Davide Santon signs a 5 year deal with Newcastle United

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

Our team was wank when Enrique first came here, he was one of the only players who passed and moved (why we got relegated); the likes of Nicky Butt would just stand still and render Enrique's runs useless.

[manc-mag 1]

Plus Enrique looked shite for years before we got proper performances out of him. That doesnt make it any easier to take that he went (it makes it harder if anything as we'd

persisted with a bobbins player only to lose him after he came good), but at least Santon is showing some quality at an earlyish stage.

Is this a piss take?

Last season Ricky was arguably our best player. As he was the season before and as he was in at least the second half of the relegation season.

His first season he had a few wobbles but even then he had a lot of bright points.

This whole myth about him being shite when he first arrived is comical tbh.

With regards to Santon, he's impressing more and more but I agree that he'll be more effective at rightback. He certainly looked that way against Blackburn.

 

It was an exaggeration for effect tbh. His first season he wasn't up to anything is my real point, 'a few wobbles' is being overly generous. He ended up a great player for us (two absolute stand out seasons) and then he went which was a massive blow, but you're still talking about someone who went at least a year before he proved worth buying. It didnt really matter because we were shit and had been for ages and ended up relegated, but for a team with any upwardly mobile ambition (as we purport to have now) you can't afford a player to be sub-standard for a year. See the stick Obertan is getting for evidence of that. Equally Enrique would have been slated for his first season out of Spain if it'd have been at Liverpool. It didn't really matter for us because we were gash anyway and on the slide.

 

So going back to my point, Santon has looked decent enough already, which is important given the basic trajectory of the team.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

I'm not convinced of his fitness tbh. I think he'll need another knee op before he's through his second season here.

[manc-mag 1]

Well if his fitness is going to get tested anywhere it's in the Prem tbh, just because of the pure physicality of it. It's not Serie A walking out of the back four past the half way line. And just to link that back to Enrique again, I think that's where he came up short in his first season with us. You could tell he was technically class, but he got bossed by inferior players just because they were more physical / he wasnt able to do his technical stuff at the pace of the game.

[David Kelly 1245]

Plus Enrique looked shite for years before we got proper performances out of him. That doesnt make it any easier to take that he went (it makes it harder if anything as we'd

persisted with a bobbins player only to lose

him after he came good), but at least Santon is showing some quality at an earlyish stage.

Is this a piss take?

Last season Ricky was arguably our best player. As he was the season before and as he was in at least the second half of the relegation season.

His first season he had a few wobbles but even then he had a lot of bright points.

This whole myth about him being shite when he first arrived is comical tbh.

With regards to Santon, he's impressing more and more but I agree that he'll be more effective at rightback. He certainly looked that way against Blackburn.

It was an exaggeration for effect tbh. His first season he wasn't up to anything is my real point, 'a few wobbles' is being overly generous. He ended up a great player for us (two absolute stand out seasons) and then he went which was a massive blow, but you're still talking about someone who went at least a year before he proved worth buying. It didnt really matter because we were shit and had been for ages and ended up relegated, but for a team with any upwardly mobile ambition (as we purport to have now) you can't afford a player to be sub-standard for a year. See the stick Obertan is getting for evidence of that.Equally Enrique would have been slated for his first season out of Spain if it'd have been at Liverpool. It didn't really matter for us because we were gash anyway and on the slide.

 

So going back to my point, Santon has

looked decent enough already, which is important given the basic trajectory of the team.

You can't compare Rickys first season to Obertan. I can't be arsed to look back to then but I'm sure there was a lot of positive

comments about him whereas there has been a slating for Obertan across the board.

Yes you can say Ricky came into a team doing shit and Obertan has come into a team doing well but really there's no comparisson in their performances.

I'd actually say santon and ricky are quite similar in their starts.

[manc-mag 1]

Plus Enrique looked shite for years before we got proper performances out of him. That doesnt make it any easier to take that he went (it makes it harder if anything as we'd

persisted with a bobbins player only to lose

him after he came good), but at least Santon is showing some quality at an earlyish stage.

Is this a piss take?

Last season Ricky was arguably our best player. As he was the season before and as he was in at least the second half of the relegation season.

His first season he had a few wobbles but even then he had a lot of bright points.

This whole myth about him being shite when he first arrived is comical tbh.

With regards to Santon, he's impressing more and more but I agree that he'll be more effective at rightback. He certainly looked that way against Blackburn.

It was an exaggeration for effect tbh. His first season he wasn't up to anything is my real point, 'a few wobbles' is being overly generous. He ended up a great player for us (two absolute stand out seasons) and then he went which was a massive blow, but you're still talking about someone who went at least a year before he proved worth buying. It didnt really matter because we were shit and had been for ages and ended up relegated, but for a team with any upwardly mobile ambition (as we purport to have now) you can't afford a player to be sub-standard for a year. See the stick Obertan is getting for evidence of that.Equally Enrique would have been slated for his first season out of Spain if it'd have been at Liverpool. It didn't really matter for us because we were gash anyway and on the slide.

 

So going back to my point, Santon has

looked decent enough already, which is important given the basic trajectory of the team.

You can't compare Rickys first season to Obertan. I can't be arsed to look back to then but I'm sure there was a lot of positive

comments about him whereas there has been a slating for Obertan across the board.

Yes you can say Ricky came into a team doing shit and Obertan has come into a team doing well but really there's no comparisson in their performances.

I'd actually say santon and ricky are quite similar in their starts.

