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Opinion

Is anybody still listening to Fabricio Coloccini?

8 years ago
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For many Newcastle fans, Fabricio Coloccini is a name that conjures up much of what is wrong at Newcastle United and why the club face a second relegation only seven years after the last.

Supporters were stunned that not only did Coloccini start the season as both Captain and first choice – but giving him an extended contract was just unbelievable.

Newcastle’s defence has been consistently shocking ever since the 2011/12 season with Coloccini the key figure, ‘leading’ the backline.

Last season (2014/15), the number of goals shipped (only rock bottom QPR conceded more) almost got Newcastle relegated, just as in 2012/13 (the season when Coloccini tried to walk out halfway through the season).

There was overwhelming desire from the fans to rebuild the back four totally, with only the (then!) popular Daryl Janmaat worth his place in the team.

Yet despite this, United brought in eight players during the last two transfer windows with only one (Mbemba) of them a defender.

Newcastle now look doomed to relegation and only rock bottom Aston Villa have conceded more goals, could there possibly be some little connection to relying on the same defenders…?

As Newcastle slide towards relegation, the club captain has been conspicuous by his absence, both in the team and speaking to media.

However, in quotes published by the local media this morning, Coloccini was asked if he was still committed to Newcastle United if they get relegated.

Personally, I don’t know anybody who would play Coloccini ahead of Lascelles or Mbemba and I would dread the thought of the Argentine defender playing in the Championship next season, never mind the Premier League.

He has always been poor in the air and has now clearly lost any pace that he did have, so coming up against the high energy have a go teams in the Championship, with a mixture of nippy strikers and big centre forwards, would spell disaster for United if Coloccini is in the team.

I am not sure just how much Coloccini has been part of the problem at Newcastle United but one thing I do know for sure, he certainly isn’t part of the solution.

Fabricio Coloccini:

“Of course – but I’m not thinking about the future, I’m thinking about this present and keeping Newcastle in the Premier League. I don’t look in the future now.

“It is really difficult, I tried to return early and that is why I got injured again.

“Now, I just try to help from outside and try to tell them that we have to believe because we still have a chance, always when a chance is there, you have to fight.

“It was really disappointing at Villa, a big chance for us to win, but we didn’t create too much – a few chances but we couldn’t score.

“We still have a chance and we believe we can stay in the Premier League.

“We have to think about winning against Tottenham and wait for other results. I thought before this (Villa) game that we had a great chance but we couldn’t do it. Now we have one chance, and we have to try to win and stay up.”

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