Are We Being Too Quick In Judging Santa?

To say that Roque Santa Cruz had a disappointing first season at City is like saying Wayne Rooney is a tad on the ugly side.

But you have to feel some level of sympathy for the Paraguayan hitman who was on fire in his first season in English football at Blackburn. The striker left Ewood Park an established first teamer and has ended up being at bit player at Eastlands.

There has been some speculation over his future and over the last few days, I’ve seen many comments from City fans saying they can’t wait to see the back of him. But have we been too quick to judge Santa simply because of the calibre of players around him or is he really as crap as people are making him out to be?

Injury has not helped his cause and the inability to stay fit has cost him dearly, with Santa only managing 90 minutes on two occasions. But when he has been fit, Santa’s found it difficult to break into the team with Mancini preferring Ade and Bellamy as well as Carlos, so maybe we are yet to see the full potential of the striker.

But it seems that, ever since we have had the financial muscle of ADUG, players like Santa are not being given a fair chance before being cast aside. It’s almost like we’re saying that if a player doesn’t perform as well as everyone else, he should be on his way no matter how long he has been at the club.

That’s not the City we all know and love. Remember when Trevor Morley signed? Many supporters couldn’t stand him but when he was transferred to West Ham along with Ian Bishop, we were outraged. And what about Shaun Goater? I remember some fans slating him during a game against Sheffield United yet he went on to achieve cult status at the club.

I’m not saying Santa will be as popular as The Goat, but maybe we are being too hasty in our opinions of him and he should be given another season at least to prove his worth. A decent World Cup with Paraguay could be just what Santa needs to reignite his City career and if he stays fit, he may well establish himself in the side and create the history at the club he wants to create.

Maybe you agree with me, in part at least or you might think I’m talking rubbish but I just get the feeling that, because we now have the money and the fact that we all want success quickly, we feel that we can cast anyone aside at a moment’s notice without a second thought.

I think Santa needs to be given another season at least to prove himself. We might have paid over the odds for him so he should at least be given an opportunity to justify that price tag before we cast our judgements.

What do you think? Should Santa be given a chance or should we just dispose of him quickly?