Davide Santon (now retired)

[Guest tollemache]

yeah I'd be interested to see that. He's fine as a winger on either side

[Hanshithispantz]

His main attribute is carrying the ball forward, not sure if that would work as well from already inside the opponents half. He's just turned 22 though so he still has time to work on both his attacking in the final 3rd and his defending.

[Smal]

I could see him scoring a few goals from the left wing as bizarre as it may sound. He'd be more of a threat than Jonás for sure.

[Lotus]

I think, crazy as this is, if Haidara could make the step up, Santon can effectively play Jonas' position far better than him, is equally as athletic, will give pardew the "tackle" he craves. I'd love to see him in an advanced role, would give us a strong attacking/defensive left side. All dependent on Haidara I suppose

 

He didn't fancy any 50-50s last night so i doubt he'll give anyone a 'tackle'.

[Eddy Chibas]

Technically he's fine (and has the confidence) when passing through a press, coming out of our own half. But that's with the short-mid range passing on his left - he's good enough, on his non-preferred foot, in that he doesnt show alot of the ball to the guys pressing on his inside. As a ball-playing fb, two footed & part of a defensive unit that can keep on the deck & pass through a press, he's okay on the left.

 

As a potential left winger, I don't think he has the penetration on his left though, and the velocity & consistency a natural footed winger provides with the end product.

[alexf]

Thought he made some bizarre decisions last night. Like he would go and press their right back on the ball leaving acres of space in behind for that Marlos on multiple occasions and then would take an eternity to get back. Some great runs attacking their right back at times, going inside, going outside. But he was a bit too cavalier at times.

[Eddy Chibas]

Technically he's fine (and has the confidence) when passing through a press, coming out of our own half. But that's with the short-mid range passing on his left - he's good enough, on his non-preferred foot, in that he doesnt show alot of the ball to the guys pressing on his inside. As a ball-playing fb, two footed & part of a defensive unit that can keep on the deck & pass through a press, he's okay on the left.

 

As a potential left winger, I don't think he has the penetration on his left though, and the velocity & consistency a natural footed winger provides with the end product.

 

Started out as a winger didn't he? cant imagine his final output being worse than what we have now

 

RW (thats the key) converted to RB originally, and was a star, before Jose stuffed him around, by using him as defensive utility man (never made 'a' position his own after that & his confidence was blown to bits). I'm talking about natural footed wingers, playing on the appropriate flank (getting to the byline, not checking back-in, and whipping balls in at pace consistently) which as a left-footed winger Santon is not.

 

We already have that cut-back guy when Ben Arfa is fit, on the right. Also Ben Arfa is a genuine dangerman off both feet, in that he doesn't lose much penetration on his right (particularly shooting). There's not many guys/wingers who can put a defender in two minds like he does, and that opens things up for him inside. I haven't seen the sort of penetration on Santon's non-preferred foot, to suggest that he will create this type of defensive dilemma ( for good rbs).

 

 

 

 

[STM]

Not bothered at all about his cutting edge. I am concerned about him getting caught out of position everytime he goes forward.

 

Either he learns to track back, someone covers or he stops going forward as much.

 

Gracefull player though.

[ATB]

Not bothered at all about his cutting edge. I am concerned about him getting caught out of position everytime he goes forward.

 

Either he learns to track back, someone covers or he stops going forward as much.

 

Gracefull player though.

 

[Eddy Chibas]

Not bothered at all about his cutting edge. I am concerned about him getting caught out of position everytime he goes forward.

 

Either he learns to track back, someone covers or he stops going forward as much.

 

Gracefull player though.

 

But there's a suggestion, of a straight swap to LW. Positional & defensive frailties aside, which you touch-on, the lad's has made a big switch LB already. With the heavy emphasis placed on the forwards/attackers' press his technique (one-two touch stuff)  on both feet has probably played a significant part in eventually overcoming the flank change (purely as a fb).

 

Positional naivety aside, i think he lacks the left foot penetration (which is different to one-two touch passing in your own half/beating the press) to make what i think is a more difficult switch, as a natural righty. This time to LW, i think its too much.

[Mole_Toonfan]

His position is fine, what he needs to improve is end product and understanding when to attack and when to stay back.

 

Which will all come with experience, easy to forget he's still only bloody 22 convinced that in time he will be the best FB to play for us in last 20 years.

