Drop Raylor or keep him in the team?

Because for every Cabaye we have a Collo & Enrique. Threw straight in and struggled until they got used to it.

Santon is a young player but even Pardew admitted he is getting used to the rough and tumble of the prem.

 

Srop Raylor or Simpson. Raylor isn't a LB simple as he was found out by City who pulled him out of position and Micah Richards made full use of it. If Richards can do that imagine what Nani or Valencia are going to do to him. Personally I'd drop Simpson, move Raylor to his favoured position and let Santon play LB, he was afterall called the "next Paolo Maldini(a LB)" by Mourinho who probably knows a bit about football & where people should play.

 

Should have done a poll mate

 

fair point but don't really agree with it

 

9998!!!!

 

Let's face it, none of your fullbacks will have a field day up against Nani and Young/Valencia not to mention that doubling up at fullback is necessary when Evra/Fabio and Jones/Smalling get forward.

Ryan Taylor and Simpson are the two players Fergie will look to exploit with our attack, if we play through the middle then Steven Taylor and Coloccini could keep us out all day long with the form they're in. The introduction of Santon in this game would be a good idea for Pardew in my opinion but only as a replacement for Simpson. You need Ryan Taylor in your side for any set-piece opportunities you may get.

If Rooney, Nani and Hernandez click then it won't matter what our CM's do, but the trouble is for us lately is that they haven't, especially Nani.

Don't be surprised to see Phil Jones line up in CM for us to give us some solidity in midfield, as it pains me to say this, Tiote and Cabaye will be too much for Carrick or Fletcher on their own.

I'm looking forward to it, I think we'll win but as I said yesterday I'm just going for a 1-0 win which I'd settle for all day.

 

You can't drop Simpson at present though, he is in fantastic form. (possibly trying to prove he is worth whatever he is asking) It would be lunacy to take him out for this game. I hope he stays as he's a good young player who's still improving but I'm not going to try and put the blame at anyones door regarding his contract. Impossible for any of us to comment accurately. I don't know the facts of what he has been offered and what he is asking. There is no doubt that he is deserving of a better contract (if its true about him being a low earner) and I'm sure the board have improved it. I assume they are just haggling by how much.

 

Of course we shouldn't drop him because we don't know if Santons any good.

 

What? It's not as if Santon's never played football before coming to us, I've seen the lad play (admittedly only once live) but he was quality. We'd probably seen less of Tiote & Cabaye prior to their arrival and I think they've done alright.

 

Apart from the goals he hasnt really been that good (and even then, goals dont make a good defender), and definitely not "amazing". The only justification people have to him being good is our defensive record, in that case Simpson has been amazing as well? No. The record is mainly down to the CBs and Krul.

He was always the short term solution at LB, Santon has to start sooner or later.

 

Santon will be a permenant right back before left back. Simpson will be gone in January, Santon take his place and another Left back brought it to replace Raylor.

 

Mourinho & Lippi have both played him at LB, I'm willing to trust their judgement. Santon should play LB until a replacement is found. If that means dropping Raylor or Simpson & Raylor to RB I don't know but at least Santon has played there and in bigger games than we're playing at the moment. (Champions League & Internationals, not belittling us in any way)

 

Can't agree with this, I think both have been excellent. Simpson looked suspect first few games but made some good blocks, last 5 games he has been outstanding. Raylor has been so much more than goals this season. He has made a number of goal saving blocks and clearances. He has surprised me.

I think the defensive record is not down to two or three. I'd agree those three have been top performers but for me our record has been down to each and every member who's pulled on the shirt this year plus the coaching staff. The system and how each and every player operates in the system is why our record is so good in my opinion. We work extremely hard.

 

Santon lookef FAR more comfortable vs Blackburn when he moned to the right.

 

I think Simpson has been very good as well, but people love to have a scapegoat and he is that at the moment. They think all the problems will go away if we just drop him for Raylor. They have both contributed hugely to our record but I dont think we'd miss them anywhere near as much as Saylor, Colo or Krul if they were to get injured/dropped.

 

If Jonas has sacrificed his attacking game to aid Raylor, Raylor has produced more goals this season than Jonas/Enrique did last.

 

Oh aye defo more replaceable than those mentioned. The spine is always the key area. I can't understand this desrie to move Raylor over given he has stated he will be happy when people talk of him as a left back. I just wouldn't drop either. If Raylor was to have a stinker against Man U, I'd drop him and I think he would understand. If you drop for those 4 mins against Citeh, I think he'd be a bit peeved.

 

That's understandable and I wouldnt be upset if Raylor played, but from Santon's point of view he'll have been told Raylor keeps his place until he messes up, after all he is the Enrique replacement and could well be expecting to start.

If we want 2 of them to start, I'd rather have the guy on the bench comfortable on both sides, which Simpson is not. Until January at least, I'd like Santon on the left, Simpson on the right and Raylor covering both sides. I suppose we could well rotate all 3 during the busy Christmas period anyway.

 

Well seeing as Santon has the square root of f*ck all game time in the first team this season, throwing in @ Old Trafford would be ridiculous.

If he had some game time in his legs, some confidence and experience of playing in the Prem, then it could be an option. But as it stands, no chance whatsoever.

..........this is the reason I went 'mental' over the weekend about him not getting a run out. Their is always method behind my madness!

 

He's fit man, he trains every day and played a reserve game just earlier today.