LOOKING BACK: NO 7

Posted on: Thu 21 Jun 2012 After finishing his debut season in England strongly following a difficult first few months, Ramires continued where he left off during the 2011/12 campaign, becoming a key member of the squad and scoring vital goals along the way. The first half of the season saw the Brazilian used on the right of a midfield trio, and he netted a brace in the 4-1 win against Swansea, while also registering an important strike in the must-win Champions League game against Valencia at Stamford Bridge. After scoring in the FA Cup third round win against Portsmouth, he sustained a knee injury away at Queens Park Rangers in the following round. However, with supporters initially fearing the worst, Ramires returned to the side after missing only three matches. Andre Villas-Boas's departure, coupled with Roberto Di Matteo's preference for a 4-2-3-1 formation saw Ramires used more often on the right of the three supporting attackers in the second half of the season, and it was a move which was rewarded handsomely. After scoring the crucial third goal in the FA Cup semi-final win against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, three days later he set up Didier Drogba for the only goal of the home game against Barcelona, while in the return against the Spanish side, he scored a sublime chip to get us back in the game after Pep Guardiola's side had raced into a 2-0 lead. The strike, quite rightly, won the club's Goal of the Season award, and it was made all the more impressive by the fact Ramires had been booked moments earlier, ruling him out of the final in Munich. His impressive season, however, was still far from over, and after scoring in the semi-final, he bagged the opener in the FA Cup Final against Liverpool when he raced on to a Juan Mata pass before finishing well. Ramires was also awarded the Players' Player of the Season award. Appearances: 44+3 Goals: 12 Assists: 9 Minutes on pitch: 4,081