It has certainly been a ride full of turbulence for Gaston Ramirez since he signed for Southampton in 2012. Injuries and form have prevented Gaston Ramirez from reaching his evident potential at Southampton after he joined the club for what was a club record £12m from Italian side Bologna.
He has made just 45 Premier League appearances for Southampton in the last three years, 50 in total, scoring 8 goals. Although he did spend last season out on-loan to Hull City, who were relegated from the Premier League during his time there last season.
He was sent out on-loan to Hull City last season to get minutes under his belt and recover his form following injuries whilst at Southampton. However, he made just 22 appearances for Hull and had a meagre return of just one goal as Hull were relegated on the final day of the season. Gaston did not make the best start to his Hull career as he was sent off in November against Tottenham for a kick-out at Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen as Hull lost 2-1 to the North London side. The most disappointing factor from this was that it was probably his most memorable moment in a Hull shirt – despite being a moment that I am sure Gaston Ramirez would love to forget, mainly because it was a very controversial red card. Ramirez seemed to catch Vertonghen as he was rolling on the floor and the referee perceived it as a kick-out, with almost everyone watching bemused by the decision to send him off.
Gaston Ramirez has been consistently linked with a move away from the Saints in recent months. However, a summer move never materialised and that has left the Uruguayan between a rock and a hard place. Or so it seemed.
A late substitute appearance against Liverpool today could be seen as a move by Koeman to put him in the shop window for any potential January suitors. However, I think it should be seen as an opportunity for him to prove himself in a Saints shirt.
Gaston Ramirez was brought on for Steven Davis with under ten minutes to play and he certainly made his impact. Not only did he rise well to head across goal and set-up Mane for the Saints leveler; he also looked bright and lively when he picked the ball up and looked to drive forward and create chances. He almost set-up a Saints winner as well as he skipped past a few challenges before sliding it through to Graziano Pelle, however the Italian missed his kick and Liverpool cleared the danger.
It is clear to see that Gaston Ramirez is a very talented footballer, I don’t think that has come into question. He showed at Bologna that he had bags of potential and has shown glimpses of fulfilling it at Southampton. It is a matter of consistency for Gaston Ramirez. If he can get a good run of games under his belt and start to perform on a consistent basis then there is no telling how well he could do for Southampton.
In my opinion, Southampton are in real need of a creative central player in the attacking third and Gaston Ramirez could be that player. Sadio Mane has been playing in that position of late. However, I still think that playing out wide is his best position and a front three of Tadic, Ramirez and Mane playing as foils to Graziano Pelle could prove to be a successful one if the Uruguayan can show more of the same after his performance tonight. His control of the ball and vision to pick a pass is very impressive and, in my opinion, definitely deserves another chance to prove that he can still cut it in the Premier League and that he was not another big name flop in the English top-flight.
With the types of runs that are made by the likes of Graziano Pelle and Sadio Mane; Gaston Ramirez’s ability to create chances and pick a pass could prove him to be an important asset for Southampton. Even if it is just as an impact substitute most games and the occasional start against the lesser sides or in the cup. I think it would be a waste to let go of such a talented player without giving him a chance under Ronald Koeman. Pochettino may not have been able to get the best out of him but that does not mean to say that Ronald Koeman won’t be able to.
I asked one of our own writers, Luke Osman, if he thinks Gaston Ramirez still has a future at Southampton and he had this to say:
Yes, I do think he does. Today showed just why he has more to offer us because as soon as he came off the bench, it felt as though there was an added creativity to our play. If Ramirez can keep making contributions like he did today with a very good assist for Mane, there’s no reason why he can’t make his way into Koeman’s plans to give him another outlet.
Despite this, It is still unlikely that he will still be a Southampton come February 1st next year. There were report recently linking him with a return to the Serie A, where he was at with Bologna before his move to St.Mary’s. Yet, there is still a possibility he could come back into the fray. He is still only 24-years-old and clearly has a lot of talent. If he can stay clear of injuries and continue to show what he did tonight against Liverpool; then he could yet play a part for Southampton this season. Despite everyone writing him off as a Southampton outcast before he had even kicked a ball.
Although, with his contract running out at the end of the season; Southampton may want to get a transfer fee in January, rather than lose him on a free transfer in the summer. That is, unless Gaston Ramirez can impress enough from now until January to warrant being considered for a new contract with the Saints.
However, Koeman did state last month that he was willing to give Gaston Ramirez a chance to impress:
He (Ramirez) is part of the team, he is training well, his behaviour is positive. I’m the first to give that kind of player a chance when we need somebody.
Southampton face manager-less Aston Villa in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday night and it will be another chance, if Koeman give it to him, for Gaston Ramirez to get some key minutes under his belt and impress the manager to try to get himself back in contention for a place in the Southampton squad week-in week-out. I certainly don’t think he should be written off as a lost cause quite yet and should at least be given a few games to see if he can find the level on consistency in his game that is required at a club like Southampton.
Do you think that Gaston Ramirez could still have a future at Southampton?
