This very good start to the season has been different though. Fans aren’t getting carried away and there is generally a feeling of this start being a pleasant surprise ahead of the kick in the nuts we are likely to receive.
Talk of Europe is, well, premature to say the least. We are only seven games into the new season and whilst we currently sit in a Champions League place it’s worth pointing out that it’s highly unlikely to finish up like that when the season concludes in May.
There is nothing wrong with maintaining our position and breaking the media status quo for as long as possible however, and that is what we should be aiming to do in the short term. Looking at the longer term is a dangerous game for a Newcastle fan which is why I personally tend to just take things how they come.
For the players though it is different, apparently. It appears that they have a long term vision in their minds and are eager to fulfil it at Newcastle. The two players in question here are Yohan Cabaye and Fabricio Coloccini, both of whom are aiming to bring European football back to St James’ Park.
“It’s true the results of Newcastle have not corresponded to the size of the club in the last few years,” said Cabaye.
“Hopefully we can make the size of the club correspond to our achievement in the coming years. That is our aim. We want to take this club back into Europe.”
That’s quite a few times that I’ve heard the “E” word mentioned by the players this season, but Cabaye isn’t the only who has aspirations of taking a club the size of Newcastle back on to the European stage. Listen, or read I should say, what our Captain has had to say on the matter.
“I want to stay – and I want to get Newcastle back into Europe,” said Coloccini.
Granted he said other stuff and didn’t just blurt out this one line, but this was the bottom line of what he is aiming for at Newcastle. He says that he is happy at Newcastle and has no desire to leave the club in the near future, citing the happiness of his family as being key in his willingness to stay at the club.
“I love Newcastle. I don’t like the winters, they are hard, but I like the way of life. When I was young I loved the English language. I went to an English school, but in the afternoon I played football so I missed my lessons,” Colo told The Telegraph.
“It was always in my mind that I would like my children to learn English and my little girl, she is fluent. She teaches me. My son, he has a small problem with language, but he is better than me. They make me a proud father.”
“They have English friends, my daughter has a Newcastle accent. Sometimes I can’t understand her. They went to Argentina for three months and they couldn’t wait to come back to Newcastle. They missed their friends.”
He added: “In England the streets are clean and it is safe for my family. If they are happy I am happy.”
And what about that song? The one where Colo has the pick of the wives of Tyneside?
“I can’t remember the game, but I remember Kevin Nolan came to me in the dressing room afterwards,” said Coloccini. “He told me what they were singing about me, I couldn’t believe it. It’s so funny. It moves me. It makes me feel very special. Thankfully my wife thinks it’s funny.”
“When I hear it I want to turn and clap, to show them I love them. But I have to stay focused. My way to say thank you is to play well.”
It’s that kind of attitude which has afforded him the Captains armband. Colo is not one to shout his mouth off and instead he leads by example both on and off the pitch. He says he is proud to be Captain of NUFC.
“There were a lot of players I thought were ahead of me,” says Coloccini. “Steve Harper, Shola Ameobi, Joey Barton, these are all Englishmen, big characters in the dressing room.”
“I’m foreign, I didn’t think I would be given such an honour but I’m so proud. My dad could not believe it. I think he has told half of Argentina.”
“To be an Argentinian, playing in the Premier League and to be captain of Newcastle United. It is unusual, no?”
It could have been oh so different after that ill-fated first season in the Premier League though. Colo could have jumped ship and headed off to another club. He’d have been labelled a failure of course, although that is the exact reason that he stayed according to himself. He didn’t want to be another expensive foreign flop which inspired him to become the player that we all love today.
“It was a challenge for me to adapt but I never wanted to quit. That first year was difficult. I didn’t speak the language, it was a new culture, new country, new style and I signed for a club with a lot of problems,” said Captain Colo
“Relegation was hard. I felt like a failure, I was ashamed, but I never thought it was a mistake to come to England. I wanted to prove myself to Newcastle, to English football. If I had left that summer I would have been a failure. It made me more determined.”
I have to say that I like the noises coming from the players at the moment. There is most definitely a determination to do well for themselves and the club in general which is something that should make us fans happy.
