Davide Santon is one of a number of players who have been playing near their top form over the last two months, and in that time Newcastle have won five of their last six league games, and surged to 7th top of the Premier League, just 4 points out of second place.
Davide Santon – playing well for Newcastle
The 22-year-old is in his third season on Tyneside, after signing two and a half years ago from Inter-Milan for around £5M.
Davide, who has a six month old daughter Sienna, with his Geordie girlfriend, seems very settled on Tyneside, and he had this to say in the Shields Gazette today:
“It’s not easy to forget the amazing win at Old Trafford, but as I have said we don’t have to stop now we beat Man United.” “The next game is another important game. We have to make sure we play like that again.”
“We have to keep going, and try to win the game.” “Southampton are doing well. They have had two defeats in the last two games, but they started the season really well, and are in a good position.” “I think it will be a really good game.”
“I’m really enjoying myself.” “The team’s playing good football, and I’m really happy to play for Newcastle.” “I really, really like the team and the city. I want to give a lot to this club.” “I’m really happy, but I’m not 100% yet, because I’m just 22 years old.”
“I’ve got a lot to years for improvement.” “At the moment, the players are helping me a lot. I’m trying to play my best.” “I can still improve in what I’m doing.”
It’s good that Davide knows he can still improve and become an even better player than he is today.
Davide signed a five-year contract in August of 2011, so he is half way through that contract, and could be here at least until the summer of 2016, and he is now a much better player than the player who signed for us a couple of years ago.
Comments welcome.
Note: South Shields local artist Robert Olley has a new painting out called “Derby Day Home” and it can be personalized so that any surname can be put on the striker’s shirt – the one scoring the goal – take a look.
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31 comments so far
cyprus
Dec 13, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Comment #1On Santon,
there are goals in this lad… somewhere!
Lil and Ciaran,
Your points regarding Cisse were well argued. However, the player who has scored the best brace I have ever seen in any game, a player who was almost embarrassed to score at will (remember poor Ba’s expression?) can’t have been that bad… Maybe he feels God is against him for that Wonga thing….
Look at Ba now, Chelsea fans want him out, they’d pay us to have him back. Look at Benteke who can’t score anymore. You mentioned Shearer who was arguably the most consistent CF. In truth, he had several barren patches and often covered that up through pens.
BTW, no penalties this year, or am I wrong.
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 4:53 PM
Comment #2Typical, post something and Ed does his late post. Repost-
We seem to have a problem against the ‘less glamorous’ teams because of their limitations, by that I mean their combined skill set is down a peg from the top set, they cut their cloth accordingly, using high levels of fitness, sustained pressure off the ball, keeping possession without necessarily going forward, defending in numbers and of course the infamous long ball hopefully to snatch an early goal and park the bus. That and kicking chunks out of key players.
We seem to be doing a little more of most of that ourselves of late, hence the dropping of ‘skills’ players like HBA, Anita, Marveaux possibly and being a bit more disciplined in the respective roles, especially at the back. If we can deal with it when it’s dished out to us, we might be on to something
Lilongwe Geordie
Dec 13, 2013 at 4:54 PM
Comment #3Cyprus,
I still think Cisse is a good finisher, an instinctive finisher. I just don’t think it will work out here anymore. As I said to someone else, if/when Cisse moves on I will wish him all the best and hope for his sake he starts banging them in again.
I hold no grudges against him, I very much doubt that he is happy not scoring goals and I’m sure he would love to be scoring goals for us regularly again. He isn’t not scoring to spite us, but something is a miss with him, and he doesn’t suit our style at the moment.
In my view it is best for both parties to have an amicable parting and a fresh start. Him with a new club, us with a new striker.
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 4:56 PM
Comment #4I truly believe Santon had hit a wall until very recently, even though I was rooting for him he had some bad habits that were looking like he would never shake them. Hats off to him though, recently he has put in some good shifts, there’s still a lot of room for improvement but at least he is progressing again. And no, he is not a winger.
Lilongwe Geordie
Dec 13, 2013 at 4:58 PM
Comment #5Cyprus,
You are correct, no penalties for us so far this season.
70TWO
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:02 PM
Comment #6Santon is slightly predictable, he will almost always come inside and looks amazing when he takes it to the byline. Otherwise his defending, staying in line are improving and has been slightly let down by Colo, particularly at set pieces.
Ian Toon
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:13 PM
Comment #770TWO // Dec 13, 2013 at 10:41 AM
Excellent post. I will get back to you and address your post to me re: Campbell / Messi.
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:19 PM
Comment #870two – unfortunately that’s where I see the weakness mist if all, his running upfield and stepping inside. Not only has it not resulted in goals for him, he rarely produces an end product for others. His improvement has been fir me in sticking more to his lb position, and realising when and where to interchange with the guy in front of him. It used to be Jonas until having one foot in defence ruined his game. A more youthful Gouffran seems to be handling this task well at the moment, although I notice he often does not last the whole game. Telling, really.
Ian Toon
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:23 PM
Comment #9Santon’s defensive heading, has greatly improved this season. The two DM’s have really helped the foraging of Debuchy and to a lesser extent Santon. This has also restricted opposition widemen getting forward. A double bonus.
And to think that it wasn’t that long ago some were questioning what Debuchy gave us that Simpson didn’t possess!
89Norcal
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:32 PM
Comment #10Cyprus
Regarding Chase, it boils down to us not having an out and out winger to supply him. Most of the passes I see go his way are still the odd long ball upfield.
