Newcastle’s captain has belatedly answered the latest ‘Coloccini Leaving Newcastle’ press speculation.

With the exception of Andy Cole, who won that many trophies he can’t see his mantelpiece for brass nowadays, I can’t think of anyone else who ever moved on from us and things got better from thereon in.

How we’ll laugh when the four or five Joe identifies as ‘need to be shifted’ are Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Krul, Coloccini and Sissoko!

Leon Best – Championship, Peter Lovenkrannds – Championship, Fraser Forster – Scotland(!), Danny Guthrie – Premier League relegation favourites, Alan Smith – League One(!!).

With this in mind, for a formation that requires three midfielders, the fact that Guthrie has been allowed to leave could prove a major concern in the sense that he was without doubt, along with Tiote and Cabaye, one of the three best midfielders at the club last season.