Coloccini the Titan

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/10/22/3467934/-?

Coloccini the Tyne-Wear titan epitomises Newcastle's rise from the dead
Alan Pardew heaped praise on the returning skipper after his display in the draw with Sunderland, and already knows he has a player capable of leading his side into the top four

Alan Pardew's comments that Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini's performance in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland "was like watching Bobby Moore" may need to be taken with a pinch of salt, but what those words do portray is the colossal performance by the Argentine at the Stadium of Light.

Cool, calm and collected upon his return to the side from injury, the 30-year-old repeatedly steered a team reduced to 10 men for over 60 minutes clear of danger, as Sunderland peppered the box with long balls in search of a second-half equaliser.

The Newcastle boss says his team were a "class act" against Sunderland The Black Cats would eventually force their goal, but only once Coloccini had departed the field, and the suggestion that the hosts would not have salvaged a point had the Argentine remained on the pitch is testament to his incredible rise in stock over recent seasons.

Arriving in a deal worth over £10 million from Deportivo La Coruna in 2008, Coloccini's hefty price tag immediately raised eyebrows amongst fans at St James' Park, particularly with the club embarking on a less-than-prolific defensive recruitment policy in the seasons that preceded his arrival.

Jean-Alain Boumsong, Titus Bramble and Oguchi Onyewu were just a few of the players who failed to make the grade, resulting in defenders given less time to impress as supporters grew frustrated.

Such concern initially rang true, with the defender caught up in the spiral of negativity that saw Newcastle relegated in 2009. Despite dropping to English football's second tier, the ex-Boca Junior man elected to stay faithful to the Magpies, and enjoyed a personal revival alongside his club's.

Coloccini was named in the Championship Team of the Year upon Newcastle's promotion back to the Premier League in 2010, before going on to lead his side to a fifth-placed finish in the 2011-12 campaign - his first as captain of the club.

The personal accolades have continued to come his way - last season he was named in the PFA Team of the Year and as the North East Football Writers' Association's Player of the Year - but so has reported interest.

Liverpool, Valencia and even Manchester City have all been linked with a player capped 34 times for Argentina, prompting Newcastle to hand their skipper a new four-year deal in March to extend his stay at the club until 2016.

And his value to Pardew was shown none more so than during his 79 minutes on the field in Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby.

A defence that had looked increasingly suspect during his month-long absence was all of a sudden comfortable and assured. Even after Chiekh Tiote's sending off, Coloccini refused to hoof the ball long, instead intelligently retaining possession to ensure the visitors still provided a goal threat as a relief to late pressure from the hosts.

Although his team would relent through a Demba Ba own goal, his emphatic return to the Newcastle XI did not go unnoticed.

"Maybe if Coloccini had stayed on we would have seen it out. He was absolutely phenomenal today," Pardew crooned in his post-match press conference.

"I come from a famous football club in West Ham and it was like watching Bobby Moore today, he was terrific."

A point may be less than the Magpies manager had hoped for with talk of a push for the top four this season, but as Coloccini nears his 150th appearance for the club, Pardew already has a player capable of a leading a team to those heights.

 

Pardew sees shades of Moore in Coloccini

Boss Alan Pardew hailed Fabricio Coloccini's, pictured, performance as 'one of the best'
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew likened Fabricio Coloccini to Bobby Moore after seeing his captain turn in a superb display in a hard-fought derby draw at Sunderland.

The Argentinian had guided the 10-man Magpies to within 10 minutes of a second successive victory on Wearside when cramp forced his departure, and the Black Cats took full advantage to snatch a point at the death through Demba Ba's 85th-minute own goal.

Pardew said: "Maybe if Coloccini had stayed on, he would have seen that out. He was absolutely phenomenal today. If you want an example of a centre-half playing where you have got to head it, kick it, cover people, get in the right position and then have the calmness to play, that was your example."

He added: "I come from a famous football club, West Ham, and that was like watching Bobby Moore today. He was terrific. You have also got to understand - and it sometimes goes a little bit under the radar - at the Premier League level, what is asked of you physically."

