At the time of writing, no one has yet confirmed that Jack Colback’s free transfer to Newcastle United has finally gone through. But it’s all over the internet, with the Sunderland Echo and Sky among many reporting the deal.
ESPN was sufficiently sure of the transfer happening to ask for a quick piece on players who have made the Wear-Tyne or Tyne-Wear switch, or just played for both clubs. As I said there, supporters on each side of the divide have little need of record books to rattle off a parade of names.
This an excerpt from that article, which now appears at http://www.espnfc.com/club/sunderland/366/blog/post/1869885:
Many Sunderland fans will be disappointed, inevitable as the departure became once his contract ran out and it became clear he felt he could do better than the kind of renewal terms Sunderland were proposing.
Colback was a model professional. He wholeheartedly overcame childhood allegiance to become a dependable fixture in red and white, to the extent of angering Geordies with his exuberant celebration of a superbly taken goal to round off last season’s 3-0 win for Sunderland at St James’ Park.
I went on to mention Lee Clark, Andy Cole (just about a former Sunderland player), Shack of course, Chopra and “that miss”, Pop Robson and, though neither played for us, Steve Bruce and Bob Stokoe. A dozen or more names sprang to mind but there wasn’t room.
Colback goes with my warm thanks for his efforts for Sunderland AFC, even if I’d be more than happy to see his new team struggle next season and look wistfully up the table towards us.
I never thought of him as a goalscorer, but those strikes at Cardiff and Newcastle and at home to West Brom will linger in the memory, for different reasons. He was an exceptionally tidy midfielder, rarely incisive but utterly dependable. Sunderland supporters were divided between those who found him useful but pedestrian and uninspiring and those who, like one pundit after another in televised games, detected a seriously good footballer at work.
Would I have fought to keep him? Probably, but Gus Poyet has to be allowed to build his own squad and that necessarily means some disruption and breaks with an underachieving past.
By the way, one online dictionary offers this definition of prodigal: “a man or boy who has left his family in order to do something that the family disapprove of and has now returned home feeling sorry for what he has done.” With a bit of licence, that may just about fit.
The summer promises to bring a lot more moves, in and out. This is the place to discuss Colback’s.
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Colback was a decent member of the squad. Will he be a miss? That depends of course on who is brought in but Bridcutt is already there and could do a like for like job. Gomez gives us a bit more, though with Ki also gone we are a bit short in midfield, assuming Cabral and N’Diaye aren’t about to make a miraculous return.
From what I can gather it was the derisory terms Colback was offered last summer when we could have tied him down to a longer contract and either kept him or got something for him, that is the root cause of his going. No good the club bleating on about it.
I’ll give him a good clap next season when he comes back but I’m with Eric. I don’t see his going as anything to get upset about. Time to move on.
“Utterly dependable ” ? Not sure about that after his performance away at Norwich.
With a bit of hindsight, did he play better along side someone protecting him a bit , like Catts.
I would have liked him to stay, and I think that , professionally, he hasn’t made the right choice of club to move to,
Will we miss him ? No, and I can’t see him playing for England like Henderson.
So good luck to him, and thanks for some excellent performances, not enough goals, but one which will live long in my memory , awat at Cardiff
Very good article he isn’t the first and won’t be the last to move between the toon and you lot. It is after all his job.
Looking forward to next season and getting 6 points from you lot. Happy summer to all you SMB’s it could be a very long hard winter.
Please explain how it is you think you can glean even 1 point from us, never mind 6. Reasons for your ridiculous comment that “it could be a very long hard winter”? In case you hadn’t noticed the Mags have signed Jack Colback from SAFC. He is a decent, hardworking midfielder, nothing more. He is not Lionel Messi’s long lost more talented brother.
Did I touch a nerve? My you are a touchy lot. I didn’t say it wouldn’t be a long hard winter for the Toon I just said it would be a long hard winter for you lot. And as for 6 points I would love to get them back after the last 2 seasons and I think we have a much better chance than you lot As for Colback he is a decent premier league player and is better than the guy you have just bought from Brighton again I never said he was Messi’s long lost brother, though the way your club has reacted I think they might think he is :-).
To reply means a nerve has been touched??? Odd. Anyway, no Remy, no Amoebi, no goals for Nufc second half form to be continued as Pards has lost the dressing room. Safc to end up above Nufc. £20 bet should suffice. If you’re so confident you can offer me odds. Shall we say the loser makes a donation to this site?
Exactly. Please state your reasons for stating that “it could be a very long hard winter” for SAFC.
A bit like the Bardsley deal. Not seriously bothered one way or the other.
Jack Colback gave his best every time he played, he goes with my blessing he owes us nothing, all the best Jack I hope it works you will always appreciate what Sunderland did for you.
Im a newcastle fan and very much a makem hater but I have to say you have gone up in my estimation that was a very honest, intelligent and unbiased article on Jack Colbeck. He seems like a tidy player and hard working and although he helped to keep youz lot up I think he’s a welcome addition. Not sure why a bigger contract wasnt offered maybe newcastle will find out time will tell. By the way im not in the habit of going on makem websites but it appeared in a newcastle search and I was pleasantly surprised good article.
“hater”??….really?…hate?…hmmm. I tend to reserve hate for those who truly deserve it. Anyway, I hope Colback goes on to have a decent career. He’s a solid pro. Not worth the £50K the Hammers were supposedly offering….then again who is?