Oh Danny Boy...

So all of a sudden we get nowt from the club, Simpson or his advisers on what is happening regarding a new deal, or lack of agreement as the case seems to be?! Seems a bit strange after the weeks of solid speculation we've had recently.

As Toonsy wrote a week or so ago now, Simpson seemed to back track greatly from his original stance of “gimme more money” to someone who really wants to play for the club and it’s not about the money.

I feel I know football well enough now to know that football is pretty much just about the money these days and jealousy plays a major part of a footballers psyche. I don’t have the right to say one way or the other if Simpson is greedy because I don’t know him, but from the outside he has painted himself into a corner. Most fans now will be looking at him thinking, are you hear because you want to play for this club? And why shouldn’t they?

The stats say that Simpson is one of the best in the league and if these stats are used to assess a players performance then he should be in the England squad in Poland and Ukraine. However, what myself and many, many other NUFC fans see week upon week is how slow Simpson is. The games against Spurs, Wigan and Brighton are the three that really stick in my mind as games where he was turned at least once and could not recover. Okay so he has made some crucial goal line clearances but there has to be more to a player than that. I don’t think he possesses the ability going forward to be a top quality full back and I would much prefer to see Santon play there with Fergie at left back.

From a continuity point of view I would like to see Simpson retain his place in the squad/team because I don’t think chopping and changing is the way to do business BUT he is not good enough and clearly has ideas way above his station. How many other players have left NUFC in recent years with the promise of better things but have failed big style? Martins, Owen, Bassong, Beye, Geremi, Jose, Carroll, Jenas, N'Zogbia. The last one always makes me laugh, good old Charles “Arsenal want me” N’Somnia. Wally.

As a club I am so glad that NUFC is standing firm on this. To me it can only be respected by the winder football world and I think we are fast becoming a club that players know rewards good performers and only want the best. So if Simpson won’t talk terms that the club offer he’s a fool and we are better off without.

Enjoy QPR, Villa and the rest.

Billyquay Mag