Danny Simpson (now retired)

[Jagten]

He blocked me when i made a perfectly reasonable remark about his ineffective crossing, and that he needed to be aware of his own technical limitations. 

[Sifu]

Simpson: 'It Was A Sickener'

 

By Dan King - Newcastle United Club Reporter

 

Devastated Danny Simpson revealed that Monday's stoppage time defeat at Arsenal hurt him more than any other loss this season, and admitted to feeling "sick" after Thomas Vermaelen's late, late goal.

 

And the ever-honest right-back confessed that he felt partly responsible for the result, as he was stranded upfield with cramp when the Gunners' Belgian defender popped up in the box to break Magpies hearts with almost the last kick of the night.

 

In an otherwise excellent display, Simpson kept the exciting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain quiet for most of the match and made vital goal-line clearances from Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny as United battled to preserve a point in the face of heavy home pressure.

 

But in the fifth minute of added-on time, he could do nothing to deny the hosts and told nufc.co.uk: "I feel sick, I'm not going to lie.

 

"Last week it was us who got the late goal. We were on a high and it felt good. This week, after the effort we put in, it's sickening to to come here, play our hearts out and concede like that. It hurts.

 

"On the last goal, I wish I could have got back but I got cramp. I feel more gutted for me than for the lads; they're not saying it's my fault but I couldn't get back. I just cramped up, I think with all the work we put in. It was in my position at the end.

 

"The lads are gutted but I think we can take some positives from it. We looked really good in defence, solid again, and we've got to take that into Norwich at the weekend. If we work like that against Norwich, we'll be fine."

 

Newcastle were on the backfoot for much of the match, but in stark contrast to their last two visits to London - when they conceded five against Fulham and Tottenham - United were resilient, commanding and brave.

 

"We were back to ourselves again," Simpson said. "Even though they had a lot of the ball, I don't think they opened us up too much apart from maybe the first ten minutes.

 

"When we did break and countered them, we did look threatening but I think sometimes we were just tired and we didn't have that extra oomph to try and score.

 

"I think we would have taken a draw. Our record in the last couple of seasons against Arsenal has been really good so it hurts, it really hurts. Out of all the games this season, it hurts the most.

 

"It's gutting, but we have to try to pick ourselves up over the next couple of days and get ready for Norwich."

 

Well, at least he's accepting that Arsenal's winner was partially his fault (even though he's blaming cramp more than his shite throw in)...........

[PENKAAA]

Reached the point where i'll be canny pissed off if he signs a new contract. Not good enough, not getting better, get rid.

 

Edit: He can sign a new contract if it means his position is on the bench.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Unless we're going to sign at least 2 fullbacks we need him to stay really.

[Ketsbaia]

Really looking forward to getting him out of the team....it'll cause great optimism for next season. Once we get Saylor/New CB to partner Colo maybe we can finally stop worrying about our defence.

[Darth Crooks]

Really wish we'd not scrimped on Mariappa for RB/CB cover...criminal really given it seemed he was keen to come

[Lush Vlad]

Most complaining about the throw.  It was the horrendous touch that followed and the ridiculous dive that irked me.  Don't buy that he was cramping up or injured either.  They rarely attacked his side and he seems a fit lad, sounds like a kop out and AP trying to protect his player. 

 

It was a blatant dive and he just laid there.  If he was actually injured, then he shouldn't have been that far up the pitch in the first place FFS.

 

Squad player, no more, no less.  But if he fucks off, I can't say I'll be arsed.

[Guest Deadmau5]

 

Alan Pardew: "Poor old Danny Simpson "

 

Sounds like he is talking about a knackered family donkey off to the glue factory 

 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Really wish we'd not scrimped on Mariappa for RB/CB cover...criminal really given it seemed he was keen to come

 

I don't think Mariappa would have replaced Simpson anyway would he? He was another option in case we suffered an injury.

[Sima]

 

Alan Pardew: "Poor old Danny Simpson "

 

Sounds like he is talking about a knackered family donkey off to the glue factory 

 

 

 

Can this donkey play RB for the rest of the season before it gets melted down?

[Guest MrSundlofer]

Really wish we'd not scrimped on Mariappa for RB/CB cover...criminal really given it seemed he was keen to come

 

I don't think Mariappa would have replaced Simpson anyway would he? He was another option in case we suffered an injury.

 

He would have replaced him after one training session.

[Dr Venkman]

Reached the point where i'll be canny pissed off if he signs a new contract. Not good enough, not getting better, get rid.

 

Edit: He can sign a new contract if it means his position is on the bench.

 

Indeed, can't see it though, i'd be really surprised if we signed a new full back and extended his contract.

[Guest WashyGeordie]

Unless we're going to sign at least 2 fullbacks we need him to stay really.

 

S'pose there's Tavernier? (although untried for us atm)

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Unless we're going to sign at least 2 fullbacks we need him to stay really.

 

S'pose there's Tavernier? (although untried for us atm)

 

True, I really hope he makes it. You could consider Ferguson an option as well, though he never seems to get a chance any more.

[Sifu]

There probably is that little bit of complacency on Simpson's part. He's started 60+ consecutive games at RB and I really think that the lack of competition for that position is potentially a reason for some of Danny's shite performances this season. A little competition is probably the kick up the arse he needs. As it stands, he is the first choice RB and there really isn't anyone to challenge him for his position (reasons being: Raylor is terrible defensively, Santon is the established LB in Pardew's eyes, Perch is a squad player).

 

Regarding the young lads, hope we give Tavernier a new contract and steps up to the plate (if we don't sign a new RB/LB). A bit of healthy competition can be a good thing like. I also hope Ferguson is heavily involved in pre-season so that we can see whether or not he can make LB his own position.

