Yet to play 90 minutes this season, is there a case for bringing Ramires in from the cold?
When the chips are down, I’ve always considered it a smart move to fall back on your most reliable players. And for me, Ramires is one of those.
This, remember, is a player that has been with Chelsea since 2010 and he’s still only 28. Not that these are reasons to play him, but he knows the club and has never muttered a word of discontent despite his role as a squad player for over 12 months now.
Ramires is a player that never shirks his responsibility, is forever willing to seemingly run a marathon each game and notably, turns up for the big occasion.
He’s often relied upon for games that come with pressure – people will automatically think of that night in Barcelona, but in the same breath I urge you to think about that night in Leicester at the business end of last season in a game that effectively sealed the title. What a strike that was – and how much pressure did it take off his manager and team-mates?
‘That Night in Barcelona’
We’re starting to build up a pretty good character profile for our versatile midfielder. And you’d be forgiven for starting to think he’s a little underrated.
And on Saturday we saw again why Ramires is a key man for Mourinho, squad player or not. Both goals were down to him and his influence on the pitch was undeniable.
His goal was something special for sure and it dragged us straight back into the game.
For the second, his run and movement caused confusion in the Geordie goalmouth allowing Willian’s free kick to bounce straight through.
Surely now, after a strong performance against Walsall in the cup and a blistering 17 minutes at St. James’ Park, if jose is thinking about shuffling his pack again then he should look no further than our very own Mr Reliable.
