I'm failing to see anyone on either board who has particularly strong feelings either way about this. That in itself is remarkable. A young, local lad who plays regularly in the Premiership moving on a free to their local rivals (if it happens). The general apathy says everything about the perception of his talent from all around. A good squad addition and from what I've seen will not let anyone down (wherever he ends up) but unless he improves drastically I can't see him being a first team regular at a team in the top half of the division. I actually think the tone with Newcastle fans is worry, not because we don't want him at all but because it's likely we're getting him instead of making a move for someone with more talent who would cost more.
Pretty spot on. I just don't care if he stays or goes. He'll be a decent, valuable squad member wherever he is, little more.
I'll be the devil's advocate here,and admit that I want Jack Colback to remain as a Sunderland player,and will be disappointed if he leaves!!!
He will get dogs abuse when he returns in a black and ****e top and all memory of him wiped from SAFC history for me. With any other club he would get a fantastic reception. It's as simple as that.
He is not a great player, not as good defensively as Catts and probably Bridcutt and not that good going forward, he froze at Wembley. Yes I would like him to stay as a squad player as he can cover LM and LB. It shows bad management that he is leaving on a free. He is obviously not too bright cos' if he goes to the mags he is on a licking to nothing there and derision from us..whether this is his agents fault (stupid pre-contract) or his wife refusing to move or he thinks he would be homesick it does not matter. To Wet Sham on £50k a week sensible boy...we would not pay that as he is not worth it, to Wet Sham who are not paying a signing on fee, it might be worth it, although it could upset some other players there.
Unless Pardew changes playing style and keep the ball on the deck, there's absolutely no way they'll get the best out of Colback, in fact under Pardew I think Colback will be largely ineffective. All the lad has is a neat pass. If he can't be allowed to play his own game then the lads is useless, as you say, he's average defensively, even worse going forward. He's just going to loiter in the middle of pitch being bypassed by Williamson's long balls. God Newcastle are ****e aren't they? I'd rather watch a Pulis Stoke team, at least they were direct with some purpose and used the wingers. Pardew doesn't even like players who can beat a man. They'll go down with signings like this.
Bias apart, they do have a very dull style of play ....... it's a series of launches from Coloccini from deep or the same from Tiote etc further up. Set pieces seem to be a big part of the plan and you rarely see any bits of magic. It might be effective but it's a very tedious spectacle.
Remember how ineffective Colback was under MoN until he went right back? How do you think Jack will do under Pardew's dull approach to football? I mean, ?ack ain't much good unless the ball is into his feet and he's pushing it 5 yards into somebody else feet.
Jack Colback fulfils an awful lot of criteria at St James’ Park. The midfielder, who seems set to cross the Tyne-Wear divide and swap Sunderland for Newcastle United is 24 years old, Geordie, left-footed, sufficiently versatile to operate at left-back and, arguably best of all, will arrive as a free agent. He not only satisfies Alan Pardew’s desire to boost the British element in a substantially Francophone dressing room but, even better, was born and brought up in Killingworth, north Tyneside, as a Newcastle fan. With Shola Ameobi leaving Pardew’s squad this summer, the dressing room was looking a little light on players possessing genuine bonds, real emotional connections, with the supporters, the city and the wider region. If the prospect of his adding a little left-footed balance to midfield also appeals, Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s new managing director, will note Colback also fits the club’s blueprint of generally targeting players under 26, securing bargains wherever possible and seeking maximum return on every pound invested. That mantra may underwhelm fans who know that while Colback is a very good player, he is definitely not the new Yohan Cabaye, but it will please Mike Ashley. And pleasing Newcastle’s owner is Charnley’s overriding priority. A long-term backroom boy who has risen through the ranks at St James’ Park, he faces the tricky challenge of also keeping Pardew happy by rebuilding a squad that spent the second half of last season in freefall. An administrator who, not so long ago, was responsible for delivering team-sheets at reserve fixtures, Charnley must haggle with real skill if he is to bring in players such as Montpellier’s playmaker Rémy Cabella – a key Pardew target – at Ashley-approved prices. So far Newcastle have offered around £7m for Cabella but Montpellier, acutely aware they banked in the region of £20m from Paris Saint-Germain for Cabaye, are demanding twice that. With the young Tenerife striker Ayoze Pérez due to arrive at Newcastle on 1 July, destined for the development squad, Colback’s imminent signing at least relieves a little of the pressure mounting on Charnley at a club that have not made a permanent first-team squad signing for 18 months. Going from the sublime to the ridiculous – or vice versa – Sunderland have recruited more than 20 players in that time span. Unfortunately Colback rather became lost in the flurry of activity last summer when the former director of football Roberto De Fanti imported 14 newcomers, 13 from abroad. One of the squad’s lowest paid individuals, the homegrown midfielder was offered a new deal but, deeply disappointed with its modesty, instead opted to run his contract down. By the time Gus Poyet had succeeded Paolo Di Canio as manager and identified Colback’s best position in an attacking midfield role, West Ham United, Aston Villa, Swansea City and Everton, as well as Newcastle, were all hovering around a slow-burning talent who had previously given no indication of being unsettled. Poyet wanted to keep Colback but, in underappreciating him at a time when De Fanti’s signings such as Emmanuele Giaccherini – the former Juventus winger who barely played last season but now says he cannot afford the wage cut a return to Italy would necessarily involve – had riches thrown at them, Sunderland effectively burnt their boats. Now Colback is poised to join an exclusive band of players including Bob Moncur, Bryan “Pop” Robson, Paul Bracewell, Lee Clark, Louis Saha, Michael Chopra and Titus Bramble who have worn both the red and white and black and white stripes. It is not always the easiest of transitions. Indeed with his distinctive flame-red hair singling him out from the crowd, a player who scored during Sunderland’s 3-0 Tyne-Wear derby win at St James’ in February could do with enjoying a bright beginning to his new life under Pardew. If he does not, it will not be for want of trying. Despite the imminence of his likely departure, Colback shone for Sunderland in the final weeks of the season, showing no sign of seeking to avoid injury as Poyet’s side somehow secured a miraculous escape from relegation. A player once described as “a real soldier for this club” by Di Canio will rightly be remembered with real affection by many at the Stadium of Light – not that he would be advised to plan on too many return social visits quite yet. “Colback to the Scum” was the title of one thread on the leading Sunderland supporters’ website Ready to Go. Many of the comments posted are unrepeatable but they were certainly not wishing “the defector” well. He could do worse than limber up for the next north-east derby at the Stadium of Light by colouring his hair the most neutral shade of brown available. http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jun/05/jack-colback-newcastle-sunderland --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If its in the guardian it tends to have some substance about it, worrying
Yep, looks like we're stuck with Giaccherini who created and scored more goals, despite not playing, than Colback's managed in his entire career
