I think that even Colbacks harshest critics, and I done see many of those, would have to agree that the lad is becoming, if not become, one of the first names on the team sheet. His al round play just keeps on improving, his attitude seems top class, his energy and work rate never lets us down. His one failing, you could argue, would be his lack of goals but I think we will see those coming next season, so, the conundrum, what do we do with him. We still indeed a LB and I can see Richardson leaving in the summer meaning we need one all the more. Jack makes a good LB but I cant help feeling we would be wasting him there. In midfield we seem to have a problem, I don't think we can play Jack and Cattermole, I don't think it works and I just don't see MON dropping Cattermole but should he. We are all hoping a creative midfielder being one of the summer signings so that makes the problem even bigger. Or do we just rotate players, not a strong MON trate. So, what do we do with Jack?
I'd play him over Cattermole. One is fast becoming a little star whilst the other is fast becoming a weekly liability. Again. Catts was very, very poor yesterday imo and his booking sums us all his flaws. We need better than that if things are to improve.
I couldnt understand why catts or bendtner were played yesterday... Would of gave Meyler and Ji a chance Havent exactly got much to play for
Play Colback - he can tackle, his passing is better than Cattermole and we`re more likely to end up with 11 on the field at the end of the game. It might also give Catts a boot up the arse knowing he has to fight for his place too captain or not.
Catts had one of his worst games for us yesterday. Shortly before he was booked , which came from a poor touch by him and then tearing after the player and fouling him, he had done the same thing, you could see the ref saying that's twice you have done that, I warned you before. The lad at times is a liability he just does not learn. Against that he has aggression and shouts a lot so gets the team going, but he is slow. Did you see after we had a corner/freekick in the 2nd half or something a Bolton player was belting down the wing Catts was trying to keep up, Bardsley came and shouted at him get in the centre I'll take him. Obviously our own players know he is slow and so does most of the oppos. Jack particularly in the first half was MoM and is worth his place as a DM more so that Catts atm, but as has been said he needs to add some goals, he did make Bendtners. Really from very early on I thought Catts needed to come off and I wouls have put Vaughan on. In the 2nd half I though Gordon and Bardo had good games also. Gordon made a couple of good saves and what he added were good kicks to our players and roll and throw outs which got us on an the atatck. Mig does not do this What I could not figure out was why Kilgallon was subbed, was it him who was marking Davies when he got both goals, i.e. Davies was too strong for him? If so that would explain it as a stronger CB, O'Shea moved into the middle the better to mark Davies?
I was talking to my dad about this last night and I think O'Neill really rates Colback and I hope that he is the guy we start to build our midfield around, besides catts obvious disciplinary problems he is actually quite injury prone and through both tends to miss 10-12 games a season. Colback has a lot of potential BUT... It's important to remember he is still young and raw, I went to west brim away this year and that kid was appalling and the fans were hammering him, we've got to be patient with him and watch him blossom, we have way too many cm's and some will have to leave this summer, I would keep Colback, Meyer, Vaughan but I think one of Gardner and cats has to go
He is a geordie though and what will he do if he has an open goal vs newcastle. Will he miss on purpose. Remember Geordies are devious, underhanded sly people.
I though our midfield was very poor yesterday and Bolton were in charge of the middle of the park. Neither catts or colback are good enough to take us to the top 8.
The difference is he has been part of our club since he was 12 years old and therefore certainly has a huge affection for us as well. He has grown up in a Sunderland shirt, been a sunderland player and now earns a fantastic salary (for a young man) in the EPL as a Sunderland player. He has known nothing else unlike the likes of Clark or Chopra who were dyed in the wool craas that came here. Bruce too was a die hard mag (by his own admission) before he came here and that DID affect him in his time here. If you can catch any disease at its early stages, you can cure it easier than if it is left to fester. Lol
Agreed, every single one of them throughout the history of time have been twats, i mean how dare Stokoe have the nerve to bring the cup to Sunderland, utter disgrace.
Absolutely agree 100% - mate and I who were at the game yesterday were saying the self-same thing ! We let other teams bully us too often.
Stokoe was in the days when the rivalry wasn't so hateful as it is now. Pre Sky invention of 'toon' and the club of newcastle in 1992. Bruce, Mcenemy, Chopra, Clark. So we are now waiting for 5th time lucky.
On his day Catts is a quality player. Remember his performance against City on Newyears day for example! Unfortunately he is a liability at times though'