Gaston Ramirez...

[Unbelievable Jeff]

Now I for one am glad he is on the mend, I still think he has an important role to play in this team.

 

However, what I find difficult is the opinion that he doesn't try and doesn't care. It feels like it's a kind of 'Carlos Kickaball' doesn't give a **** about the club, whereas I personally don't think that's true. Yes, he hasn't been as good as he should have been for the fee, but the guy is young, clearly has talent, and has had numerous injuries since joining us. Either way, I don't think his attitude is bad, and certainly not on the same scale as a certain DO.

 

Fingers crossed we see him back in the squad/team soon.

[Beckenham Saint]

I think the fee the club paid for him has clouded the judgement of people when watching him. He looked good in his youtube videos, but so did Steve de Ridder, the only difference being that we paid £12m for one and considerably less for the other. Posters like Barry Sanchez and Alpine seem to forget that he didn't decide how much money we spent on him.

 

Was vital in winning us points in some games last season, and pulled all the strings in midfield vs Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle last season and has looked even better this year whenever called upon.

[Raging Bull]

Forget the fact we're southampton, £12m for an attacking midfielder in the prem isn't massive so people who judge him on price are simply wrong.

 

The lads got tekkers just needs to up the work rate.

[Miltonaggro]

Now I for one am glad he is on the mend, I still think he has an important role to play in this team.

 

However, what I find difficult is the opinion that he doesn't try and doesn't care. It feels like it's a kind of 'Carlos Kickaball' doesn't give a **** about the club, whereas I personally don't think that's true. Yes, he hasn't been as good as he should have been for the fee, but the guy is young, clearly has talent, and has had numerous injuries since joining us. Either way, I don't think his attitude is bad, and certainly not on the same scale as a certain DO.

 

Fingers crossed we see him back in the squad/team soon.

 

I agree Jeff. I remember seeing a video of Osvaldo with Poch when he first joined the club and the bon homie seemed a little too forced. Never thought that with GM who seems to get on with team mates and like the club. I hope he comes good, and I think he will...

[Miltonaggro]

I agree Jeff. I remember seeing a video of Osvaldo with Poch when he first joined the club and the bon homie seemed a little too forced. Never thought that with GM who seems to get on with team mates and like the club. I hope he comes good, and I think he will...

 

GR rather, GM is the modified version who has world class games from the get go ;-)

[Mikey88]

Wasn't the lad given compassionate leave at one point last year due to the death of his dad? If that was the case I don't think you can underestimate the affect that that can have on a young man living at the far side of the world to his family.

[Window Cleaner]

Wasn't the lad given compassionate leave at one point last year due to the death of his dad? If that was the case I don't think you can underestimate the affect that that can have on a young man living at the far side of the world to his family.

 

 

Add to that the continual jaunts around the globe for WC qualifiers, Confederations Cup games etc and you have a young man who is completely destabilised. Ah but Suarez still scores a lot of goals I hear you say, but the c**t got a convenient 10 match suspension though didn't he so he had plenty of time to recover from all the rest of the football.

[100%Red&White]

Once he gets back in the side, they'll be about 3 months left to impress to get in his national side for the WC.

 

I reckon we're about to see the best of Gaston Ramirez.

[Unbelievable Jeff]

Once he gets back in the side, they'll be about 3 months left to impress to get in his national side for the WC.

 

I reckon we're about to see the best of Gaston Ramirez.

 

I think you could well be right.

[trousers]

I think he was starting to show his value before he got injured, so, yep, I think he'll be an asset in our remaining 10 games or so.

[SB]

Not many players can turn a game around like Gaston, don't think MP gives him much of a chance though, possibly as he wasn't his signing.

[S-Clarke]

He's a very talented player, and I seriously want him to perform here. Annoyingly, he was picking up form before he was injured!

 

I think he's a class act, but has struggled to impose himself on some games and is a bit loose with the ball. I want to see him given a decent opportunity in the run-in as I want nothing more than to see Gaston running the show from that number 10 position.

