Santon or Enrique?

Davide doing well at NUFC
The one player that left over the summer that I was really really gutted about was Jose Enrique.

Don’t get me wrong, I was prepared for him leaving way back in last January. Something just didn’t sit right about the whole thing and, in truth, he never really looked interested in the second half of the season and became a liability. His mind was elsewhere.

Inevitably he left, for Liverpool, and with that he tore a huge whole in our left side. Enrique is a cracking player and I honestly thought that we’d struggle to replace him with a player of similar quality. Physically strong and willing to attack and link up with Jonas Gutierrez, Enrique was an important player for us despite his flaws – mainly trying to play his way out of trouble repeatedly and switching off.

This is where Davide Santon comes in to play. The Italian is proving to be more than an able replacement for the Spaniard, and if early signs are anything to go by then we have a player who is actually better that Jose Enrique potentially. It’s early days I know, but the signs from the former Inter Milan youngster are promising to say the least.

Strong in the tackle, defensively aware, sound in possession with an eye for a pass and a penchant for bombing forward, Santon looks to be a cracking player. He has certainly took to the Premier League better than Jose Enrique did in my opinion and has fixed the hole in our left side that was left by the Spaniard.

Now don’t get me wrong, Ryan Taylor did well on the left, but Santon is a much better player and left-back has become a position that I no longer panic about. It was a shame to lose Jose as he grew with us, but in the end he wanted to go so from our perspective we needed to replace him with a player of equal quality – a tough ask!

A tough ask made easy by Davide Santon, who is setting about rebuilding that once prodigious reputation he had as a youngster and it’s with thanks to careful man management from Alan Pardew and a determination from the player to do well that the Italian has stepped into the team and filled Jose’s boots so seamlessly.

Keep it up Davide!

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

105 thoughts on “Santon or Enrique?

  1. Neilfarrington Neil Farrington
    #nufc and Lyon €2m apart in valuation of Cissokho (€8m vs €10m)? Is he worth the asking price?
    9 minutes ago

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  2. @T69
    Troy @ 67 – Na I was posted here & paid to sunbath for 2 yrs by UK taxpayers

    Did you actually manage to find your way out the parcel? 😯

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  3. @Trot 😆 good! Trot it is from now on then 😀

    I think it was Keith that started it with a misspell, made me chuckle 🙄

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  4. @Dwayne

    I will provide the lines and you get the credit.

    Trog would be far funnier but you choose Trot. Eh? 😯 😆

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  5. Richie – Wasn’t one of my choices tho 😥 I wanted Gib, Germany or Canada but instead got Cy 😆 😆

    Troy – Obviously fella, how else would I have been able to sunbath 😉

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  6. T69….Aye tried Canada, Belize and HK too, the only time I got what I asked for was when I did my last 6 months in the TA centre in Walker 😆

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  7. Richie – well 12 yrs in Germ would have done me, tho I did enjoy the sunbathing over here for 2yrs, thats why I came back to live as a civvie too 😆

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  8. T69…Aye Germany was canny, went there 2010 for a trip down memory lane, it was fecking freezin and the town was dead but still enjoyed it. Prefer sunny Spain now though 😎

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  9. Richie – bit like that here at mo, temps around 17c & bloody freezing 🙁 never mid tho, could be in the UK with minus temps eh 😆 😆

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  10. Richie 😀
    Yeah, it’s not so much deciding which stories you believe. It’s just a case of deciding which ones you disbelieve the least 😉

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  11. Hugely valid point by Tony Toon, Santoon is 20 yrs old!!! No wonder it took a little while to settle in. But he’s playing really we and looks so comfortable in that position. There was an article in the paper on Saturday where Santon was saying he used to be a forward, it was The Special One who moved him to full back. So the reality is he has only played that position for the last few years.
    Part of me wants to dislike Enrique for leaving for Liverpool but he stuck with us though the Chamionship so suppose he did his bit.

    How good would our defence be though with Enrique LB and Santoon RB?!

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  12. Look none of us wanted Jose to leave, but in the end it was inevitable.
    He had had just about enough of the shenanigans @ SJP, and tbh I dont really blame him. Once his mind was made up and he knew cesspool were after him, he was as good as gone.
    Fair nuff, but I dont wish him any good luck, and would love it if we finish above them at the end of the season.
    Howay the Lads.

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  13. Well pleased with how Santoon is looking so far, hopefully we can keep him for a few yrs, during which time he will only get better.

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