When Paco Jemez took over from Jose Ramon Sandoval as Coach of Rayo Vallecano in 2012, work was clearly needed to improve the club. Rayo had survived in their first season back in La Liga – but only just. Jemez sought to consolidate their achievements and make sure the Madrid-based side would become a permanent fixture in the top flight.
Fast forward 12 months and Rayo surpassed the expectations of even their most ardent supporters with a best-ever finish of eighth in the 45-year-old’s first season at the helm. How did they do this? Three words: attack, attack, attack.
In the three years that Jemez has been at Vallecas, his values have not changed, even in the face of adversity such as last season, when they hovered dangerously towards relegation. It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy in that Rayo’s quest for goals means they regularly leave themselves exposed to horrible effect. The statistics speak for themselves.
In his first season, when they finished eighth, Los Franjirrojos conceded 66 goals – the third highest in the League. A year later, when they finished 12th, they scored 46 goals, yet conceded 80 – the highest in 2013-14.
However, the reward in Jemez’s strategy is Rayo are now an established top-flight team. The table does not lie, with Los Vallecanos currently in 10th, undefeated in their last four games, including a credible 1-1 draw with Valencia. Some hidden gems have also been unearthed along the way.
Alberto Bueno has been a revelation, even though he had always been under the radar. The former Derby County man enjoyed a commendable debut season, scoring 12 goals to lift Rayo to safety, but he has been ruthless in 14-15, following up with a further 16 strikes and four assists. Moreover, he's been supported by Leo Baptistao (seven goals in his loan spell from Atletico Madrid) and Gael Kakuta (five goals and seven assists), both of whom add firepower to Jemez’s attack.
The fact Bueno was linked to a Spain call-up but also top European clubs such as Porto is testament to Jemez’s belief in his forward players, regardless of what the team they face. While the 27-year-old has been linked with moves away, so has Jemez. The ex-defender had been mentioned in connection with a host of clubs in England.
Although Jemez had talked of going to the Premier League in the future, he recently signed a new, one-year contract. It's great news for Rayo, who will enjoy his enterprising tenets next season. His stock is rising and so will the interest in him from top clubs. Whether at Rayo, a bigger Primera outfit or a club outside of Spain, his philosophy will remain the same. Attack. Attack. Attack.