[Batman]

he was looking good before his injury.

just hope we see him make his mark in the remaining 10 games or so he will be fit for

[Wes Tender]

Last night, out of sheer boredom at the lack of quality googlebox programmes, I looked at our match against Everton, the first after Adkins' dpearture. Gaston did some quite goods things in that game and I was impressed with him. What was also noticeable, was that so soon after Pochettino's arrival, we were playing Everton off the park with the high pressing game already. Or was a lot of it how we used to play for Adkins? During the first quarter, we had about 70% possession and during the second quarter, it was still at 60%

[Saint Garrett]

Problem is - where does he fit in?

 

He's not going to displace Lallana, we need JRod's pace and direct running, and Davis is vital to the way we play. I think he's a cracking player with superb talent, I'm just not sure that he fits in with what we're doing, and has suffered because Lallana has gone up a level this season. I have no doubt that he is an asset to us and he's a good player but it makes it easy for people to moan about him when he isn't a starter as such.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

Yep, no where near as bad as those fantastic judges Alpine (another closet racist with his constant South American/Carlos Kickball references) & Barry make out.

 

This "lazy" tag he seems to have acquired is, ironically, just laziness in itself - i.e. stereotyping.

 

But he isn't English, and he doesn't run around aimlessly like Puncheon (good English player, nevermind he contributes less in more games I'd much rather him in the team blah blah blah).

 

Funny how Guly went from being the lazy, do nothing Brazilian - to the go to guy to put a shift in and see out a game.

 

Also makes me laugh that those that slate Gaston for trying things, i.e. through balls or runs to open up a defence parked in front of goal are the same ones that berate the team for being too safe in possession, lacking penetration etc etc etc.

 

Moaners gonna moan.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

Problem is - where does he fit in?

 

He's not going to displace Lallana, we need JRod's pace and direct running, and Davis is vital to the way we play. I think he's a cracking player with superb talent, I'm just not sure that he fits in with what we're doing, and has suffered because Lallana has gone up a level this season. I have no doubt that he is an asset to us and he's a good player but it makes it easy for people to moan about him when he isn't a starter as such.

 

I do get where you are coming from, and I agree to a certain extent.

 

But it's not an awful option to have, a Uruguayan international waiting in the wings. He'd been looking decent from the bench just prior to his injury.

 

Such a shame he hasn't been able to live up to his potential since he came in. So much talent in there if it can be harnessed effectively.

[trousers]

Well, this is rather pleasant. A discussion about Gaston without the usual vitriol.

[anothersaintinsouthsea]

Well, this is rather pleasant. A discussion about Gaston without the usual vitriol.

 

**** off you ****

[JustinR]

I'll always remember an interview with Phil Neville last season before he retired. He was asked who was the toughest opponent he had played against (that season I think) and he said "Gaston Ramirez"

[trousers]

I'll always remember an interview with Phil Neville last season before he retired. He was asked who was the toughest opponent he had played against (that season I think) and he said "Gaston Ramirez"

 

[Olallana]

Last night, out of sheer boredom at the lack of quality googlebox programmes, I looked at our match against Everton, the first after Adkins' dpearture. Gaston did some quite goods things in that game and I was impressed with him. What was also noticeable, was that so soon after Pochettino's arrival, we were playing Everton off the park with the high pressing game already. Or was a lot of it how we used to play for Adkins? During the first quarter, we had about 70% possession and during the second quarter, it was still at 60%

 

That game was one of the best performances I´ve seen Saints do in a long time, especially the first half.

If we would´ve gone into half time leading 3-0 it would still have flattered Everton to be fair.

 

I honestly cant remember us defending that high up the pitch under Adkins so for me it was something new and Everton were certainly not prepared for that.

[tajjuk]

Certainly seems happy enough in training videos etc and pretty integrated with the team.

 

It's a shame because I think he was starting to find some form, it's clear he's not really hit his potential yet, but he at least seemed to have got into being Poch's go to man to change a game.

 

I do wonder if he's ever really been fully fit, seems to pick up injuries often, there also seems to be a bit of a Mourinho/Mata issue going on, not sure Poch truly trusts him yet but he always seems to work hard when on the pitch.

 

Hopefully he'll be back soon and will win us some points over the next few months. Saw both him and Lovren running about in the Poch interview so I presume they are both back in light training.