But if Sunderland emerged with a face-saving point, it was the visitors who returned to Tyneside with a moral victory after playing for 65 minutes with a man down following Cheick Tiote's dismissal - the first for a Newcastle player in a competitive derby - for a foul on Steven Fletcher.

Pardew said: "If we had had 11, I think he could have made the game, but because we went down to 10, there was just too much work for him and both calves tightened up. But what a performance, seriously, one of the best he has given for me, for sure."

Newcastle came within five minutes of claiming a second successive victory in enemy territory after Yohan Cabaye had given them a third-minute lead with a well-struck shot.

However, Tiote's premature departure for a reckless challenge on Steven Fletcher changed the game and although the Magpies defended manfully, they were undone at the death when John O'Shea's header hit the unwitting Ba and flew past Krul.

Sunderland have now won just one of the last 16 derbies, but perhaps more worryingly, have tasted victory only once in the 15 Barclays Premier League matches they have played since March.

Manager Martin O'Neill said: "When we equalised, it was one of the best moments, it really was, and to be accompanied by that noise...there's an element of relief, but every derby game I have ever been involved in either here or in Scotland, there has always been an element of relief."

 

saw this on the beeb site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20021974


had to make this

 

The best display by a Newcastle centre back I have ever witnessed. He controlled Fletcher and made him look really poor. So calm, so assured, the Moore comparison is completely accurate.

 

very good.

 

Fletcher will still be in Colo's pocket.

 

Colo is the best CB in this league ! I really think it's a shame after he decided to sign the rest of his career with us that the club didn't add to the squad so we could try and win something this season.

 

Colo was immense. I have mentioned on another thread how good Willo was also. That yellow card he took was an excellent one. Simpson and Santon deserve plenty of praise too. They all do. However Colo just looke dhead and shoulders above everyone on that pitch. One of the best in the league for me.

 

Maybe a bit biased, but I'd go so far as to say he IS the best!

 

this

 

Colo is as good as Vincent Kompany, so would I swap them? Sincerely no – why bother when Colo clearly loves the club and follows by example as captain.

He also has better hair.

Technically the best footballer at the club bar none and for me he has to be one of the best central defenders in the world by default, if the Premier League is considered the best.

If Man City ever dared consider pairing the two of them up then Joe Hart could invest in a deck chair, pipe and slippers!

 

Colo came back from injury and showed us what we had been missing at the back.
Pardew has compared him to Bobby Moore, both calm and good leaders, just what you need in a team.

 

Did anyone else see that when Colo went to sit on the bench after being substituted, he actually had to take Fletcher our of his pocket and let him go back onto the pitch...............................it's true, saw it meself!!

 

Aye I saw it, he was fumbling around for ages. Fletcher was so deep in there and had got himself tangled up among the threads, I bet they were wondering if they could get him out at all. I saw O'Neill suggesting they get the fire brigade to cut him out such was his frustration.

 

I don't think it's a coincidence that all of the other defenders have a good game when collocini returns. He exudes composure.

 

No doubt but I think you have to credit the individuals aswell. Simpson has played very well so far this season, and outside of Benni, Santon has been our best player. Willo is slightly different as he has been a cause for concern. But I have to credit Willo, he set the tone when he flattened three mackems winning that header early doors. A word for Krul too because it is always a back 5 in any good defence.

 

A good leader leads from the front, that's what Colo does and the others follow. He's a great example for them and they've grown together as a unit.

 

[video=youtube_share;yj8fF7Lfs5U]http://youtu.be/yj8fF7Lfs5U[/video]

A video someone made of Colo's performance against the unwashed

 

Watching that makes me think of what they used to say about joe dimaggio (baseball player in the 50's: married marylin monroe): in 15 years of playing he never had to dive for a ball - - they all came right to him.

most of the time it doesn't even look as if he's doing anything difficult. he just happens to be standing where the ball is played, and just happens to be able to make a nice simple pass to get us out of trouble

 

Certainly had fletcher in his pocket until he went off, not sure about best in the league though.