As for Europe, we’ll see. I’m glad that the players are aiming for it as it shows that they have the ambition, drive and hunger. Whether it be this season or next season or a couple of seasons away remains to be seen, but it’s early days. Mind you, if I’m being hopelessly optimistic a win for Newcastle against Tottenham combined with Chelsea failing to win their game would send us 3rd!
What was that about getting carried away again?
Great article and great interview! I love him. Cabaye too. Toonsy, do you not have a little love-heart emoticon for me and Zoe to use? <3 😆 😆
That determination to pick yourself up and show you're not a failure should stand us in good stead when we hit a rough patch.
Susan(Quote)
Howay the lads !
Danny(Quote)
Colo – what a legend! This kind of stuff is great to hear. Think he is doing a great job as captain and good to hear their ambitions match ours
Geordie Deb(Quote)
What a star this bloke is. I only hope when it comes to renegotiating his contract that they can get it sorted out, Collo has “potential Geordie legend” written all over him.
Collo’s got two bairns…one is a proper Geordie lass, and the lad will be in the toon academy at the age of 4. Hopefully he aint going anywhere in a hurry…
Toonsy get them love-heart emoticon’s sorted out… 😆 😆 …we’re gonna have a toon chippendales calender coming out soon….Collo, Santon, Cabaye….. 😆 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
Good read Toonsy, great comments from Capt Colo although I struggle a bit to comprehend how he couldn’t understand the Colo chant yet could understand what Nolan was saying! 😕 😆
richietoon(Quote)
That’s our captain and vice captain there for the next 3/4 years.
Thad(Quote)
I know it’s off topic and old news…but Rooney is a spasmoid….3 game ban for the Euros…. 👿 👿 😕
Not that we have any chance anyway of course……
Munich Mag(Quote)
Very good interview with AP, don’t hold your breath for a striker signing in Jan though ❗
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2049351/Alan-Pardew-Newcastle-manager-explodes-myths.html
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
TGS….aye good read that….still waiting for you to catch me on the predictor league like 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Richie,
You must have glass balls 😆
I found the prediction’s rather difficult this week, fancy a 1 – 1 draw for tomorrow though. 😉
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
I’ve gone for 2-1 but might change it to 3-2
richietoon(Quote)
MM – I’d not take him if it was my call. If he does go and England get into the knockouts then what happens? You know he will get straight back regardless of the fact he will have had nowt to do with getting us there. He will be picked on reputation alone which is one of the problems I have with postman pat and his England twats like Gerrard and Barry etc. Jobs for tge boys
toonsy(Quote)
“England get into the knockouts” 😆 😆 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Toonsy…I know where you’re coming from, but you know the old adage about playing your best players…. 🙄 ….assuming we make it through the knock-outs of course..
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM – But what would he have done to warrant this “best player” tag? To me you show that on the pitch and not via a reputation. If we’re going by reputation Rooney is just as likely to come back in and explode and get sent back off again.
Leave the ****** at home. That way he might learn although I very much doubt it 😕
toonsy(Quote)
Thanks TGS, good read.
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. I’m always thinking “how I can do it better?”’
Hope that means 4-5-1 tomorrow!
Susan(Quote)
Oops sorry, the quote was ‘I’m not an advocate of “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. I’m always thinking “how I can do it better?”’
I left the first bit off!!
Susan(Quote)
Toonsy…..Schrek did contribute to us getting to the finals though… 😕 ….
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM – Getting to the finals, but the end result was him not able to take part. It’s like me taking part in building a bridge, but then pulling a blot out which makes it all fall down two days before it’s supposed to be finished.
Forget the qualifiers as they are done. What about the fella who gets the chance now because of that ********? What about if that fella takes his chance? How will he feel once he is shat upon after helping the team through the group only to be shoved out the door for someone who has had zero bearing on the tournament?
toonsy(Quote)
Going to see the u18’s play Sheff Wed at Benton later, looking forward to seeing Remi Streete and Adam Campbell.
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
TGS – Streete is a beast. He is the one that is twice the size of the rest 😆
toonsy(Quote)
I see they just demoted Beardsley. Remember Pardew didn’t want him as part of the first team staff when he arrived. Now he is being moved away from day to day running of the reserves to be a local scout.
