“The Holte End singing your name… coming through the academy, that’s what dreams are made of.”
With the claret shirt long since consigned to a lucky supporter in the crowd, Jacob Ramsey conducted his post-match interview with Sky Sports on Saturday evening in his skin-tight, sky blue baselayer. The sleeves were stuck to his forearms as if superglued, presumably hiding one or two pinch marks.
The Birmingham-born midfielder had barely had a second to register a whirlwind final 15 minutes in which he had masterminded the mighty Manchester United’s demise, first scoring the comeback-starting goal for Aston Villa – his first in front of the fans at Villa Park – in a side managed by Steven Gerrard before laying the equaliser on a plate for Philippe Coutinho, the world’s third-most expensive footballer, moments later.
It is no wonder the 20-year-old had the look of a toddler waking up to discover a chewed carrot and biscuit crumbs on the counter on Christmas morning. This really is comic book stuff.
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The home side had generously gifted their visitors a 2-0 lead. The usually error-free Emi Martinez momentarily transformed into Massimo Taibi, allowing a speculative Bruno Fernandes shot to squirm awkwardly through his legs. Then, Morgan Sanson passed the ball straight to Fred, who in turn fed Fernandes to slam an effort aesthetically in off the underside of the bar. At that stage, it looked as though United would do what United tend to do: Win ugly.
But the homegrown hero of the Holte had other ideas. Something special was required to beat the Spaniard and Ramsey was on hand to provide it. Coutinho, who made his Villa bow via the substitutes bench, played a key role in the turnaround, quickening the tempo of an attack on the edge of the box, before helping to bundle the ball into Ramsey’s path inside the United box. He used his right foot to tee himself up and his left to power a shot into the top corner.
The scoreline as it was denied Ramsey the dream celebration. This was no time to charge headlong towards the home fans and bundle into a flailing set of limbs in the stands. There was still work to be done. Ramsey turned and jogged back towards the halfway line, gesturing to the supporters to maintain their decibel levels to give Villa one final push against a team gegen-drooping towards the final whistle.
Less than five minutes later, Ramsey instinctively picked out Coutinho lurking at the back post with a first-time cross that dribbled agonisingly through the corridor of the uncertainty separating De Gea and Raphael Varane. The Brazilian flicked the ball delicately over De Gea, Villa Park erupted and Gerrard’s side earned themselves a deserved point.
It felt like a pivotal moment. Villa had been bloodied, more from punching themselves in the face than from anything United had thrown their way, but recovered and landed a couple of knockout blows themselves. That Villa’s biggest signing in years was involved in both goals offered immediate vindication to the Gerrard project and the funds that have been committed towards it.
But equally important, if not more so in the grand scheme of things, was the contribution of a local kid making the very most of his first-team opportunities. Gerrard deserves credit for investing in Ramsey’s potential so early on in his reign; the youngster has started in eight of Villa’s nine Premier League matches since Gerrard’s arrival in November.
It is easy to see why Gerrard has taken a liking to Villa’s No 41. Ramsey’s lung-busting bursts one from one box to the other, full-blooded commitment and based on this evidence, game-changing ability in the final third, are all straight out of the Gerrard copybook. Ramsey has no better tutor to learn from than one of the finest central midfielders English football has produced. That as much as the intoxicating arrival of an exotic Brazilian No 10 should give Villa fans plenty of cause for excitement.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3GxIMmQ
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