Meet The Riot #3: Midfield

Name: Giles BARNES
RMR Squad Number: 7
Position: AM RC
Signed: 25/02/09, P/Exchange for Marco Criscuolo (G700 F.C.)

Real-Life:

Having scored 7 goals in 12 international appearances for England at Under-19 level whilst at Derby County, Giles Barnes has caught the eye of Premier League side Fulham. The pacy attacking midfielder is currently on loan at the Cottagers, with a view to a permanent £4m-move at the end of the 2008-09 season.

RMR Bio:

Giles Barnes had already proven himself a consistent performer for several top-ranked clubs when he was snapped up from G700 F.C. in a swap deal, with RMR prodigy Marco Criscuolo moving in the other direction. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength at Riot, playing some of the best football of his career. His exciting movement and creative passing have made him a fan favourite, and as well as maintaining a good strike rate for a midfielder, he has also contributed a great number of assists.

Name: AROUCA
RMR Squad Number: 8
Position: DM + M R
Signed: 01/12/08, £140,000 Initial Squad

Real-Life:

A diminuitive Brazilian playmaker who has spent most of his career at Fluminense, Arouca was signed by League Champions Sao Paulo FC on a long-term contract. He has represented his country at both U17 and U21 levels, including being a part of the Brazilian U17 side which won the U17 World Cup in 2003.

RMR Bio:

Arouca is, quite simply, the rock on which River Medway Riot has been built. The club's star signing on day one, he has been the man in the middle of the pitch through which everything flows. Playing more often as a central midfielder than a defensive one, his quick feet and intelligent passing saw him form the effective Brazilian triangle with Paulinho Dias and Saulo for several seasons. With over 600 appearances to his name, he is also the club's highest earner, and has repeatedly committed his future to the Riot as a one-club man.

Name: PAULINHO DIAS
RMR Squad Number: 14
Position: DM
Signed: 12/12/08, £100,000 Transfer Auction (Youth FC)

Real-Life:

Having been a hot youth prospect at Cruzeiro, Paulinho Dias is now a regular starter for Ipatinga, who finished bottom of the Brazilian Serie A at the end of the 2008 season.

RMR Bio:

As River Medway Riot's first six-figure signing, it took some time for Paulinho Dias to settle in at the club, turning in some distinctly average performances in the first season. However, once he began to play alongside Arouca, rather than competing for the same position, Paulinho Dias began to blossom, anchoring the midfield, breaking up opposition attacks and directing the pace of the game. While leaving the fancier passing to Saulo and Arouca, Dias's role in the side is to win the ball and put his foot on it, a task which he has mastered, and he is improving season on season.

Name: Jozef "Jojo" MICHALIK (regen)
RMR Squad Number: 16
Position: M C + AM L
Signed: 03/12/08, £10,000 Wage Auction

RMR Bio:

The very first graduate of the River Medway Riot youth academy, Jozef Michalik quickly made the jump from U17 to senior football. While competition for first-team places was fierce, Michalik established himself ahead of Lucas Correa and Lu Lin to become the first choice left winger with intelligent running and a never-say-die attitude. A change of tactics away from wing-based play has seen Michalik pushed back onto the subs bench for season 4, but with plenty of years of football ahead of him, he is looking to be an excellent prospect for leading the next generation of stars.

Name: Oscar SANZ (regen)
RMR Squad Number: 22
Position: M C
Signed: 30/12/08, £1 Transfer Auction (KRAZY KLOWNS F.C.)

RMR Bio:

With many clubs desperate to cut their wage bill around the turn of the New Year, young Oscar Sanz found himself moving to the Riot for the sum of £1. Following two good seasons in the youth team, Sanz found himself on the fringes of a failing senior team, and has made almost 100 first team appearances, often from the bench. The change of tactics and relegation of Jozef Michalik to the subs bench has seen Sanz less involved this season, but he continues to be a menace in the youth squad, and is developing his game nicely.

Name: Michael WOODS
RMR Squad Number: 23
Position: M C
Signed: 01/12/08, £24,000 Initial Squad

Real-Life:

A redheaded midfielder, teenager Michael Woods is on Chelsea's books, but has so far only made cameo appearances in cup games. Hotly tipped as one for the future, he has represented England at U16, U17 and U19 level.

RMR Bio:

Michael Woods is a name reasonably known to FM players, a prospect who generally does very well commanding the midfield. With that in mind, he was brought into the initial RMR squad, but has never really succeeded in making the grade. Following a barely passable first season, he has since made only a handful of appearances in the Riot blue, finding himself loaned out to a number of other sides in unsuccessful attempts to find him some form. He seems destined to be the star that never was.

Name: Omar GUERRA
RMR Squad Number: 15
Position: AM/F C
Signed: 23/03/09, £65,000 End-of-Contract Auction (FC Highlanders)

Real-Life:

Playing in Ecuador's Serie A, Colombian striker Omar Guerra has travelled around the country, currently wearing the colours of Club Deportivo Tecnico Universitario. With his bald head and bold forward play, he averages ten goals per season.

RMR Bio:

Following the success of season four's five-man attack, a key target in the end-of-season transfer frenzy was to bring in players who were comfortable as both an out-and-out striker and in a deeper, AM role. With FC Highlanders becoming defunct, Omar Guerra became available, and fit the bill perfectly. Although his strike rate at Highlanders was disappointing (in contrast with an excellent assist rate), he has already shown himself ready to make the most of a new opportunity at a new club, scoring as many in 25 games as he had in 85 previously at Highlanders.