Ramirez Injury Offers The Chance To Reshuffle

The injury to Gaston Ramirez is a big blow to Saints, he looked to be a good signing, however when one door shuts another opens.

No one is denying that Gaston Ramirez is a good player, however his signing came at a price and that price wasn't just the alledged £12-£15 million pounds paid to make him our record signing.

The price was to the overall balance of the team to accomodate him in a central role just in front of the midfield, when we were chasing him, Ramirez was quoted as being a winger and there werent many Saints supporters disputing the fact that on the flanks we were woefully short of class, the signing of the Uruaguayan would seem to go a long way to shoring up at least one side of things.

It was therefore a shock to see him play in a central role and as good as he was in this position, the fact remained that we were getting torn to shreds down the flanks, as was shown on Sunday, as great a player as Adam Lallana is, and i really do rate him, I said back in the summer that he didnt have the pace or attributes to play that wide role in the Premier and with the most goals conceded in the division I feel that my pre season worries are justified.

Nigel Adkins seemed to share my concerns judging by the comments he made throughout the summer and although we spent a lot of money, in the main its been in areas that we didnt need to strengthen whilst key areas have been neglected.

Of the seven summer signings we made at a total cost of alledgedly £30 million, I would say that Ramirez apart only Steven Davis has really been up to the standard required so far with the jury still being out on a couple more, plus Rodriguez & Mayuka looking expensive follys that cant be accomodated into our style of play at present.

But with Ramirez out for 4-6 weeks it gives Nigel Atkins a chance to put out a team where we can concentrate on shape and steel, shore up the flanks and make ourselves harder to beat, rather that having to accomodate marquee signings,

The first thing he should do assuming that he is sticking with 4-5-1, is restore Lallana to that central midfield role, he looked good there in the opening couple of games and we can then start to shore up those flanks, on the left we could do worse than play Ben Reeves in front of Danny Fox, in his short appearances this season, Reeves has shown that he is a tidy player who can win a tackle and doesnt panic and give the ball away, but aside from that he will provide the cover for Fox that he hasnt had all season.

Good teams are built from the back, 20 goals in seven games is an appalling record and cannot continue if we want to stay in this division, of course we dont want to curb our attacking instincts, but we just cannot outscore the number of goals we are conceding at present.

Nigel Adkins will show in the next month whether he is the man for the job as i think and hope that he is by making the changes needed, if those changes are not made and we continue to play the same old players in the same positions and continue to get the same results, then questions have to be asked.

When Ramirez returns, hopefully to a side that is a lot more stable defensively, then the manager has to make tough decsions, does he play Ramirez out wide where till January at least he is most needed, or does he make a choice in that centre role between Lallana and Ramirez, if he opts for the latter than I hate to say it then we cant accomodate Lallana in the side at present.

There are some harsh decisions to be made in the coming weeks, Nigel Adkins has to show that he is the man to make them.

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