 

Aye, fair point I don't think Enrique was anywhere near as bad as Obertan's been in his first season, I just meant that he wasn't remotely the player we sold in the summer during his first year here. He was well off that and I maintain if he'd played that way at Liverpool this season he'd have been regarded as a relatively pointless addition to their squad. Theres an onus on Santon to do it from the off this term, straight off the boat, because we're i. generally continuing to improve as a first choice 11, and ii. have fuck all strength in depth/alternatives.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

The thing with Obertan is you can see that his technique is very inconsistent and limited. I personally always rated Enrique because even in his first season you could see he had some ability, was willing to pass and move (ie play football), and if he hadn't been surrounded by the likes of Nicky Butt and Geremi he may have settled in quicker.

[manc-mag 1]

You could tell Enrique had the goods and yet from a defensive point of view he wasn't a massive strengthening of the defence at the time. Santon's coming in to fill a spot which (if it does transpire to be LB) we're still harking back to Enrique's loss, so he'll need to do it from the off or he'll get slated. By and large anyone whos played that position since Enrique left has had massive detractors. That's the point I was making on the whole, I just went overboard a bit. Expectation levels have already gone way up and that means theres less time for transition/bedding in etc etc before you come in for a slating.

[Besty 4]

You could tell Enrique had the goods and yet from a defensive point of view he wasn't a massive strengthening of the defence at the time. Santon's coming in to fill a spot which (if it does transpire to be LB) we're still harking back to Enrique's loss, so he'll need to do it from the off or he'll get slated. By and large anyone whos played that position since Enrique left has had massive detractors. That's the point I was making on the whole, I just went overboard a bit. Expectation levels have already gone way up and that means theres less time for transition/bedding in etc etc before you come in for a slating.

 

Chill out, ffs. Deaders is so close to putting you on his list.

[ChezGiven 0]

Enrique was kept out of the side by N'Zogbia initially and the season before we had Carr there at the end with Babayaro and Duff chipping in over the season. He came in to take over from 2 midfielders and a terrible character at the end of his career which is a lot easier than what Santon has to contend with. Santon does benefit from R Taylor being played there but for most people, he will be compared to Enrique which is a tougher situation than Enrique faced anyway.

[gbaby610 0]

At the end of the day he is a rb / rwb who can also play at lb if needed. At inter under Mourinho he was trained as a rb and looked like he could be a pretty could one too - bombed forward regularly, crossed, dribbled and had a good range of passes too.

 

Just like Enrique he's going to have a little adjusting to do until he gets used to the English game. He can do a job at lb as he showed midweek - Nani had absolutely nowt on him - but he prefers the right side.

[Guest CabayeAye]

At the end of the day he is a rb / rwb who can also play at lb if needed. At inter under Mourinho he was trained as a rb and looked like he could be a pretty could one too - bombed forward regularly, crossed, dribbled and had a good range of passes too.

 

Just like Enrique he's going to have a little adjusting to do until he gets used to the English game. He can do a job at lb as he showed midweek - Nani had absolutely nowt on him - but he prefers the right side.

 

I'd like to think that Santon will end up at RB and we'll get a new, class LB.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

Enrique was kept out of the side by N'Zogbia initially and the season before we had Carr there at the end with Babayaro and Duff chipping in over the season. He came in to take over from 2 midfielders and a terrible character at the end of his career which is a lot easier than what Santon has to contend with. Santon does benefit from R Taylor being played there but for most people, he will be compared to Enrique which is a tougher situation than Enrique faced anyway.

 

I think most supporters are aware of how shit some of our left-backs have been before Enrique. I don't think Santon will suffer by the comparison.

[Guest CabayeAye]

_{Jose who?}

[duo 0]

All the talk of Enrique got me thinking of his replacement...Had a search and couldn't believe he didnt have his own thread

 

Whilst Enrique is the more complete LB of the two atm, the potential of Santon is frightening. He's had a brilliant first season, and was really coming into his own towards the end. When you consider what Enrique and even Collo were like when they first joined Santon is going to be some player in a couple of seasons. Love the guys attitude as well, seems to really enjoy playing for the club. And is defo on the list of our astute signings.

Edited May 10, 2012 by Ant

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3894]

I concur

[Christmas Tree 4725]

I love Santon going forward. Has he convinced as a defender yet?

 

Genuine question to the footballing gourmets.

[NYD 0]

He's getting better and better with each game, I didn't rate him at first, it's nice to be proved wrong.

[duo 0]

I love Santon going forward. Has he convinced as a defender yet?

 

Genuine question to the footballing gourmets.

Definitely got better as the games went on; but for a 1st season I think he's done well. All the elements are there, he's quick, strong, comfortable on the ball. Maybe just needs to win more challenges in the air. But he's only going to get better.

[TicTacWoe 0]

Took Enrique a while to get into his stride too but now Santon looks like he can be every bit as good (or potentially better) than him. As long as he stays fit I think he will continue to do very well for us. Another great signing it would seem.

[JawD 99]

Aye, was gonna say, Santon has had a much better first season here than enrique did.

[RobH 0]

Had a much better first season than Enrique while playing out of position.

[Andrew 4756]

Sure he does have a thread mind you

 

in fact he does its sat right down the bottom of this one "other threads tagged with davide santon"

[duo 0]

Strange....did search Santon. Sorry.

 

Speaking of him, I am not convinced moving him to RB and bringing in a LB....I like the way he plays at LB, cutting in on his right.

[Ugly Mackems 133]

So, how does Santon view where his best position is? Right back? Left back? I'd imagine right back instead of Simpson with him being a right footer. When Pardew fucks up tactics his first move is usually to move Santon to right wing.