Reading eyeing move for Simmo..

I think you're right that Simpson gets unnecessary stick, but I don't know how you can say Raylor can't fill in at full back after his performances this season, he was brilliant and only displaced due to injury. Plus, with him, Cabaye and Ba on the pitch together, we have 3 very good (if very different) set play specialists. That can't be ignored, just like you can't ignore Simpson's ability on the line!

As for the Reading link, I think they're going about things the right way to be honest. Guthrie on a free, Simpson for a couple of million - they're both steady players who are reasonably young, have plenty of Premier League experience but still have a lot to prove.

 

Indeed. Some of those early season blocks and terrific games are easily forgotten. At one stage you were wondering when Santon might play he was doing so well. Him and Simpson had great seasons.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0pkQdZW0EE&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ksOFiorO9w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2SkEMnkfOw (2mins 23-36)


I wish him well wherever he goes. He is a very solid player, hoped we would keep him to play in Europe and the cups at least, but there we go.

 

Except when you dont.

 

Very rare. Both were excellent overall and played a big part in our most successful season for a long time.

 

I really can't agree. Him being out of position was a goal waiting to happen if opposition actually paid attention, with another season of not being 'the surprise package' we'd be punished on that right hand side. Blog post...

 

Each to their own as always. (That comment was about Raylor by the way) The fact remains we had our best season in a long while, looked to have our best defence in a long while, and Simpson/Raylor played 74 times between them. They must have done something right! I can count the bad games the two of them had on my hands. To be fair some of those were absolute shockers. But when they've played 74 times between them, thats an awful lot of games where they've done a nice solid job. I always hear this "accident waiting to happen". The reality is what you have to work in and the bottom line is it didn't happen very often. If it had, we'd have been no where near 5th.

 

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https://twitter.com/NUFC_Stats/status/221187360254210048/photo/1/large

From nufc_stats. It looks like more direct goals came through the centre, then Simpson's side - although this says nothing about goals that came from crosses and which side they came from.

 

Laziness stopped me from realising it was about Raylor. To be honest I see both as decent backup fullbacks to Santon and whoever comes in, and I don't think many of Simpsons staunchest supporters would disagree that in a team of him, Krul, Taylor, Coloccini, Santon, Tiote, Jonas, Cabaye, Ba, Ben Arfa and Cisse he is the weak link and the one most in need of improvement.

 

The strange thing for me is we don't appear to be signing a left back! Santon is a right back playing left back afterall, so why Debuchy is the target I'm not sure. Whichever scenario transpires I fully expect Simpson will go. I think it'll be a mixture of contracts (which happens) and him no longer being first choice. I'm a fan of Simpson but I do think he has his limitations. Not so much defensively but in terms of distribution etc. Santon is a classy footballer and although he has plenty to learn defensively, I think he'll get there. I'd say Simpson is certainly better defensively for now but some of that may be down to us playing Santon in his 2nd (or 3rd) role as left back. Hopefully he'll have learnt something from the likes of Simpson, Taylor, Raylor about commitment and putting yourself in the way. Add that to his class and he could be anything for me.

 

I'd certainly agree on that one, I fully expected a left back to be our first target. Santons settled as he's gone along, but its clear to see he's very right sided and I'd rather switch him across sooner rather than later.