Colback

http://www.journallive.co.uk/safc/s...safc-revolution-says-di-canio-61634-33342606/

PAOLO Di Canio has ear-marked a major role for “pit bull” Jack Colback in his Sunderland revolution – and has told the club’s Cleadon Academy he wants them to produce more players like him in the future.

Di Canio wants to oversee a red and white revolution this summer, changing everything from the player’s mentalities to the way the club doles out days off and their summer recruitment strategy.

Having secured Premier League safety with a game to go the Italian can turn his eye to the bigger red and white picture – switching his focus from the short-term goal of staving off a disastrous relegation to the longer term aim of building a club that is capable of sustaining a top-ten place every season while also challenging for meaningful silverware.

Di Canio has seen plenty of room for improvement but one area of the club that has impressed him is the club’s Cleadon Academy which – in England international Jordan Henderson and Colback – has produced two bona fide first- team regulars in the last four years.

Hailing him as a “pit bull” who has been the club’s “best player” in crucial home matches against Stoke and Southampton, Di Canio envisages a bright future for the midfielder.

“Jack is ready. You can see he is like a pit bull on the field,” he said of Colback.

“He has qualities, he can cover different positions on the field and he is a versatile player. I am not surprised, I am very happy because he was the best in the last two games he played in my opinion – for the way he interpreted the situation and the way he went through a situation the way I told him to.


“He was fantastic. He has to improve a lot, but he is intelligent. Let us think about the future positively and make sure there is a good link between the youth and the first team. We have to be more close.”

Having been impressed with the facilities and staff he has encountered, Di Canio wants more of the same in the coming years from the club’s impressive youth set-up.

“Already in the last few weeks we have had one eye on the Academy,” Di Canio said.

“This is a club that can spend the money to bring players but in a big geographic area like Sunderland we have to bring up some players like Jack Colback that can feed the first team.

“I don't want to put a number on it. But we have to make sure we are working well and I think already the coaches, the academy and the scouts, have done a good job.”

It will be a summer of change in the Academy with a new influx of players set to join in the close season along with wider recruitment. One name in the frame is El-Hadji Ba, the French-born Le Havre youngster who is out-of-contract in the summer.

Di Canio says that whoever joins, the club must make sure they come into a professional environment.

“We know that some players will join us – some young players in the summer,” he said.

“We have to make sure we deliver the right things for them so that they are ready to step into the first team. You have seen already that some players have joined us (in the first team) and others will probably come to the bench as we are very short. We don't want to change too much in the Academy. What we've seen of it is that it is a good academy with good people, good professionals and we can keep going.”

 

Good on the lad. Gets alot stick at times

 

I think he is a rb in the making, best performance i've ever seen a rb play for us v everton

 

Think he will be here for his career personally

I hope so anyway, his versatility and drive is incredible

One of our best players by a mile

 

Colback got back to his very best when Di Canio arrived, and was an absolute revelation at right back against Everton.

 

One great performance at RB does not make him a RB, give him a season there and I'll judge him again, very promising though

 

I think PDC has given him the right direction and motivation. He looks eager to get forward now, when he'd seemed shy before. Too early to say what his long-term role will be, but with a pre-season under his belt, I think we'll see lots more from wor Jackie.

 

I love him, wouldn't sell him for the world. Hard working, versatile, cracking pass and defensively he's come on leaps and bounds.

 

Prem quality?

 

I hope our sights are set higher than Colback for our fullback position , good attitude but very limited in ability.

 

if he could open his passing game , he plays percentages , a side foot charlie as we call them, his passing is not attack orientated , if he could produce a defence splitting pass now and then he would be even better.
not knocking him by this as he has been vital covering the gaps this season.pdc likes him and so do i.
i am surprised he has not been selected by the u21s on a regular basis in front of a couple of southern based lads....i blame oneil

 

Yep, and he was great at left midfield against southampton

Anyone remember John oshea who used to play for man united? Indeed a JACK of all trades

 

he did indeed...........i blame wes brown

 

Bruce out

 

Great lad and type of player to have in the squad, brought up through the academy and able to fill in across a variety of positions which is crucial during the long season.

 

wrongly over looked by the u21s .......................................i blame oneil

 

JC is a wholehearted and committed footballer who conducts himself impeccably bit on and off the pitch. He has definitely developed in the past 18 months and that's mainly down to initially MoN who seemed to take him under his wing, got him to beef up last summer and then give him his chance. Don't forget he is still a young lad and is learning his game.

That said, there is a question to ask. Is he EPL quality? IMO yes but not top half. I don't think he would have played at any top 10 side this season and as for saying he is a top class RB all of a sudden (1 good game v Everton certainly doesn't qualify you for that accolade in my books) that's ludicrous to say the least. I don't even think he is a top class left back and he's had several games there.

Should we persist with him? Of course as he cost nothing to get him to this point (in real terms) and he plays an important part in our squad system. Should he be a key player? Not for me as I don't believe he is good enough to actually become an integral part of an ambitious club wanting to be a top 10 (or better) and unless he suddenly develops a new range of passing, vision or goals from midfield he should be nothing more than a fill in player for injuries and suspensions.

It remains to be seen whether he would be happy with that (aka Harper at Newcastle) or whether he himself has higher ambitions. Maybe the threat to his place will bring out a new dimension and secure his place here?

I like the lad and respect his professionalism but thats my heart speaking. My head says he isn't good enough to make us better in the short or longer term.

 

But he's 23?

 

I think he's a talented homegrown player and the progress in the last two months is staggering. I'm going see what two years under the right direction of PDC before making any judgement on how good he can be. I seem to remember united fans say paul scholes wouldn't cut it and SAF played him in multiple positions (striker, 2nd striker, right wing) before he nailed the central midfield position. He's clearly still developing and we don't know when he'll stop. Not necessarily a starter next season but he'll be there or thereabouts.