When Ramires signed for CFC during Carlo Ancelotti’s reign as manager in the summer of 2010 it was not immediately obvious that he would evolve into the integral match-winning member of the squad he is today. Having spent a single season playing his football in Europe with the star-studded Benfica, at the end of which they won the Portuguese title for the first time in five years and defeated FC Porto in the league cup final to secure a domestic double, Ramires arrived in SW6 with some reputation. With competition for places in midfield extremely fierce when he joined, Ramires was not an instant starter for CFC. Frank Lampard and Michael Essien stood in his way. This, coupled with Ancelotti’s gentle integration of Ramires into a new side and new footballing culture meant that his impact at the beginning of his CFC career was on a semi-peripheral basis. His debut for example was as an 84th minute substitute in the home win against Stoke at the end of August 2010. Ramires’ role in the side soon evolved and has been ever since – his influence in terms of goals and assists ever growing and underlined by the statistics. From a positional standpoint Ramires’ versatility is rare. He is most definitely a midfield ‘jack of all trades, master of many’. This is proven by the various positions in which he has been deployed within the changing tactical formations of different CFC managers. The Special One will be his fifth CFC coach, the constant theme being Ramires’ excellence and obvious contribution to the success of the team. Ramires has played as a holding midfield anchorman, an out and out central midfielder, on the flanks as part of both a conventional four man midfield and diamond formation and as an advanced wide-man assuming one of the ‘Three Amigo’ roles more recently. CFC’s infamous number seven is an asset wherever he plays. The first major transfer of Ramires’ career saw him move from second tier Brazilian side Joinville to Cruzeiro in 2008, a club which has seen talents such as the great Rivaldo pass through its ranks. At Cruzeiro Ramires was affectionately attributed the nickname “Queniano Azul” which translates as “Blue Kenyan”. The moniker derived from the traditional blue shirt of Cruzeiro and the extraordinary pace and even more so stamina of Ramires being similar to that of a Kenyan marathon runner. Marathon runners from Kenya are historically world renowned for their prowess in the discipline. His comparison with long distance running experts in terms of athleticism is one of the reasons behind my belief that Ramires’ best position, which has been exemplified by his performances for CFC over the past three seasons, is as a box- to-box midfielder. In effect Ramires typifies what a traditional middle of the park central midfielder should be, a position which is somewhat uncommon in contemporary football given modern formations and movement away from traditional ’4-4-2′ tactics. For today’s CFC Ramires thrives best in one of the two deep lying roles behind the three attacking midfielders / support strikers with his stamina giving him an automatic marauding licence in which he revels. Playing a box-to-box role means that the wide range of skills possessed by Ramires can be inflicted upon CFC’s opponents. His speed across the ground both with and without the ball is exceptional and his energy levels unsurpassed. This allows the player seemingly easy transition between defending the CFC goal and quickly adding to any offensive movement on the counter attack, especially when dovetailed with the quick feet of Eden Hazard and the razor sharp football brain of Juan Mata. As a defensive option Ramires reads the game well and is accurate and strong in the tackle, exactly what a defensive midfielder needs to be. On the attacking note Ramires not only has Brazilian style, flair and footwork when dribbling but has an eye for goal. The goals Ramires has scored have not only begun coming in what would be considered bigger games but his finishing has often ventured into the outstanding. There is no more notable and perhaps obvious example than his exquisite chip after latching onto Lampard’s searching through ball at the Camp Nou during the victorious assault on the Champions League at the end of the 2011/12 season. Given the timing of the goal considering the dismissal of our captain and the fact the strike came shortly before half time it would be hard to argue that Ramires’ goal was not a defining moment in CFC history, let alone that one game. The gritty determination and industry mixed with fine technique Ramires exhibits on the pitch may be considered by some an unorthodox style of play for a Brazilian to adopt. In fact, Ramires is a great example of how the make-up of players from South America, most noticeably Brazil itself have become more reminiscent of a European style of play. Ramires isn’t the first ‘European Brazilian’ to ply his trade for CFC. Alex was very much similar, technically gifted but also extremely solid and was not adverse to keeping football simple. A common trend developing among Brazilian footballers that eventually sign for top European clubs is the scholarship many embark on at less illustrious club sides in Europe. This allows adjustment to European football culture and tempo and in a best case scenario will afford a player experience in European competition. I not only refer to the likes of Ramires and David Luiz at Benfica, or Alex’s initial employment with PSV Eindhoven but also the likes of Fernandinho, Willian, Wagner Love et al who all moved from Brazilian to Eastern European club sides. The players gain valuable experience and move on – normally for huge fees given their positive development at their respective first European clubs. For the likes of Fernandinho, a recent Premiership recruit, the years spent at Shakhtar Donetsk may prove vital to his performance level this season. Being thrust into the Premiership environment and intensity abruptly from South American football seemed to cause Javier Mascherano and to a lesser extent Carlos Tevez notable problems when they signed for West Ham. Ramires and David Luiz avoided this. Fernandinho stands a good chance of doing the same this coming season. When the much longed for second coming of The Special One was confirmed it was no surprise to read that Ramires was allegedly contacted by said tactical genius and informed of how integral he was to the CFC blueprint for the forthcoming season. With The Special One’s system of meritocracy when selecting the team, the high value he places on desire and industry as a compliment to skill Ramires stands to embody Mourinho on the field. Again, there was no shock factor in the revelation that Mourinho attempted to sign Ramires for Internazionale during his trophy laden stint in Milan. Ramires’ explosive pace, dedication, penchant for the phenomenal and stellar all round game will place him on firm footing for club and hopefully country going forward. One can only hope the disagreement involving Ramires and Le Seleção can be quashed in time for him to compete in his homeland World Cup in 2014 although I am sure the likes of Luis Gustavo and Tottenham Hotspurs’ recent acquisition Paulinho will be hoping the opposite is true for their own sakes. The nickname Ramires was attributed as a 20 year old wearing the blue of Cruzeiro clearly rings true today and there is still much to come from CFC’s Brazilian midfield maestro. Thanks for reading and keep the blue flag flying high. Written by Dean Evans, #shams
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 18:22:43 +0000
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