[Faz]

The irony of his injury is that it came about as a direct result of him doing the things MP wants him to do. He joined in the pressing of the Sunderland player high up the pitch, won the ball and then drove at the heart of the Sunderland defence.

[fborosaint]

Really hope Gaston comes good, I'm still really optimistic he will as he has shown he is a really good technical player. Anybody who follows him on social media knows that he's buzzing to get back from injury, which can only be a good thing.

[Pastor Patrón]

I get the impression that he's getting on a lot better socially with the rest of the squad this year which is bound to help him settle in. I might be wrong but last year he always seemed a bit of an outsider, maybe they like him more where he's having to earn his keep to get in the team now?

[doddisalegend]

I swear Gaston is one of those players who gets better the less he plays. It's amazing we've managed to get so high up the league, with him hardly playing, I guess we'd been top four if he was a 1st team regular. Sorry I'm just not a fan does very little in a lot of games with an occasional good game. The price tag does matter because a higher fee commands greater expectations a club doesn't pay more for a player expecting him to be no better than what they already have if you break the club record on player you expect him to make a difference Gaston really hasn't done that.

[Restark19]

I think what a lot of those slating him for his price tag are missing is that we didn't spend £12m on a player we expected to be fully developed, it's his 'potential' we bought. He's only 22, No player is at their best until 27/28, granted he's not at the level of some 22 year olds but still has plenty of time to kick on and become the player that price tag deserves.

[Rasiak-9-]

Say what you like about Ramirez, he WILL take the responsibility to at least TRY and create something rather than the passengers in many teams across the Premiership (at least 6 of them start for Manchester United each week) who hide in big games, repeatedly passing the ball backwards rather than taking on the challenge of trying to find that killer pass or take players on.

 

That fantastic assist for the Lallana goal vs West Brom? Had he not pulled that very difficult pass off he'd have got a massive groan from the crowd and people on here would be rolling their eyes and *****ing about how he always gives the ball away.

 

On the other side of the coin, he could have avoided that situation by taking a touch, and rolling it back to our defenders. Someone else's responsibility now. Not my problem.

 

...but he didn't. He attempted the very, very difficult pass despite the risk of looking like a fool, pulled it off. We won 1-0.

 

Look at how long it took Lallana to even be remotely effective in the Champo and League friggin' 1! And this wasn't as a teenager! This was as a 22-year old! Precisely the same age Gaston is now!

[david in sweden]

Once he gets back in the side, they'll be about 3 months left to impress to get in his national side for the WC.

 

I reckon we're about to see the best of Gaston Ramirez.

 

 

well I do hope so .....it's long overdue IMHO.

[SB]

well I do hope so .....it's long overdue IMHO.

 

Dave, you live in Sweden, therefore opinion is invalid

[buctootim]

he could have avoided that situation by taking a touch, and rolling it back to our defenders. Someone else's responsibility now. Not my problem....but he didn't. He attempted the very, very difficult pass despite the risk of looking like a fool, pulled it off. We won 1-0.

 

Look at how long it took Lallana to even be remotely effective in the Champo and League friggin' 1! And this wasn't as a teenager! This was as a 22-year old! Precisely the same age Gaston is now!

 

Good post, added to which being effective in CM seems to take longer to perfect than being out wide. Look how long Morgan was 'crap' for according to some. Something about him seems to have changed - maybe he hung out with Osvaldo too much abd got negative influences. Ive high hopes that he is about to deliver big time

[Dark Munster]

Dave, you live in Sweden, therefore opinion is invalid

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I don't mind a spot of hyperbole every now and then, but to state that Adam Lallana was not "remotely effective" during our entire stay in the lower leagues is a exercise in the rewriting of history that would make Stalin blush!

 

Those of us who were there supporting this football club during those years in the 'wilderness' will be able to confirm that Adam was very clearly the best player on the pitch nearly every week.

Edited 7 February, 2014 by CHAPEL END CHARLIE

[danner]

Gaston is a cracking player and I think some fans expect too much from him - we signed a 12 mil player not Messi !!

 

I go to football to watch players like him

[doddisalegend]

I think what a lot of those slating him for his price tag are missing is that we didn't spend £12m on a player we expected to be fully developed, it's his 'potential' we bought. He's only 22, No player is at their best until 27/28, granted he's not at the level of some 22 year olds but still has plenty of time to kick on and become the player that price tag deserves.

