Would Ramirez Be Liverpool’s Missing Link?

THE recent success of Uruguay at international level over recent years has certainly caught everyone’s eye; Oscar Tarbarez’s side have won plenty of plaudits for their effective, attacking football, culminating in their victory at the 2011 Copa America tournament.

Apart from already recognized world class players in Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani, Uruguay boasts of a crop of talented youngsters coming through, such as Sebastian Coates, Abel Hernandez and Bologna’s Gaston Ramirez – the latter of whom has long been linked with Liverpool, and reports last weekend had suggested that the Reds made an official bid for the young attacking midfielder.

Speaking on talkSPORT radio, reliable Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri revealed he thought Liverpool had finally made a decisive move to try and land the highly rated 21-year old. [Editor: however these thoughts have since proved unfounded; with the player’s club Bologna, the source behind such rumours – not LFC].

The Merseyside club have tracked Ramirez for some time, but with the breakdown of the move for Gylfi Sigurdsson, manager Brendan Rodgers reportedly stepped up his interest in the goal-getting, goal-creating midfielder.

Given that midfield was an area in which Liverpool spectacularly failed for the duration of last season, it is unsurprising that they have been linked with so many talents in that position. Gaston Ramirez is one of the latest names to be suggested.

The idea that he could link successfully with Suarez, as he has in the past for the current Copa America holders, must be an appealing thought to Rodgers and he is another prospect with time on his side at the age of just 21.

Strengths

One of the best dribblers in the game, Gaston Ramirez is well and truly unpredictable on the ball. Just when you think he’s run himself off the pitch or into a hole, he produces a flick, cross or pass that defies logic. His decision-making process is promising to. It does require some refinement, but it’s great to see for such a young and relatively inexperienced player to know when to drop the ball off and when to take it on.

For most of the season, he’s played just behind the striker with a free roam of the attacking midfield. He’s bagged eight goals this campaign, some from long range and some from inside the six yard box. He’s shown the ability to create and score from anywhere on the pitch, and most importantly, does all his good work in the right areas of the pitch.

Weakness

There isn’t too much with Gaston Ramirez. Considering his style of play and talent, it’d be easy to assume he doesn’t put in a shift defensively. He’s not that bad defensively, and while he doesn’t track his man all the way back, the way Bologna ask him to play doesn’t require him to. He’s not a brilliant tackler – something evident by his eight yellow cards and repetitive fouls – but he does a better job of it than most attackers.

Gaston Ramirez suffers from what most skilful playmakers do – inconsistencies. He doesn’t always make the impact he wants and gets visibly frustrated. However he is maturing fast, and being just 21-years of age, consistency will come sooner rather than later. He is a work in progress, so it’s harsh to judge him at his role right now as he has time on his hand to improve himself.

How would he fit into Liverpool FC

Liverpool doesn’t have anyone like Gaston Ramirez in the squad right now. The closest comparison is Luis Suarez, but we all know the already-Red Uruguayan would be playing a role of a scorer rather than a creator at Anfield. Ramirez is best playing just behind the striker in a more central role, a position where he excelled at, for his club Bologna last season. He however is a permanent selection on the left wing for the Uruguay team — be it the senior or U-21 squad. Based on Stewart Downing’s form last season, Ramirez would be an immediate upgrade on the left side and represents a more agile option in the playmaker spot than Steven Gerrard does. Downing had a great game on the right wing against Chelsea in the penultimate game of the season, so a Ramirez, Gerrard and Downing combination could be an option.
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It’s safe to say that Ramirez would fit into the squad in no time at Anfield; he has everything to his game. He is technically skilled player and his elegant playing style is a joy to watch, his intelligence when in possession belies his age, and his all round technique is fantastic. In a world where the diminutive playmaker is now all the rage, at 6ft Ramirez is far more physically imposing, which would stand him in good stead should he move to a more laboriously demanding league.

Rodgers looks certain to employ either 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation to suit ‘Tiki-Taka’, a formation and a style of play, which brought him great success and huge accolades while in charge of Swansea. Whatever formation Rodgers opts to employ, it is likely Ramirez would alternate between playing as the most attacking of the midfield three, or as the wide forward on other side of the striker. At Bologna he started off playing wide left, but under Piolo has done his best work playing on the right of midfield where he can cut inside on his left foot.

There is the sense that Ramirez needs to improve on his off-the-ball work although that is a criticism that can be levelled at many young players, particularly those that play in attacking positions. He is often the man who is sacrificed in the latter stages of games when a more defensive player is needed to see the game out, and, thus, he rarely finishes 90 minutes. Brendan Rodgers has always stressed the importance of working hard when not in possession to win the ball back, and in the fast-paced Premiership where players have often been picked for their work ethic and tactical discipline, any disinclination to contribute to the defensive side of the game will do nothing to endear him to manager and fans alike.

The Reds are unlikely to be alone in attempting the lure Ramirez to Anfield, and the recent Gylfi Sigurdsson saga has proven that, for all their illustrious history, money talks in the modern game, and, with no Champions League football to offer, Liverpool are going to have to really splash the cash if they want to sign players of Ramirez’s calibre. However, whether Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers’ alleged interest in the player goes any further remains to be seen – with Napoli seemingly favourites and desperate to link-up Ramirez with Cavani.

One thing is for certain though – Gaston Ramirez possesses all the tools to follow in the footsteps of his fellow countryman and be successful at Anfield. He would certainly add creativity and goals from midfield that were sorely lacking from the Reds last season and, whilst he would not come cheap, he fits FSG’s transfer policy of buying younger players with potential before they develop in to world-class stars. Liverpool fans should be hoping, then, that a move for the Fray Bentos born attacker is more than just a pie in the sky.

Editor’s Note: This article was first created by Alex Woo, who full credit goes to,  and originally published on Sabotage Times here. A big thanks goes to Alex, who you can find on Twitter @woolfc

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