“Let’s carry on working,” says Ramirez

Gaston Ramirez wasn’t expecting to take Samp’s second half penalty, which ultimately earned the team a crucial win over Udinese on Sunday. However with Fabio Quagliarella limping, having just won the spot-kick, the task fell to the Uruguayan, who duly fired the ball home.

Speaking after the game, Ramirez said: “I know it was an important kick – for me, the fans and the club.

“This was an important, delicate match, given where we are in the table. We really needed to win. The fact we did it with bravery and ruthlessness, made it a great performance. We deserved to win.”

He added: “It was important to score at the end of the first period – I’m very happy for Manolo [Gabbiadini]. You need someone who’s good with dead balls.

“We’re on the right path, but we need to do a lot of work. In the second half we did better and were rewarded for that. The team is improving from a mental perspective, step by step. We compete until the end.”