Didn't move on and seemingly no takers. Personally I'm delighted at this as I am a huge fan of this lads desire and hunger to win. I would love to see him come in from the cold now and be given a chance to show PDC what he is all about. I think we are missing him in midfield but I'm not sure how his injury situation is as tbh, news about him has just vanished in recent months. It's as if he doesn't exist anymore. Anyway, I really hope he is here for several more years to come and would be a welcome sight for me in a red & white shirt again at tha SOL for us.
Missed him end of last season and still missing him now. Have no idea when he is due back but when he is we wont get walked through like we did last Saturday.
Agreed. Don't think he was ever out "in the cold" though with PDC, more an issue with his salary and the financial situation. This will probably ease slightly now that Sess has gone.
It is clear that PDC is determined to rid the club of its drinking culture. Catts is at a crossroads. He can either grab a lifeline, buckle down and become the quality midfielder that we have all seen from time to time - or he can continue to piss his football career up a wall and be loaned out to a championship club to cover some of his wages. Sadly I think that I know how this will turn out.
a couple of weeks old ...but promising http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport...ttermole-role-in-the-new-sunderland-1-5983829 "At the beginning he wasn’t fit and he hasn’t trained with us yet but now we are waiting to see what is going on. If at the end of the window, he’s gone, he’s gone. If he stays, we are going to work on him.”
I saw this as well and was happy with it - I'd like to see what he can do in midfield as we have missed his presence in the last couple of games
Don't think so mate Last I heard of him was in a pre-season friendly just before the season started when he was subbed off half way through. Ball said he wasn't injured though so I'm not sure what's going on
He didn't move because he's injured. Paolo said a couple of weeks he won't be moving. He played some preseason games but his injury didn't respond in the right way so he's taken a step back in his rehabilitation. I screamed it from the rooftops he was too injured to move all summer. But folk seem to ignore it and got worked up that he wasn't been moved on. I hope the Anti-Catt's crew can finally get it in their heads. He's Injured! He's been injured since last January. Oh, he's got no return date at the moment btw folks.
I think the match you (TVI) recall was the Development squad's first game of the season (12 Aug v Bolton). Catts did take a knock and as a precaution he was subbed at half time rather than risk aggravating it; perhaps the club is starting to learn about such things. He probably wouldn't have played more than an hour anyway at that stage of his rehab but he's definitely still working his way back from injury; I don't think its a fair reflection of the situation (that many of our supporters appear to think) that he's frozen out. That's not the way I understand the position to be. Whilst the window has closed for us it will be interesting to see whether PDC does automatically include him with the first team squad which I believe he will, or there's always the option to loan him out to the Championship. (I think PDC will do with this with Connor at the end of the month if Altidore, Borini and Fletcher have all demonstrated match fitness.) Despite me not being Catt's biggest fan (19 games a season average for 4 full seasons simply isn't good enough and that doesn't factor in those matches that he didnt complete!), I would like to see him involved as we certainly miss his bite in midfield. I would bring him back but without the captaincy. Not as some petty revenge for him regularly being a plank, although that's arguably good enough reason in itself, but I think the responsibility can sometimes be a burden for some players. Cricket demonstrates this more clearly than football but i think it has a subtle effect on some. I think Bruce thought he was SAF by giving him the captaincy to 'settle him down' and he thought that it would be a masterstroke, whereas in fact for me it was a burden Catts should never have been given. On his day he's a very effective footballer (Chelsea away 3v0, Liverpool at home last year, Man City at home year before) but i understand the new coaching staff looking at the wage he earns versus games played, games finished (!) and to a lesser degree, goals and assists, and wondering if its a good enough return on investment. If anyone could get the best out of Catts he would be an asset; so far i don't think he has been relative to his salary which perhaps could have been used more effectively had he been sold. Perhaps it's that he can't perform on a stage like the SOL where the level of expectation is higher (and quite often unrealistic in my view). At Wigan and Boro he was at smaller clubs with less expectation and a less demanding/impatient crowd and he did look a very good player and i was happy when we bought him but so far its only worked occasionally. Just as with Sess, we are not a team (currently) that can afford the luxury of a talented but inconsistent player we need consistent players even if they are more limited. Lets see what the coaching staff can do with him!
I'm chuffed he's staying tbh. The sooner we see him in and around the team the better. He's one player you know won't let us get walked over. Proper 100%er (sometimes his downfall however), don't think we'll ever hear PDC complain about his heart.
Got nothing against the lad but he is no saviour to our woes. He works hard etc but you need more than that in the modern game, I would still look to shift him on in January as his injury and disciplinary record shows no signs on improving and we just cant rely on him.
If he listens and learns and he's given a chance, that could be great news. Smiffy, I get where you're coming from, I just hope you're wrong.
I think for the bigger games putting Cattermole in a 3 man midfield will be our best option. Cattermole to sit in front of the defence and drive the team; Cabral to help out with Catts but to bring a little more mobility to the centre of the park; and Ki to get the ball, bring it forward and play the ball to Johnson/Giacc and Fletch on the break.
