The brilliance of Davide Santon
Davide Santon's fine form for Newcastle this season has rightly earned the 21 year-old a recall to the Italian national team. Italy host France in Parma on Wednesday night and there is a good chance that Santon will line up against Newcastle team mate and friend Yohan Cabaye.
When Santon arrived at Newcastle from Inter Milan last season he started fairly well but occasionally looked defensively questionable. Even so, he demonstrated great promise. As the season progressed so did Santon, and if I was to argue that Davide has been Newcastle's best player so far this season, I don't think I would find many arguments from those who watch him regularly.
Not only has Davide 'upped his game' defensively, he continues to be an attacking threat. While his end product often fails to live up to the build-up, you can see how hard opposition wingers and full backs find it to cope with him. For a long time I thought that his link up with a defensively minded winger like Jonas Gutierrez was a big part of what made Santon's game, but having watched how he worked the left hand side with Shane Ferguson against West Ham on Sunday, I was doing Davide a dis-service. Ultimately, the Santon/ Ferguson partnership failed to supply a goal, but they looked by far the most likely players to do that before Alan Pardew reshuffled the squad.
Last season, I joined many others to complain that Santon should be a right back not a left back. This theory was based on two things - firstly the form and overall ability of Danny Simpson. Secondly the fact that Davide appeared to completely favour his right foot making crossing from the left in full flow difficult for him. Now though I have totally changed my mind -- he's exceptional at left back so I say leave him there. Interestingly I wrote a blog recently saying that I thought Newcastle would have the majority of an XI if they merged a playing side with Liverpool. A paranoid, unhappy Liverpool fan was quick to rise to the bait and the only player he said he would take from the Newcastle team into the Liverpool team was Santon ahead of chunky former Newcastle left back Jose Enrique. If I had to choose between those two now it would be the Italian every single time.
Davide also seems settled on Tyneside which is fantastic. He has himself a Geordie lass and his grasp of the English language has improved a great deal. Sound bites coming from his agent (speaking to Calcio Mercato) also indicate happiness:
"Davide is now doing well, he's been a first team starter since the start of the season for a club with great history in one of the most important championships there is."
Davide has also spoken of his absolute delight at being recalled, but my favourite line that he came out with this week was:
"My team is Newcastle and I want to win games there first of all. If we are winning and I'm playing well, then hopefully I will continue to make the Italy squad."
If he maintains his form I'm sure he will -- Italy Coach Cesare Prandelli would be crazy to overlook a player of his ability and versatility. I will be looking out for the outcome of this game on Wednesday hoping that Davide started (and finished) the game without any problems.
Follow me on Twitter @MarcSDuffy
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