Danny Simpson (now retired)

[alpal78]

My main issue with him is his poor positional sense i.e. how he disappears once he tries to ineffectively attack. Good example was for the second goal against Wigan. He was nowhere to be seen initially he eventually did come back he was a few steps behind Tiote and of course it was too late as Wigan had 2-3 players just waiting to lash the rebound in. Ditto for the third goal when he was chasing shadows. Given that his runs upfield almost always produce nothing, I'd much rather he just stick behind the halfway line

[Guest Tyson]

He is a "solid" defender because he is quite fast and rarely being outpaced.  And other than backing off his man-marking isn't bad as well, and didn't make rash tackles that costs us penalties.  Credit where it is due.  However his attacking play is just next to none, and is a major stumbling block for the team to reach to the next level.

 

He should be our rotational player only.  In fact if we are playing against some top teams in Europe where we are forced to play defensively and use direct football only, he is probably the best choice for us even if we got a new right back like Santon.

 

Totally disagree about him being solid defensively. I think he has very few of the attributes required to be a decent premier league full-back. His decision making consists of how far to back off the attacking player before letting him cross the ball into the box. He has been carried all season by our centre backs and more recently by Ben Arfa tracking back (never thought i'd say that).  He also hasn't built up an understanding/partnership with any of the players who have played right wing for us this season.

 

Absolutely nothing good about him IMO - get rid!

 

Every time i've seen him play he's been totally s***!

Most of the goals we've conceded this season have come from his side of the pitch.

 

There's little to disagree with in that first paragraph. But he does have the athletic qualities (he is quick & agile) to play a closer marking, aggressive defensive game - and with it smother a team's width.

 

I can understand somebody like Ramage continually backpeddling, he's unable to play a close-checking game, so he has to compensate & create a lower margin for error (of getting skinned). An in-form Enrique, a great athlete, will bait an attacker into using the side-line and crush their confidence. But in two years, in the top flight, Simpson hasn't stepped to the mark re: that first point. There's no happy medium, or balance to his defensive approach. For a full-back, who does have athletic qualities, he is still far too conservative. That equates to having made no improvement.

 

During the last two years (which for him as been a bedding-in period in the top flight) he's had a very cushy ride. Tiote's physical presence & capacity to cover space breaks down alot of opposition attacks, across the back four, often before the threat develops to the point where DS is isolated deep in his own half. Over the same two year period Collocini's continued acclimitisation to the English game ( dealing with & attacking crosses into the box: he's no longer just a 'tappy' continental CB) nullifys to an extent the oppositions supply route via Simpson's flank. Last year he had Barton's physical presence and defensive workrate as cover, to counter his reluctance to smother a winger. Most recently he has benefitted from HBA providing nuisance value when tracking back, and we've been able to retain a higher rate of possession as well (particularly since the switch to 433). Defensively he has flattered to deceive over this period. And when certain aspects of our play break down he doesn't have the aggression needed to shutdown a flank ie. an off-day from Tiote, conceding the lions' share of possession courtesy of Wigan's midfield pressure.

 

 

 

 

[Mick]

 

There's little to disagree with in that first paragraph. But he does have the athletic qualities (he is quick & agile) to play a closer marking, aggressive defensive game - and with it smother a team's width.

 

I can understand somebody like Ramage continually backpeddling, he's unable to play a close-checking game, so he has to compensate & create a lower margin for error (of getting skinned). An in-form Enrique, a great athlete, will bait an attacker into using the side-line and crush their confidence. But in two years, in the top flight, Simpson hasn't stepped to the mark re: that first point. There's no happy medium, or balance to his defensive approach. For a full-back, who does have athletic qualities, he is still far too conservative. That equates to having made no improvement.

 

During the last two years (which for him as been a bedding-in period in the top flight) he's had a very cushy ride. Tiote's physical presence & capacity to cover space breaks down alot of opposition attacks, across the back four, often before the threat develops to the point where DS is isolated deep in his own half. Over the same two year period Collocini's continued acclimitisation to the English game ( dealing with & attacking crosses into the box: he's no longer just a 'tappy' continental CB) nullifys to an extent the oppositions supply route via Simpson's flank. Last year he had Barton's physical presence and defensive workrate as cover, to counter his reluctance to smother a winger. Most recently he has benefitted from HBA providing nuisance value when tracking back, and we've been able to retain a higher rate of possession as well (particularly since the switch to 433). Defensively he has flattered to deceive over this period. And when certain aspects of our play break down he doesn't have the aggression needed to shutdown a flank ie. an off-day from Tiote, conceding the lions' share of possession courtesy of Wigan's midfield pressure.

 

 

 

 

 

How does the left sided Coloccini nullify the supply route on our right side? 

[Guest Tyson]

 

There's little to disagree with in that first paragraph. But he does have the athletic qualities (he is quick & agile) to play a closer marking, aggressive defensive game - and with it smother a team's width.

 

I can understand somebody like Ramage continually backpeddling, he's unable to play a close-checking game, so he has to compensate & create a lower margin for error (of getting skinned). An in-form Enrique, a great athlete, will bait an attacker into using the side-line and crush their confidence. But in two years, in the top flight, Simpson hasn't stepped to the mark re: that first point. There's no happy medium, or balance to his defensive approach. For a full-back, who does have athletic qualities, he is still far too conservative. That equates to having made no improvement.