 

I actually would like Simpson to stay, but his role next season should be a backup one to a new RB (a quality one that is).

[Rich]

I've been a good lad and have avoided berating Simpson for a while now, in fact I've made a pointed effort to seek out the good aspects of his game and to just be happy when he puts in an adequate performance... but I cannot wait until he's out of the team for good. All the decent defensive work he did on Monday went out of the window with that pea-brained effort in injury time, which basically sums up why he isn't nor will ever be good enough for where we are now as a football team. One of those "goal-line clearances" was going wide an' all, by the way.

 

He has been the weakest link out of our regular starters since the Championship season and it beggars belief that he's still starting every fucking game with his relative absence of heart, responsibility and technique. Yes you'll occasionally get a decent cross out of him, yes you'll occasionally see him put a good tackle in and in fairness you'll regularly see him winning headers and (less-regularly) making last-ditch blocks on the line but he gets praise when he reaches the bare minimum level of what should be expected of a modern-day fullback. He's lowered expectations to the point where stuff that the likes of Beye and Enrique made look a formality and did time and time and time again gets him a seven or an eight out of ten when he does it once in every five matches. I include myself in this as well, by the way, as someone who is pleasantly surprised every time he has a passable game.

 

He still offers next to nothing going forwards, he still looks petrified with the ball at his feet and he's still not quick enough or strong enough to compensate for these deficiencies in his game, although I have to say I didn't ever expect this to change. He's arsing about over a new contract, he very rarely accepts responsibility for his errors on the field of play and he's coming across as a wanker more than a "decent lad" these days, which certainly wasn't the case a year or two ago. He's been able to get by as a passenger for long enough now, but if we really want to capitalise on our surprising performance as a team this season and push on even further he needs bombing off altogether. Keep the likes of Ryan Taylor (we don't appear to have a choice here), Tavernier and Ferguson as support options to Santon and a new left-back and let Simmo head to Blackburn/QPR or somewhere equally garbage for more money and a longer contract. I can't see him sticking around here as second-choice.

[Guest andrew]

Not sure that its complacency really, most of his errors just come from having no technical ability whatsoever and being thick as mince. I think he works hard for his role and he obviously wants to play but he's just not very good. I wouldn't want him even as backup, think we could get a younger lad with a good attitude. Simpson's attitude is awful

[NG32]

I think he could do with a rest, going into the season with pretty much no cover at RB was dangerous.

[Sifu]

Not sure that its complacency really, most of his errors just come from having no technical ability whatsoever and being thick as mince. I think he works hard for his role and he obviously wants to play but he's just not very good. I wouldn't want him even as backup, think we could get a younger lad with a good attitude. Simpson's attitude is awful

 

Complacency does come into it a bit really. It does seem that he constantly makes the same mistakes and that the fact that he hasn't really learned from them demonstrates a somewhat complacent mindset - that is, it's probably the case to his mind that because his position isn't really under threat, he doesn't have to learn from his mistakes. He knows he's in the team week in, week out so really, he plays as he's always known (backing off the opposition player and float in the occasional (bad) cross. Btw, I swear his crossing wasn't so bad last season). It's a shame to say that I've seen no improvement in Simpson this season, was hoping he would step it up.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He was encouragingly decent against Arsenal to be fair, except for "the incident" at the end.

 

His development has been strange, he seemed to improve a lot and then regress again.

[Sifu]

He was encouragingly decent against Arsenal to be fair, except for "the incident" at the end.

 

His development has been strange, he seemed to improve a lot and then regress again.

 

Yeah, it was one of his better games this season. So it was actually a shame what happened at the end, it does go to show that one lapse of concentration can really be costly and stupid.

 

In terms of his development, you could say that his poor performances at the start of the season were down to his personal problems - but now that such a period is behind him, I was really hoping to see some signs of improvement from last season and to see him properly step it up. Unfortunately, I've hardly seen any signs of him developing. His attacking play is very limited and it does limit the team, it has to be said. Like I've said before though, would still like to have him around.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He was encouragingly decent against Arsenal to be fair, except for "the incident" at the end.

 

His development has been strange, he seemed to improve a lot and then regress again.

 

Yeah, it was one of his better games this season. So it was actually a shame what happened at the end, it does go to show that one lapse of concentration can really be costly and stupid.

 

In terms of his development, you could say that his poor performances at the start of the season were down to his personal problems - but now that such a period is behind him, I was really hoping to see some signs of improvement from last season and to see him properly step it up. Unfortunately, I've hardly seen any signs of him developing. His attacking play is very limited and it does limit the team, it has to be said. Like I've said before though, would still like to have him around.

 

Aye, there was a time when everyone hated him, then we were all saying how much he had improved, now we all hate him again.

 

He's never going to be top draw, his future is realistically as back up here or as a starter at a Championship club.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

I don't really have qualms with Danny Simpson. I think he is a slightly below average Premiership right back. Nothing more or less. The problem is that he is always in the team. There is no alternative in the manager's mind. Do you realise he has played all but ~15 minutes of the Premiership campaign (subbed off against Tottenham)? He's started every cup match as well. It is good that he is a fit player, but I don't understand why no one else can be given a chance.

[ponsaelius]

Exactly, and as such he sees himself as starting RB and ever present for a top 6 side. Probably why he can't agree on his contract.

 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don't really have qualms with Danny Simpson. I think he is a slightly below average Premiership right back. Nothing more or less. The problem is that he is always in the team. There is no alternative in the manager's mind. Do you realise he has played all but ~15 minutes of the Premiership campaign (subbed off against Tottenham)? He's started every cup match as well. It is good that he is a fit player, but I don't understand why no one else can be given a chance.

 

Are there any decent alternatives in the squad though Baba? Ryan Taylor is appalling in that position.

 

Maybe Santon at RB and bring Fergie in.