Davide Santon (now retired)

[Mole_Toonfan]

Santon offers width, he doesn't offer consistent end product and attacking threat.

 

There's a difference between the two, anyway there's no genuine proof that getting down the by line and knocking a cross in is any more effective than cutting inside and playing a pass across the box.

 

He does need to improve his left foot to give himself an alternative option but its nowhere near as needed as made out, i mean Enrique was able to get down the by line and put a cross in and he hardly ever created anything.

 

Debuchy is all right foot on the opposite side, yet its Santon who has created more goalscoring opportunities since he arrived.

 

Also everyone talks about Evra, Baines etc etc.... who where they at 22? exactly.

[The College Dropout]

The width he creates gets wasted coming central.

 

Baines best move is actually on the inside between defenders like he did against us, you can still do that on your proper side.

 

Yes he does need to develop a left-foot. Should practice every day in training.

 

Debuchy's put in at least 3 great balls that someone should've scored in 3-4 games. I'm talking 1-1 vs. keeper opportunities, not Sissokho scoring half chances.

 

 

 

Nobody is saying he's shit. People are saying he's already an excellent player. He's not. He's an excellent prospect but needs a lot of work to be the final product.

[The College Dropout]

Gouff's tracking back is excellent btw.

[Mole_Toonfan]

I agree with all that and i seem to recall Santon saying when Debuchy arrived, he said he would work on his left foot its not going to happen over night but lets trust him to do so.

[Guest ItalianMagpie]

Might be giggs but...

 

http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/v/804485_10200650670568770_768942026_n.jpg?oh=59f0fb75b4b5428968315ccb1bae6929&oe=511B2542&__gda__=1360762480_28ef8d64d2354a9cc0605a1c92eeaffc

 

[Unbelievable]

Don't like

[Wallace]

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2013/02/12/santon-i-won-t-be-joining-my-pal-mario-in-serie-a-72703-32791529/

 

DAVIDE SANTON insists even the lure to team up with close pal Mario Balotelli at AC Milan would not persuade him to quit his beloved Newcastle United.

 

Not quite buying into that.

 

[Tooj]

Nice to see him trying to get the ball in with his left a couple of times tonight.

[Dave]

Nice to see him trying to get the ball in with his left a couple of times tonight.

 

Did the business on a couple of occasions too. Suspect it was pointed out after the Spurs game.

[henke]

Was saying that to thin air in my living room earlier. Went outside and created a couple of decent openings on his left peg, good stuff.

[Tiotes Witch Doctor]

Hope he can continue to mix it up on his right and left in the premier league, makes him much less predictable.

[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.