Williamson vs. Taylor – Who will win the race to play?
Posted on November 3rd, 2010 | 287 Comments |
I said in an article yesterday that Taylor won’t find it easy to get back in the first-team and will have a fight on his hands for a first-team place for arguably the first time in his Newcastle career.
So in an article inspired by one of our poster’s, TonyGreenSupreme. I decided that perhaps now would be a good time to take a look at just what Steven Taylor is up against if he wants to break into the first-team. He was named on the bench for Sunday’s demolition derby, and he is expected to make the bench again for this weekend’s trip to The Emirates. After near enough ten-months out I would say that a start is out of the question at this early juncture, but at least it gives an option should anyone suffer an injury during the game.
You have to look at just who Taylor will replace, if he is to prove himself worthy of a place in the team in the forthcoming weeks of course. I think most of us are in agreement with regard to Fabricio Coloccini being the central defender who is least likely to get dropped. His form over the past eighteen months or so has been fantastic, and he looks to have carried over his good form from The Championship into the Premier League.
That leaves only Mike Williamson, who hasn’t done an awful lot wrong either if I’m being perfectly honest. Williamson came in last season and looked like a solid and dependable central defender, something which he has carried over to this season.
Now, people will point to various errors that he has made, but can I just say that every player makes mistakes, even world class ones, and, even though it may shock a few people, our players also make the odd mistake from time-to-time, so I think it is a tad unfair to pick a couple of errors out of what has been an almost faultless nine-months on Tyneside for the former Watford defender.
Williamson is, largely, a very discplined defender, but he does tend to get drawn towards the attacker leaving some space in behind which can be exploited. He also lacks pace, but his general reading of the game makes this less of an issue. Defenders don’t have to be fast, but they need to be able to read the game. Just look at John Terry for an example of that.
We know what Steven Taylor can bring to the line-up. He is a committed, all-action defender that will put his body on the line, but he isn’t without his faults either to be fair. His positioning can, at times, be called into queestion and he can also switch off or go walkabout when he is needed.
So after all that, who do I think should partner Colo? For me it has to be Williamson. He is the one with the shirt that Taylor needs to try and fight to get back. If he can do that then he can take Williamson’s place in defence, but not before. It’s important that we keep a settled defence, and certainly a settled central defensive pairing, which is another reason why I would keep Williamson in the starting line-up for the meantime.
Whatever happens with the first-team, there is no doubt that Taylor’s return to fitness gives us some depth in central defence. Sol Campbell is not far from full fitness, which of course gives us another option if needed.
All in all, whoever plays in central defence for us will be there because they have earned the right to be. I actually think that this current crop of central defenders is the best we have had for quite some time, which adds to competition for places and should ensure that each and every one of them has to play to the best of their abilities if they want to keep the shirt on their back so to speak.
What do you think?
NUFCBlog Author: toonsy
toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.
Willo so far.
He’s got the shirt, so Saylor will have to prove he’s worthy again.
So he’ll have to wait for an injury or his opportunity.
Great position to be in for us, for a change.
Don’t players just walking back in, unless it’s a no brainer like.