Who has surprised you the most?

Which player has surprised you the most?

For me, there are many contenders. You could look at each one and say they are performing well above what you expected them to.

Tim Krul is one, I always thought he was vulnerable, but he has been fantastic, and is living up to that famous night in Palermo.

Coloccini certainly has an excellent case, he has just been fantastic. He is so calm, skilful and intelligent in his profession. Captain Colo is setting a great example to the rest of the players.

Demba Ba, 5 goals already, all have come after his spell in Ramadan. He was criticised a lot by Sunderland supporters, I remember Bruceys Beak saying he would pay for a night out for me if Demba scores more than Bendtnar, I fancy my chances. He is a bloody nuisance on the pitch, he really puts himself about now and works well with Best.

Ryan Taylor, when I saw he was going to be left back I was terrified, I have never rated him but fair play to the lad, he has played really well and goes down in history for 'that' free kick.

Cabaye has been exactly what I thought he would be, great on the ball and offers more in midfield than Nolan or Barton did, he just needs to start adding some goals to his game, also, he needs to work on taking corners.

There are so many contenders, Best, Stevey Taylor and Gutierrez could also have a claim, but I believe Coloccini has been the surprise package. He's been solid, and he just impresses me every game. He isn't going to stop every goal we concede, but he certainly helps us as you can trust him in most situations at the back.

Who's yours?

 

Tash. He's been far less of a **** than ever this season.

 

Raylor. Always knew he had good deliveries and set pieces, never thought he had the defensive abilities in him.

I say play Santon RB and leave Raylor where he is

 

I think Krul it was just a matter of when not if. He's a young keeper and was always going to make mistakes at the start but he was always going to come good and iron out those mistakes. I feel almost as comfortable now with him behind the defence as with Given and that's saying something. Surprising that he's got this good, no. Surprising that he's got this good this quickly? Yeah I think you have a point.

I think Ryan Taylor and Leon Best have been our major surprise packages. Don't know how much Ryan owes to Gutierrez's work rate protecting his full back but he's looked very comfortable out of position and put in some admirable performances. Well done to him, a great utility man to have around the club. Leon has been a revelation - scoring goals, fashioning chances for himself and working hard running the channels and bullying opposition defenders. Truly chuffed for Besty who got a lot of ridicule from certain supporters.

 

Gutierrez by some distance. He has always been good defensively, but he has really helped Ryan Taylor defensively and organised him really well. He has been a massive part of our success. On top of that he has scored a great goal and has started to produce a few really good crosses and he wins so many free kicks and relieves a lot of pressure on the defence.

 

Gutierrez deliveries have also improved a lot and his dribbling is even better

 

Honestly? Pardeaux!

I wasn't happy when he was brought in and have questioned a few of his decisions in the past. But given time, he has shown he is sound tactically (we nullified one of the best midfields/attacking sides in the Premiership for large periods of the game yesterday!) whilst still giving us attacking football. His honesty, as someone has already pointed out, is important and refreshing and he is really starting to win me over!

Tres bien Monsieur Alain Pardeaux!

 

Ba, Best and Raylor for me. I watched a fair bit of Ba last year and I was surprised by how many just looked at the goals column and thought "he's a great signing". His all round play has been much better with us. I felt he was often responsible for the break down in play at West Ham despite his goals. He has shown a bit of fight to keep possession which I like. He's not the most beautiful footballer to watch in terms of technique but he's effective.

Best is a big one for me. Again I don't rate striekrs only by their goals, football is much more complicated than that for me. He was lazy as **** before this season, and his goals weren't masking that. But bar the game against Spurs, he's worked his socks off and been a greta leader of the line. He's got his goals too. Great start to the season.

Raylor has to get a mention. Its fair to say he hasn't always put his his best foot forward when with us. But having been pushed into an unfamiliar role, he has excelled. Some of his covering and block tackles have been goal saving, he's chipped in goals, he's done really well. So much so thta if you took one out at present for Santon it would probably be Simpson! Jonas of course has helped him but he's done well.

 

What's surprising about Colo being solid? Media hyperbole about Joey Barton aside he's been our best player for the last three seasons whilst somehow remaining under the radar.

As someone who was delighted at our transfer dealings I'm not particularly surprised by any of them (though I'll concede I wasn't expecting the great results so far), so the big hit for me has been Ryan Taylor. Support from Jonas notwithstanding he's looked solid enough against anyone with the possible exception of SWP. Combined with the free kicks (not just the goals, his crossing is excellent) and the great performance all round yesterday I've been well impressed, and would be disappointed if Santon took his spot. I'd be inclined to move him to his favoured right and bring Santon in for Simpson on the left.

 

Nah, I'd keep him on the left. as the SS comentator said yesterday, he is right-footed, so tackling is easier on the left. Santon is naturally a RB as well.

 

How does that work? If an opposing winger bombs past on the outside surely you want your best foot there to tackle him? I've played enough games as a left footed left back to know that. Santons equally good with both so can play either, Taylor would cope better (and cross better) on his stronger foot.

 

A good LB won't let the winger go past him on the outside, or will just poke the ball into touch. The dangerous channel is between CB and LB.

 

With Cabaye, I'd switch the responsibilities between him and Raylor against Wigan. ie Cabaye takes Free Kicks and Raylor takes corners. See if that is anymore fruitful

 

I always thought a good full back steers them out wide then blocks them getting a cross in. Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

Yeah, that would work with Raylor as he won't need tackle them, just get a block in.

 

Probably Ryan Taylor, as I thought at the end of last season his days here were numbered if we were going to progress.

 

Raylor shows more of his vulnerabilities than his strengths on the left. If anything he has done enough to be tried out in a more natural position for him, either right back or right of midfield instead of Gabrielle Obertan, Obertan has surprised me the most as I thought he might be decent given the chance and I think I couldn't be more wrong.

 

Raylor. I thought he would be nothing more than an emergency right back or last resort midfielder this season but he is holding down a first team place at left back. A position I wouldn't have even considered playing him in!

Fair play to the lad, proving his worth through his adaptability and willingness to play wherever needed. Doing pretty well too in my opinion!

 

Seems like someone got waved at by a certain Mr Gutierrez .

 

Shola! When i saw him coming on yesterday i was pissed off, but then he went and scored..

Really though, it has to be Krul. He always had that 'something' and we were all waiting for him to get his chance, he now has, and hasn't he looked great!?

Team effort though! Jonas has upped his game, think it's because there's class competition.