Ramires has been great for Chelsea so far this season, but what does he need to do to nail down a starting spot?
Chelsea FC’s defensive woes continue to haunt them as they failed to take advantage of a Manchester City slip up at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Jose Mourinho’s St. James’ Park hoodoo again came to the forefront as the Blues were held to a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United.
You can be as negative as you wish about Chelsea’s first half performance, but I want to focus on the positives in the match and especially on one player who has been a sole bright light in the midfield.
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Ramires, the Brazilian midfielder, has been one of the best players on the pitch in recent fixtures and has been popping up with vital goals for the team. Furthermore, he has made some significant contributions from the middle of the park.
I have always felt bad for Ramires. He is a brilliant player who has all the characteristics to become one of the best but due to a mixture of his own faults coupled with some decisions made by different managers, his growth and development have been stunted.
One of the crucial detrimental factors in his career is that he has been deployed in various positions by different coaches throughout his tenure at Stamford Bridge. Sometimes we see him on the right side of the midfield, sometimes we see him in more of an attacking position, and sometimes he is pushed out to the wings.
In modern-day football, being a jack of all trades can be helpful in certain circumstances where the player may need to fill in a variety positions when called upon. However, if one is a jack of all trades and a master of none, then it can be a huge setback and Ramires is a classic example.
He has been playing in so many positions that he has not been able to accustom himself with any one of them. Consequently, Ramires can’t turn in good performances on a consistent basis as he has never been afforded a chance to settle into a specific role.
I bet if we ask him what is favored position is he won’t be able to answer with conviction.
The reason why Ramires’ situation is particularly frustrating is that he is one of those rare players who is blessed with the capability to balance attacking and defensive play. He has an immense work rate and stamina with which he can track back and help out defensively.
His attacking qualities can be measured by his belter of a strike against Newcastle at the weekend or his immaculate and unfaltering chip over Barcelona’s Victor Valdes in the Champions League semi-finals.
In 21st century football, where teams are tactically evolving day by day and becoming faster in their play, a rapid Ramires should be a blessing in the midfield.
I sincerely feel at times that a midfield partnership of Ramires and Nemanja Matic can be a better combination than Cesc Fabregas and Matic. Fabregas is a slow player both with and without the ball. Also, the Spaniard seems hopeless once he loses the ball upfront, leaving Matic as the lone ranger guarding the back four.
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In his Chelsea career, we have unfortunately seen Ramires show only glimpses of the player that he could be if he is at his best. Unfortunately, such moments are very rare and this is the issue that has deprived him of regular first team football.
Ramires needs to ask himself a question and decide what his best position is. Then he should tell Jose Mourinho. The Blues boss needs to understand the Brazilian’s strengths and weaknesses and deploy him in his natural habitat.
With such baby steps and a bit of luck, we can very well see the fully-fledged Ramires that has been thus far teased.
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