What makes you think he's our most talented player? Also work rate is key for every player nowadays. Tracking back is something everyone must be able to do.
I've never had much of a problem with Gaston's work rate. He often ends up chasing the ball rather than taking up a more sensible position, but it's more a lack of defensive intelligence than a lack of effort...heh, he has a tendency to cover a lot of ground only to end up in entirely the wrong place (or end up clattering someone). Think that it contributes to his poor endurance; he makes some rash decisions off the ball, and then has to do a fair bit of sprinting to recover his position, and combined with his conditioning issues the end result is exhaustion after 60 minutes.
I don't want to give up on him either, thought this season he would really shine. Perhaps he will, maybe it is all fitness issues etc. But the clock is ticking. That said its a long season and we may use him later on.
De Bruyne. Yarmolenko. Gundogan. Moses. Javier Hernandez. Mata. Hulk. Maybe even Dimaio again. I don't know. I have no idea. I'm not suggesting a player for Saints. I'm just saying that everyone wants to play in the Premier League now, and if they don't their cash-strapped clubs might force a move anyway. It's a buyer's market. If Saints finish in the top eight we will be an attractive team. The press will start to fawn over us, and players/agents will see us as a team on the rise, with huge ambitions, and some money to throw around. It's happening already. There are probably a dozen or more very good players who could be targets. If NC and MP really like Banega that much then perhaps we'll get him. But every season our reputation and budget grows. Ramirez was a fine get for us at the time. Perhaps he's been a little disappointing, but a lot of it is that the club advanced. If we were still a struggling bottom-of-the-table side Ramirez would be okay. There is not a place for Ramirez in part because we signed Osvaldo, which wouldn't have been possible two years ago. JWP may end up solving our problem. But if not, the team improves each year and sets its transfer targets higher each year. I wouldn't say we are desperate for Banega in January simply because we wanted him in the summer. We have options now.
Ugh, I'd hoped this forum would have given up on Damiao by now. Banega is a lot better (different positions, but still).
January will be a long enough month anyway...it's only October, let's keep our transfer powder dry till after Christmas.
A big signing in January might hinge on Gaston leaving. None of us know how close we are to the FFP ceiling!!! We may well be very close to it already seeing as we are one of those hindered by the set £52m. If so getting a highly paid 'current reserve' off the books would help us there because whoever comes in is going to cost equal or more in wages. It may not purely be a case of selling him to garner funds for a higher transfer fee. The sad thing for Ramirez is that yes, the club has advanced however that includes many players that were L1, championship in the last 3 seasons plus youngsters from the academy. When he came in he was probably THE man and a lot was expected of him but while he has struggled to cope with the Premier league and stalled in effect, those players that were with us on the journey including the youngsters have gone past him.
Odd one this. I agree with Schad about Ramirez's work rate. He's never seemed lazy to me. It's also amusing seeing people talk about Guly's energy and work rate as positives when he also used to get criticised (unfairly) for being lazy! While it seems Poch doesn't want to pick Ramirez that doesn't automatically mean he's regressed, been left behind, failed to develop etc. I think people may be getting slightly carried away by our league position if they think we've left him behind. Having said that, if we're going to continue starting both Lambert and Osvaldo I don't really see where Ramirez would fit into our team. Ramirez's performances last year were fine and if he was a worse player than Guly I doubt Napoli would be interested in signing him (assuming they are of course!). Mourinho has left Juan Mata out of his side quite a few times this season and not many would suggest he's regressed or become a poor player. It may well be that Ramirez doesn't suit Poch's style and if so he'll probably move on. Sometimes players just don't work at certain clubs. I do find it interesting that it's Rafa Benitez - who seemed to get the best out of Mata last season - in charge at Napoli. If Ramirez went there it could turn out to be a good move for all parties.
I think the comments around fitness and giving the ball away too cheaply may be right around gaston not playing I don't mind if its gaston or we get in another but we need someone on the pitch who can produce through balls to split the defences that the likes of west ham throw up (4 banks of 4 or even 5 - 5) We struggle against the lower sides in the league and don't have that creative spark currently - and lallana isn't it; he is a super player when on form but isn't a great through ball provider.
We will sign someone in the 20-30 million pound transfer range, and it will be someone that no one thinks we can get. We've spent more and gotten higher-reputation players than people expected for the last two years. We're not just trying to stick around, we're trying to win the Premier League. Can't do that unless you are compete for players with Man U and the like. We will likely never have the money to spend to buy the amount of expensive players that Man City or Man U do. That's where the academy comes in. But where there is a need, we should be able to compete with them on any one player/position. I think NC has been pretty clear about that.
Gaston may not be everyone's cup of tea - crikey, I've thought him a waste of space more than once, and I'd still love him to succeed at Saints - but what he has done brilliantly is to help make Saints attractive to the foreign star player. Yes, Poch has also added glamour, though his is only up and coming, but young as Ramirez was and is, he came with a good reputation. It meant that other foreign stars looked twice before rejecting us out of hand. And before they did that, on three occasions, Cortese got in there and sold them the club. Ramirez has been the head turner, and for that alone he has been worth the money.