So far we’ve used two strikers and Sissoko on the wings. Our backups are an inconsistent Harem, along with Jonas and Obertan. We don’t even have a classic style winger that sprints to the goal line to whip in decent crosses. Jonas was the closest to that in his prime with us.
But I guess the above is guaranteed when you have a tight fisted owner. Not gonna buy any technically brilliant, 10+ assists type players on our budget.
89Norcal
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:33 PM
Comment #11Chase is android-keyboard speak for Cisse 🙂
89Norcal
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:34 PM
Comment #12And Harem is Hatem. An inconsistent harem; I can’t think of any thing more frustrating 😆
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:36 PM
Comment #13Norcal – the curse of the phone auto correct! Apart from trying to figure out who Chase is, I think its a bit insulting to call our subs an ‘inconsistent Harem’ 🙂
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:37 PM
Comment #14And my phone was insisting on calling you ‘normal’ I mean, how bad is that? 😀
89Norcal
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:39 PM
Comment #15LOL Tsunki. Maybe auto correct is right this time 🙂
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:41 PM
Comment #16Anyway, back to business -Norcal, your post @10, the laughable lack of byline runners could go an awfully long way to explaining Cisse’s drought. That type of bullet across the goal now and again would get him bagsful of goals.
89Norcal
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:49 PM
Comment #17Yes or even cutting inside like Santon tends to do and like Hatem used to. Cisse can’t create his own chances, even during his stunning form he was never short of supply. Course his movement was 10x better than it is now. That God awful pairing with Ba where they would post up at the 18 like statues really took a toll.
bills-son
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:55 PM
Comment #18Cisse has never had wingers slinging crosses over even when he was banging them in.
He was converting a huge percentage of his chances and now its gone the other way. He doesn’t just need a goal he needs to score four or five in six or seven games but unless Remy gets injured I can’t see him getting the chance.
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:58 PM
Comment #19Anyway, apart from forced changes, think Pardew will stick to as close as possible his usual choice team. Anita will be called on to try and do the Cabaye role which I think he can do, Cabs does try one too many Hollywood long balls for my liking, Anita seems to be more measured with his passing, safer. I just hope Pards doesn’t push Sissoko forward again to help him out or he will duffer. He is best when he can pick the ball up relatively deep and get momentum in running forward through midfield. Being able to do that has transformed our midfield IMHO lately.
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 5:59 PM
Comment #20Duffer = Suffer. This phone is playing mind games with me. And winning.
89Norcal
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:00 PM
Comment #21Bills-son I’m not saying he needs just crosses but we as a team (staff included) need to find a proper goal making winger whether he crosses or keeps it on the ground means little to me. But in truth Cisse did have some supply from crosses when he first came. I remember 2 goals off top that resulted from crosses.
89Norcal
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:02 PM
Comment #22Meant to say the staff has to set up the team right as well, because forthe last year Cisse’s main line of supply has been longballs. Hardly a tactic geared towards his strengths
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:04 PM
Comment #23Bills – he was getting better service into the box back then though. If Remy got injured, with the way we are playing lately I think he would soon pick up again. But I think he would do much better with someone who could get to byline and drive balls into the box away from the keeper. Actually Hatem is very capable of doing this.
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:09 PM
Comment #24Anyway, tomorrow I think we should treat them like the team in the position that they are, and keep our game up to the standards of the Chelsea, Spuds and manure games. Pressing is the key, and am I right in saying our possession stats are up lately? I am going for another hard 1-0 win.
89Norcal
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:13 PM
Comment #25Yeah Im excited for the game. Not sure what to expect really from Soton, hopefully we don’t capitulate like we tend to do at random 🙂
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:26 PM
Comment #26Interesting observation on Cisse’s form
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/revealed-who-passed-ball-papiss-6404083?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Tsunki
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:29 PM
Comment #27And while I am trawling twitland, another Colo interview, another polar slant
http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/coloccini-staying-spanish-interview-now-good-newcastle-aiming-europe/
bills-son
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:32 PM
Comment #28Remy not scored in three games yet we’ve still won two. He is due a goal tomorrow or he’s starting to go on a bit of a run as well.
The concern is we haven’t scored more than two goals in the Prem for a while and Cabaye who is always likely to get one is out.
If HBA plays I’d be tempted to put him wide right and bring Sissoko into the middle. I know he’s not done much there before but he has form and confidence now and those bombing runs through the middle could be a big plus.
1949BH PROUDTOBEAGEORDIE
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:33 PM
Comment #29to lilongwe geordie previous thread 1142 no22 .about needing 2 strikers unless campbell armstrong or gillihad dont become ist team material.cannot be 100 % sure on appearances but campbell 10 goals for reserves including friendlies,armstrong 24 goals for u18 england u17 and reserves including friendlies gillihad 3goals from 15 representative games u18 reserves appearances excluding friendlies. have watched adam cambell a number of times and believe he will cause defenders problems at any level because of his speed .hard work and his pressing goalkeepers and defenders .have only seen adam armstrong briefly mainly goals for reserves and england u17 but he hits the ball well at least as good as most first team however he is still 16.
bills-son
Dec 13, 2013 at 6:48 PM
Comment #301949,
You obviously watch the young lads regularly and your posts are always interesting. Good to hear your opinion on Adam Campbell and that it is so positive.
nufc 11
Dec 14, 2013 at 12:19 PM
Comment #31He has never got a run on the wings so to he is not one is stupid where in any top team does a right back play in his opposite position at lb how can iy be a good thing when he has t check bk to cross because his right footed.