Last Updated: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:38
Southampton boss Nigel Adkins has heaped the praise on record signing Gaston Ramirez following his display against Newcastle.
The Uruguayan set up Adam Lallana for Saints' opener on Sunday before finding the net himself as Southampton secured a 2-0 win over Newcastle at St Mary's.
Ramirez joined Saints in the summer for a club record £12million fee from Serie A outfit Bologna but has seen the start of his Southampton career disrupted by a leg injury, which kept him on the sidelines for four weeks.
Adkins was delighted with Ramirez's performance against Newcastle and expects the forward to continue to improve as he settles into life in the Premier League.
"Obviously you've got to get used to it all," Adkins told the Daily Echo. "Gaston missed the start of the season as it was before he signed and then he got injured.
"He hasn't lasted the full game (he was substituted after 78 minutes) but when he was on the field of play he was exhilarating."
Adkins is delighted with the attacking options at his disposal and believes Ramirez, Lallana, Jason Puncheon and Rickie Lambert can help fire Saints to safety, while entertaining the club's fans this season.
He added: "You've got Adam Lallana, Gaston Ramirez, Jason Puncheon and Rickie Lambert there.
"They all contribute in a massive way and they're exciting. They get supporters off their seat, there's a flair about them, a fluidity of movement and there's goals about them."
The victory over Newcastle on Sunday moved Saints out of the bottom three and eased the pressure on Adkins following speculation over his future after a disappointing start to the campaign.
Southampton are now unbeaten in three league games and will seek to extend that run when they host probable relegation rivals Norwich on Wednesday.
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