Newcastle United capitalised on Aston Villa’s financial woes to sign Jacob Ramsey last summer.
Rob Lee is disappointed that Jacob Ramsey has not delivered more at Newcastle United.
Toon chiefs stumped up £40million to sign the midfielder last summer. As has been the case with Newcastle in recent years, Aston Villa reluctantly sold their academy product due to PSR pressures.
Ramsey endured a frustrating opening period on Tyneside, suffering an ankle injury in his first start at Leeds United. Questions were asked about whether Newcastle needed a player not guaranteed to displace Joelinton, Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes in the starting line-up.
However, with injuries mounting up at St James’ Park, added responsibility has given Ramsey the chance to showcase his talents in recent months. While hardly blowing anyone away, there are signs of improvement, with the 24-year-old particularly impressive in the 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain.
Rob Lee expects more from Jacob Ramsey
Former midfielder Lee - who made 381 appearances in the Toon engine room - has been underwhelmed by Ramsey’s season. He told the Adopted Geordies podcast: “Have the new players made us a better team? Have Elanga, Woltemade, Wissa, have they made it? Ramsey, have they made us a better team? No. So their signings so far are not successful signings.
“I mean, we know it’s been the last few games (Ramsey’s improvement), he’s been good, but don’t forget we’re in March and he was £40million, so we expect him to be at least where he is.
“I do, because he looks like a blooming good player. And we haven’t seen that, maybe we haven’t seen it because our midfield is the strongest department.”
Eddie Howe on Jacob Ramsey
After impressing against Tottenham Hotspur last month, Eddie Howe noted how Ramsey is finally beginning to feel like a Newcastle player. He told reporters: “It can never be underestimated how difficult it is for any player to leave a club you have been associated with for so long.
“You have got to feel that new identity with your new team and sometimes that takes longer for some people than others. I’m not saying that was the case with Jacob because I don’t know how he felt deep down but, certainly, in the first few weeks, the first few games you play can be difficult for a new team, especially a slightly different way of playing and a slightly different position.
“I’ve got to say he’s done it all with real professionalism. I’ve had no issues with him. He’s worked really hard at his game. He’s been very conscientious, really good around the training ground. He’s settling in really well with his team-mates. He has really good friendship groups and looks really happy.
“But there’s nothing better than actually contributing and helping the team win games. There’s no better way to feel part of the Newcastle family than that and I think that will be a big turning point for him.”
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