I am not saying it is a bad thing, just saying Lliambas is trying to spin it.
GS(Quote)
GS – He’s still working with kids when he isn’t doing other stuff around the region/continent. I think its a good thing to be honest.
toonsy(Quote)
Some on here don’t want to rotate the NUFC team. SAF doesn’t start Nani Rooney or Hernandez in their biggest game of the season. Quite a difference from our approach
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Quite a difference in aspirations, squad depth, playing approach and experience also…
toonsy(Quote)
Toony don’t know
I think if you replaced of the eleven that started at Woves with any of these the starting eleven wouldn’t be weakened that much. Ferguson, Santon, Abeid, Sammi, Vuckic, Ben Arfa and Marveux.
Bring in any of Perch Guthrie Shola and Lovenkrands then it is definitely a weaker side
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
GS@22….do you see that as a demotion for Beardsley ?…. If he was being demoted wouldn’t he spit his dummy out and move on ?
I reckon it’s a great move for the toon, he’s done it all has Beardsley…one of our own, ………plus he’s a 100% Ashley yes man…. 😆 😉
I’m not sure if Beardsley has any UEFA coaching tickets at all….. ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
Re: Rooney
First time he has been sent off for country for a long long time. Fair enough he lost his head for a split second and deserves the punishment.
He is our best player by a mile (Ashley Young the only othe world class player) and should start when available.
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno – When was the last time Rooney showed World Class form for England?
toonsy(Quote)
A 5 year contract doing what he was originally doing plus a lot more is a demotion? Give your head a shake man.
He is being cemented into the foundations of the clubs future you nutter!
Moreno(Quote)
Toonsy,
When was the last time anyone did?
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno – Just write somethign about Beardsley, mainly because I wanted to watch a video of him playing 😆
On England, exactly, so why give him, or anyone, a World Class tag when they really really really don’t deserve it? Do you know when the last time Rooney scored at an international tournament was?
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy: Am working on an article for you, been mad busy this week
Zoë Vicarage(Quote)
Toonsy,
Just because he hasn’t been world class for England doesn’t mean he’s not world class. He is an outstanding footballer.
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno – Not saying that he isn’t outstanding. Just doubt the “World Class” bollocks that people spout about him. Maybe it’s because I expect World Class to players to have an impact on the World stage, in tournaments, when it matters.
Rooney’s last tournament goals were in 2004 by the way. Just 8 years ago.
toonsy(Quote)
If we’re talking about England, without Rooney I’d go with;
Hart
Richards Smalling Terry A.Cole
Parker Wilshere
A.Johnson Gerrard Young
Welbeck.
But I’m supporting France anyways 😆
dan4toon(Quote)
Toonsy,
By that admission though is Messi not World Class? He had a pretty poor World Cup….
I think Rooney almost single handedly won the Premier League for Man Utd a couple of seasons ago with his goals. He is an integral reason Man Utd go so far in Europe every year and the fact he hasn’t performed under Capello and an un-imaginative England team doesn’t concern me too much.
You could argue that the Premier League is tougher than internationals anyway and he performs week in week out.
Moreno(Quote)
Why would you support France when you’re English….?
Moreno(Quote)
I’ll be supporting nobody 😀
toonsy(Quote)
Moreno, I feel no connection to England what so ever, I don’t even watch their games anymore, when they played Montengero last week I was watching France vs Albania.
I’ll rephrase is.. I’m supporting Yohan! (And possibly Benny).
dan4toon(Quote)
If the Fa cup Winners and runners up and League cup winners finish in the top 5 i think it is then we could end 7th and get into Europe. That can be achieved i think. Will be tough but be good to give it a go.
Unless of course we are the Fa cup Winners or runners up or League cup winners 😉
The_59_Sound(Quote)
Like Thad says, Captain & Vice Captain. They epitomise what the squad are aiming for by their actions alone. I’m just waiting for a bit of a bad run to come our way so we can see if these boys’ attitude is equally as top class as it is during a purple haze… I suspect it will be. 😛
Shamrock(Quote)