The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Ramirez dropped to bench for a rest
Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin has revealed leading scorer Christian Ramirez was dropped to give him time to rest.
United States international striker Ramirez was on the bench for the first time in eight months for the 2-1 loss to Livingston.
It is only the third time in 43 games this season that Ramirez has not started.
The 31-year-old’s previous game as a substitute was a League Cup loss at Raith Rovers in August last year.
Goodwin says he made the call to drop Ramirez because the striker needs a break, having played continuously for a year.
Ramirez played in the MLS for Houston Dynamo right up until his summer switch to Pittodrie.
With 15 goals, Ramirez is Aberdeen’s joint top scorer this season alongside Lewis Ferguson.
However, the twice-capped USA international has yet to score since Goodwin was appointed manager in February.
Goodwin said: “Christian has played a lot of football this season and we have had to rely heavily on him.
“We haven’t really had any other option in that striking position.
“Prior to coming to the club he had played a lot of football in the MLS as well.
“He hasn’t really had a break and I think it has probably shown in the last three or four weeks.
“With Marley Watkins back now we feel we have got Marley to a level of fitness. He is obviously going to be a lot fresher.”
Ramirez has been almost ever-present in the Aberdeen starting XI this season.
The striker’s only other time as a substitute in the Premiership was in the 2-1 win at Livingston on August 8, the second league game of the season.
Ramirez is joint fourth in the Premiership scoring chart this season with 10 league goals.
Aberdeen team-mate Ferguson also has 10 Premiership goals, six from the penalty spot.
Ross County’s Regan Charles-Cook leads the way with 13 goals.
For the majority of the season the onus has been on Ramirez to lead the attack and deliver goals for Aberdeen.
Summer signing Jay Emmanuel-Thomas mustered just one goal in 24 appearances.
The attacker’s contract was recently terminated.
Aberdeen had hoped to sign a striker during the January transfer window under former manager Stephen Glass, but a deal could not be done.
Injury problems have restricted Watkins to just 13 starts this season, with a further five appearances off the bench.
Now back to full fitness, Goodwin plans for Watkins, who has netted three times, to make an impact in the remaining games of the season.
He said: “We need to give Marley as many games as we can between now and the end of the season.
“Christian has scored some important goals for the club this season.
“I thought when he went on for the last 20 minutes he actually added a bit of quality to the team.
“It gives us another option.”
The bid to finish best of the rest with a seventhplaced spot suffered a blow with the loss to Livingston.
Goodwin’s Reds now trail seventh-placed Hibernian by five points.
There remains the threat of potentially being dragged into a relegation play-off fight with 11thplaced St Johnstone.
With four games remaining in the campaign Aberdeen are five points ahead of Saints.