 

I'm really not buying the idea that the club broke their transfer record (at the time) on a player in hope he would come good in 6 years. The club has an academy full of potential (some you could argue have already contributed more than Gaston on the pitch). When a club like ours spend 13 million on a player they're expecting a fully functioning player to take us to the next level Gaston (as yet) has not delivered on that.

[CityRanger]

Osvaldo's behaviour has made him look so much better. A PR masterstroke for Gaston!

[ottery st mary]

Top class footballer ..who when back fit and playing...will be an excellent addition to the team/squad.

 

Love watching him play.........very talented player.

 

Sooooo glad he is in our team.

 

The best is yet to come.

 

COYS

[Lazlo78]

This thread has surprised me positively - I really thought the majority of posters had given up on Gaston, but it seems there are a lot of people who still support him and hope for/expect him to come good. I wouldn't even say that he needs to become a star in the team rightaway, if he could only start putting pressure on Lallana, Jay Rod, Davis etc. and add another tactical dimension...

[RonManager]

3 pals sharing an ice bucket. We've all been there eh? eh?

 

[Norm]

3 pals sharing an ice bucket. We've all been there eh? eh?

 

 

 

Err no. I played three times a week, Wed/Sat/Sun and never saw an Ice Bucket. Had real problems with my ankles, mind you that was half a century back.

[Lazlo78]

Err no. I played three times a week, Wed/Sat/Sun and never saw an Ice Bucket. Had real problems with my ankles, mind you that was half a century back.

 

I played three times a week, saw plenty of ice buckets, but I had no pals...

[Dalek2003]

I think the longer Ramirez is out, the better he will get, potentially.

[dronskisaint]

Say what you like about Ramirez, he WILL take the responsibility to at least TRY and create something rather than the passengers in many teams across the Premiership (at least 6 of them start for Manchester United each week) who hide in big games, repeatedly passing the ball backwards rather than taking on the challenge of trying to find that killer pass or take players on.

 

That fantastic assist for the Lallana goal vs West Brom? Had he not pulled that very difficult pass off he'd have got a massive groan from the crowd and people on here would be rolling their eyes and *****ing about how he always gives the ball away.

 

On the other side of the coin, he could have avoided that situation by taking a touch, and rolling it back to our defenders. Someone else's responsibility now. Not my problem.

 

...but he didn't. He attempted the very, very difficult pass despite the risk of looking like a fool, pulled it off. We won 1-0.

 

Look at how long it took Lallana to even be remotely effective in the Champo and League friggin' 1! And this wasn't as a teenager! This was as a 22-year old! Precisely the same age Gaston is now!

 

I agree with your points entirely but would (in Lallana's defence) like to point out that he scored 20 goals in one season in L1.

 

Very happy to have Ramirez coming back - he is capable of adding real vision to the side...and is an excellent option if AL has to come off or is injured.

[Mabes]

How long do we wait for him to come good?

[Smirking_Saint]

Problem is - where does he fit in?

 

He's not going to displace Lallana, we need JRod's pace and direct running, and Davis is vital to the way we play. I think he's a cracking player with superb talent, I'm just not sure that he fits in with what we're doing, and has suffered because Lallana has gone up a level this season. I have no doubt that he is an asset to us and he's a good player but it makes it easy for people to moan about him when he isn't a starter as such.

 

This is pretty much it

 

If he upped his workrate to the levels of AL or Davis and we may start to see a real position for him, equally if VW sorts himself out and releases MS a bit more it could mean that GR's inclusion is all the more Viable but yes I agree his issue isnt his ability but the fact that we cannot accomodate him right now IMO

[tajjuk]

Do we not have the luxury of being able wait to get the best out of him? We're on course for our highest league finish and have plenty of competition for places, if this spurs Gaston to win his place back and show his true potential then the team wins, if he doesn't then we aren't worse off

[Saint Without a Halo]

Gaston will prove his worth have patience!

[Saint Garrett]

Thought we were crying out for a player like him last half hour today.

[Saint Without a Halo]

We needed him today as we were short on the creation front and too dependant on Adam