his potential.He needed that, says Abraham, who is now a coach for Marbella FC in the Spanish third tier. Its like when he came to Barcelona. He needed continuity and he needed to feel important. It was difficult for him at Chelsea after Villas-Boas left, but hes an intelligent boy and hes humble. He kept working and working and working and he has made the most of his opportunity. Romeu in action for Southampton in their goalless draw with Leicester Romeu has been one of the Premier Leagues best ball-winning midfielders this season. Danny Drinkwater, NGolo Kante and Jordan Henderson are the only outfield players to have recovered possession more times (76), and the Spaniard made more tackles against Manchester City (eight) than any other Southampton player has managed in a single game all season.Other areas of his game still need work, but Romeu is getting better with the ball, too. His passing accuracy has improved in each of the last three seasons, and Puel insisted he should be in contention for his first senior Spain call-up after he was named Southamptons player of the month for September. His work in every game is very important to the team, he said. Oriol Romeus passing stats Season Team Passing accuracy 2014/15 Stuttgart 83% 2015/16 Southampton 85% 2016/17 Southampton 89% Abraham has been similarly impressed. Romeu was seen as a possible heir to Sergio Busquets as a teenager, and his former coach still sees the similarities. Ok, hes not Iniesta or Xavi, he says. He is more physical than your typical Barcelona player, but for me he has a similar profile to Busquets. He is a bit stronger and not as technical, but he would have fought for that position. He gives a lot of balance to the team.Hes certainly striking the right balance for Southampton this season. Its been a long road for Romeu, but he has offset Wanyamas departure and the Saints are feeling the benefits. We are seeing that he can be a fundamental player for his team, says Abraham. Now he has many years ahead of him to keep improving. Southampton will be hoping it continues against Chelsea on Sunday.You can watch Premier League and EFL Cup football, plus Englands tour of Bangladesh and the Mexican Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy six months at half price! Also See: Man City v Southampton highlights Shaqiri tops power rankings Nike Air Max 97 Online Bestellen . 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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabamas quarterback competition is down to two candidates for the opener.The top-ranked Crimson Tide will start either junior Cooper Bateman or redshirt freshman Blake Barnett Saturday night against No. 20 Southern California in Arlington, Texas.Cooper Bateman and Blake Barnett are probably the two guys that were getting ready to play in this game, and thats the way its going to be for right now, Tide coach Nick Saban said on Monday.Chances are, fans will have to tune in Saturday to see whos going to start and if both will play. Its hardly a new thing for the defending national champions.Alabama has carried over battles into two straight seasons -- at least publicly -- and has been to the playoffs both times with one-year starters Blake Sims and Jake Coker.Freshman Jalen Hurts and sophomore David Cornwell had also vied for the No. 1 spot. Bateman is the only one of the four to make it into a college game, starting the Tides only loss last season against Mississippi. Sims never relinquished the job.The 6-foot-5 Barnett arrived as perhaps the most highly rated quarterback prospect Alabama has signed under Saban and has beefed up to 211 pounds since his arrival.Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin have gone with the most experienced candidate the past two years, with strong results. Barnett has been through two spring practices after arriving as one of the nations top quarterback prospects.Whoever wins the job will have a deep receiving corps led by Calvin Ridley, ArDarius Stewart and tight end O.J. Howard.One of the strengths on our team, I feel, is the receivers, and we want to continue to try to have an offense that can create explosive plays through those guys, Saban said.Some coaches prefer a quick quarterback decision so that one guy can start getting the bulk of the practice repetitions with the first-teamm offense.dddddddddddd Sabans OK with waiting to see how they actually perform in a stadium packed with people and a prime-time national TV audience.He cites a gamer like Rohan Davey, who played for him at LSU.I cant tell you how theyre going to play in a game, especially the guys that have never played in a game, Saban said. Cooper has played some in a game here, which I think that experience is certainly a benefit to him, but I dont know how these other guys are going to play in a game. Some guys go into games and they play a lot better.Rohan Davey is a guy that I used to go like this (covers eyes) in practice because some days he would throw the ball end over end in practice and then go throw for 400 yards in the game, and I kind of like that, even though it was hard to take sometimes in practice. But you knew the guy was going to play well in the game, because he was a great competitor.Game notes Freshman Jonah Williams, a five-star recruit, is listed as the first-teamer on the depth chart released Monday. Cam Robinson is the only other freshman tackle to start for Saban at Alabama in the opener. You wouldnt look at his film and think he was a freshman, Tide defensive end Jonathan Allen said. Hes very experienced. His technique is phenomenal. He knows the playbook as well as any other offensive lineman. Hes definitely one of those freshmen who progresses very, very fast. ... Ross Piersbacher is moving from center to right guard, while Bradley Bozeman will be snapping the ball. Piersbacher started at left guard last season and was expected to replace first-round pick Ryan Kelly at center. Bozeman started two games at center when Kelly was injured in 2014, then played in every game as a reserve last season. ' ' '