 

Quite a few kinks to work out but he's getting better all the time and the raw ability is fantastic.

[timeEd32]

Not worried about his positional sense or decision-making. These things will improve in time.

 

A little more worried about his left foot and final ball. He's becoming very predictable going forward, yet he's still somewhat effective which underscores his strength, pace, and ability on the ball.

 

With some proper development he could legitimately be a world-class LB. Hope it happens (and hope it happens here).

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I doubt his left foot will ever be much good. We just need to accept that he's always going to have to cut in.

[timeEd32]

I doubt his left foot will ever be much good. We just need to accept that he's always going to have to cut in.

 

It doesn't need to be good. It could even be slightly below average. But he needs to make an attempt to get the endline on some of his attacks. He's becoming far too predictable. AVB and Spurs had him sniffed out. On a couple of occasions it seemed like there was a midfielder (Lennon) spying him and just waiting for him to cut in.

 

 

[STM]

He's average defensively, which will improve. He's good but not great in the final third. However he's excellent at getting from one end to the other, he would make a great wing-back IMO but only a muppet would play with wing backs.

[The College Dropout]

Juventus say hi.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Juventus say hi.

 

people are really against 3 at the back with wing backs because of past experiences. 

 

Football changes and more and more teams are using wing backs, hell our defenders practically act as wing backs now anyway look how high Santon and Debuchy are in a game.

 

Anyway on Santon, i don't think he's a bad defender( as i have seen a few people say) he's actually a very good defender when concentrated the problem at the moment is he has lapses in concentration which lead to terrible positioning.

 

Hopefully its another thing which will come with experience

[Tiresias]

Wigan's back 3 can really unnerve teams as they end up with wing backs and 3 forwards running at a defence behind the midfield and it can cause massive problems. On the other hand sometimes doesn't work at all.

[aussiemag]

Formations are over-rated personally, Man Utd play a very effective 4-4-2, Alot of teams 4-3-3. It is the fluidity of positions and movement on the pitch that really identifies a teams style.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Formations are over-rated personally, Man Utd play a very effective 4-4-2, Alot of teams 4-3-3. It is the fluidity of positions and movement on the pitch that really identifies a teams style.

 

I agree formations are, systems and style of play how ever are very important. Honestly formations only matter when you're defending.

 

When you attack you shouldn't have any set positions.

 

How ever though, Man Utd don't play 4-4-2 and haven't done for a long long time.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Debatable. It's pretty much a 4411 imo.

[Tiresias]

RE formations being important, depends on the game, I think we're quite often victim of players getting between the lines when they play someone in the hole behind the striker(s). Aston villa away despite the win in first half nzogbia was very threatening frequently found in huge space in front of defence but behind midfield (perch's fault as holding player imo, he should have been tracking him), while that's the most recent example I can think of I've spotted it a fair amount this season.

 

Formations essentially don't matter if it's evenly matched all over the pitch, the reason formations can be important is if you can exploit weaknesses in the other, if you don't, which is quite often, then it's all about playing styles etc. Common example is 4-4-2 vs 4-3-3, and the subsequent battle between one team dominating midfield, the other with width.

 

They can be completely misleading though, quite often man u or man city, and Spurs at time line up 4-4-2 on paper but the players move about so much it's not really important, what's important is where the players operate.

 

Santon lacks concentration, he's still very young and will surely improve. When he's actually defending he's fine, got a lot of speed on him, and calm on the ball.

[The College Dropout]

Fergie has said he's never played a 4-4-2 with two proper strikers.  ATM it's definitely a 4-4-1-1

[Ronaldo]

Fergie has said he's never played a 4-4-2 with two proper strikers.  ATM it's definitely a 4-4-1-1

 

Pretty sure he did with Cole and Yorke.

[The College Dropout]

Fergie has said he's never played a 4-4-2 with two proper strikers.  ATM it's definitely a 4-4-1-1

 

Pretty sure he did with Cole and Yorke.

 

That was my first reaction but that's what he said according to Marcotti.

 

But when you think about it, Dwight Yorke was an excellent all-round footballer. He scored a lot of goals but his overall footballing intelligence was excellent, he was the reason Cole became a success at Man Utd. By the time he was at S'land, he had become a midfielder so there's validity to the original statement.