 

During the last two years (which for him as been a bedding-in period in the top flight) he's had a very cushy ride. Tiote's physical presence & capacity to cover space breaks down alot of opposition attacks, across the back four, often before the threat develops to the point where DS is isolated deep in his own half. Over the same two year period Collocini's continued acclimitisation to the English game ( dealing with & attacking crosses into the box: he's no longer just a 'tappy' continental CB) nullifys to an extent the oppositions supply route via Simpson's flank. Last year he had Barton's physical presence and defensive workrate as cover, to counter his reluctance to smother a winger. Most recently he has benefitted from HBA providing nuisance value when tracking back, and we've been able to retain a higher rate of possession as well (particularly since the switch to 433). Defensively he has flattered to deceive over this period. And when certain aspects of our play break down he doesn't have the aggression needed to shutdown a flank ie. an off-day from Tiote, conceding the lions' share of possession courtesy of Wigan's midfield pressure.

 

 

 

 

 

How does the left sided Coloccini nullify the supply route on our right side? 

 

Re-read the reference to Collocini's improvement when dealing with crosses into the box.  You do know that wingers don't solely deliver crosses to the  near post/side (in the direct vicinity of the near sided centre half. Give the wingers some credit, in terms of the variety of crosses they pump in. Of course Collo's improvement nullafys the supply route ie. crosses from DS's flank. In addition watch how a defensive line, and of course the centre pairing,  slightly shifts or slides toward the wide-alley used. A cross pumped into the heart of the box, isn't just the bread & butter stuff for the near-sided centrehalf. It's due to that slight shifting of the line. Central defensive parings defend the aerial stuff as a unit. It's not as simple as right sided cross = dealt solely by the nearsided, or right-sided CB . When defending aerially, as a unit, it's been a saviour that Collo has  toughened up, and attacks crosses & generally deals with that threat much better - by comparison with his first year in the top flight.

[Keefaz]

Yeah, you weren't missed.

[Anderson]

Hopefully made his last appearance in a black and white shirt. Nice lad and all that, but quite simply not good enough.

[Ryan]

Hopefully made his last appearance in a black and white shirt. Nice lad and all that, but quite simply not good enough.

 

 

Perch has to stay there for the City game on Sunday.

[Cajun]

We still need a squad...

[TheGuv]

[tmonkey]

We'd be mad not to cash in on him whilst half the country still thinks he's a quality fullback and possible England material. There's probably quite a few right backs in France we could nab for half the wages Simpson wants and half the fee Simpson would bring in, ones that can actually defend competently and look decent going forward. Beye for example cost £2m...

[Guest neesy111]

[Fenham Mag]

Yep, think we won't see him in a Newcastle shirt again.

[Pilko]

Yep, think we won't see him in a Newcastle shirt again.

 

Struggling to hold back the tears.

 

Tears of joy.

[Guest Tyson]

Hoping tonight's omission wasn't a psychological ploy on Pards' part, effectively handing Simpson a game's rest to mentally regroup in the wake of the flogging he suffered at the hands of Wigan.

 

RB, until the end of the season, is Perch's position to lose now.

[Sima]

Perchinho's shirt to lose now.

[simmsy10]

Who would have thought at the start of the season we'd mostly all want Perch to start instead of Simpson! ha ha!

[Shak]

Perch looking like he might end up being a good utility man should spell the end of Simpson.

 

We'd probably get a tidy little sum for him. Decide what side you want Santon to play, buy a RB or LB to start on the other side and let Simpson go.

 

Yes, we need a squad but there should be plenty of squad players that we can bring in who'll be better than Simpson and who'll cost less than what we should be able to sell him for.

 

We'd be two points ahead of Arsenal if the stupid cunt could take a throw as well.

[Ryan_Taylor]

Out. Erik Pieters in. Bye Danny

[Mistle17]

Painfully frustrating how much better we were last night without him. Frustrating in the sense that we've had a much better option all season than him but refused to use him.

[LiquidAK]

So utterly un-needed now we've got Perchinho.

[oldtype]

Painfully frustrating how much better we were last night without him. Frustrating in the sense that we've had a much better option all season than him but refused to use him.

 

Pardew's just been saving him to get him hungry. He's the defense's Ben Arfa.

[Guest je85]

I would be surprised if he doesn't start on Sunday myself. Started every game up until now, why the sudden change of heart? He was just being rested.

[Rich]

I would be surprised if he doesn't start on Sunday myself. Started every game up until now, why the sudden change of heart? He was just being rested.

 

He was injured. I'd be surprised if Pardew alters the team at all after that performance.

[durhamunigeordie]

Perch can consider himself very unlucky if he gets dropped on Sunday, particularly after the way Simpson performed at Wigan on Saturday. Simpson should really have played his last game for the club now - bit of a shame for him that he has potentially signed off on such a bad note. Would be surprised if he is still here come August. I am not a fan of his at all, but it is obvious that he has, for the majority of the time, performed as you would expect from an average PL right back. If he leaves I will say thank-you and good luck - his reputation will probably earn him a decent contract at a middle/lower-middle PL club so I won't feel too sorry for him.

[TRC]

Might be Giggs, but I've been told he has agreed to join QPR if they stay up.