Not going to slag off Ramirez. He just wasn't up to English football standard. He wasn't a twat about hardly playing etc and got on with it. Cheers Cortese for the 2nd present we had to give away...
Oh man, this has made me so happy! Greatest news I've heard in months, maybe years. Sadly its come a season to two, too late. God knows how much money we've wasted paying him. But at least the last legacy of Cortese's era will soon be gone. Bye Gaston, you were never good enough and if 3 different top class managers thought that, then that speaks volumes.
I think you might be making a bit much of this. You also seem to be suggesting that Cortese was bad for Saints. He might not have been perfect but without him we might not even be here.
Still think he will be at one of the better Italian/Spanish clubs in the next few years, just not suited to the PL at all.
Always thought Ramirez was a really nice guy whose reputation has been unfairly soiled by a dodgy bunch of agents and by unfortunate fitness. I'm surely not the only one who got excited when he signed - he has more or less performed as earlier in his career - so hardly fair to blame him because I had high expectations of improvement. Hope he goes on to achieve great things and has good memories of his time here. Really not sure why Cortese is being singled out to blame for this. Just look at (say) Liverpool's success rate in the transfer market; have a good laugh; then appreciate that we are quite successful compared to others.
Ramirez was bought by Cortese as a "welcome to the PL" gift. He went over the transfer commitee to get him. On Osvaldo he bought him to be a gift for Poch. In both cases he went over the committee. So technically they are both Corteses fault.
Why is there so much irrational love for GR? Players like Hammond, Harding, even Fox did so much more for us & barely got a goodbye. I just don't get the sentiments, the only impressive thing he achieved here was getting a transfer thread to 13 pages before even signing. He started like he continued, the lads all about the build up & nothing else.
On more than one occasion when Gaston knew he was only going to be on the bench, he suddenly developed a groin strain. I don't have much sympathy for players with natural talent, who don't knuckle down & fight for a place in the team. He had the chances to stake a place in the side, numerous chances, but HE didn't take them. But some Saints fans do love a hopeless case. No doubt in years to come, in the 23rd minute, there will be a round of applause to mark Gaston's squad number and how he was such a nice bloke (he won't be dead).
Agree with the assessment that Gaston got his move to us and the premier league on natural talent and sadly he didn't have the hunger or desire to want to improve beyond that. You look at players at the top of the game such as Ronaldo & Bale and you can make a case that Gaston is not a million miles from these players in terms of ability on the ball, but he is a million miles from these players in terms of application. The top players put the effort in the gym to be the best athletes they can be and do extra training to practise free kicks etc Perhaps in a few years when the money gets worse he'll look back with regret and think he didn't take full advantage of the opportunity he had here. Much like Rickie Lambert has said about his early career. I don't believe he didn't try whilst on the pitch and I don't believe he feigned injuries. He just never motivated or pushed himself to improve his game much beyond his instincts.
I just dont get all the negative reaction to this. Ramirez is without doubt my favorite player in Fifa12-Fifa16. He scores loads of goals for me and always grows into a world class player. I'll probably have to wait till january before I can buy him back : ( *turns off the sarcasm*
Not quite so sure there HR. Dean I Hammond gets a massive love anytime he is mentioned. He's the man!! Love Deano
Hope this happens - big cut in the wage bill and hopefully we can then put this sad saga behind us - for us and for him. Simply not up to the EPL; we have carried him and his wages for far too long. Has been silent about his time here - what will be interesting is to read what he has to say when he is gone.
