New season, new captain?

kimtoon

Is Colo still the man to lead our troops?
Is Colo still the man to lead our troops?
With the new Premier League season just 12 days away now, Steve McClaren has to be thinking about his choice of captain going into the new campaign. Steve hasn’t given much away about who he’ll choose and has given the armband to various players pre-season with Gouffran even being handed the arm band at one point.

It’s a difficult one in fairness as with Coloccini in his last year of contract it could look a little mean to take it off him. On the other hand we know that new managers often like to choose their own man to captain the side, especially when a lot of new players they have picked arrive to the squad. Of course McClaren’s job of choosing a new captain could be made a lot easier if the rumors of Coloccini to Crystal Palace are true. He certainly doesn’t seem to want to lose Coloccini as he has spoken very highly of him. He has praised his work rate and influence around the training ground and said he fully expects him to be running out for us at seasons start.

When asked about a new captain Steve had this to say;

”I want them all wearing an armband and being leaders. We’ve developed a senior leadership group since we’ve come in, and the ones who are taking the armband in the matches are part of that group.”

If the above is the case then we can assume that Gouffran still has a big part at Newcastle since he was given the armband. Gouffran has had some good games for us but really went off the boil last season which was disappointing.
I can see a few who would be good for the armband, Janmaat, Krul, De Jong seems vocal enough and could be good if he can stay fit. But I suspect in the end Colocini will keep it, if only to not rock the boat. He’s in his last year so Steve can pick his own man next season.
Who would you like to be captain? Thoughts welcome.
Kimtoon

[poll id=”84″]

About kimtoon

View all posts by kimtoon →

You may like these posts

623 thoughts on “New season, new captain?”

  1. Sorry, they don’t have to be let go, but what would be the point of keeping them if they aren’t eligible to play.

      (Quote)

  5. Bloody Hell, here’s the rules as explained by The Daily Mirror a couple of years ago. I think they are still accurate although some players have moved on:

    1) All Premier League clubs must submit a squad of up to 25 players, by 5pm, September 1 (deadline day).

    2) Each 25-man squad must include at least eight ‘home-grown’ players.

    3) The ‘home-grown’ players do not have to be English. According to the Premier League: “A home grown player is defined as one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Welsh Football Association for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).” In practice this means that Cesc Fabregas, who joined Arsenal when he was 16, counts as one of the Gunners’ home-grown quota.

    4) In addition to the 25-man named squad, clubs can use an unlimited number of players aged 21 or under. This means that Manchester City’s new £22.5m striker Mario Balotelli, who is just 20, does not need to be named in their 25-man squad. According to the Premier League: “An Under 21 player is defined as one who is under the age of 21 on 1st January in the year in which the season commences. For the 2010/11 campaign Under 21 players will have been born on or after 1st January 1989.”

    5) Clubs can make changes to their squad but only during transfer windows, so once submitted the clubs will be stuck with that squad until January. Only in exceptional circumstances, such as a goalkeeper crisis, can changes be made outside the window, and then only if the Premier League board approves the changes.

    6) Once the transfer window opens again, there are no restrictions on how many changes clubs can make to their squads, so they can replace the entire 25 if they want to.

    7) Even if a player is not named in the 25-man squad, they can still play in the FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League or Europa League.

    8) Players from the 25-man squad cannot be replaced if they are loaned to Football League clubs, but can regain their spot in the group if they return to the parent club.

    9) Clubs do not have to name a full squad of 25 if they do not have that many contracted players and in this case they can add free agents outside the transfer window. However if they have 25 eligible contracted players, they must be named.

    10) Similarly, clubs do not have to name eight ‘home-grown’ players if they do not have enough, but this would mean submitting a reduced squad.

      (Quote)

  6. I think that is correct Premand mate. Otherwise how would a club know who was on their roster? It means thinks stay fluid until the very end of August.

      (Quote)

  9. G2: I don’t know why they made it so complicated. Why can’t you just play who you want when you want 🙂

      (Quote)

  10. You would think there would be some EU bollox about not restricting the movement of labour or summink that would allow teams to select who they bloody well want.

      (Quote)

  11. GeordieTwo (@ 447)…I was going to say, “Guys” but there are girls that read this, so “Folks” seemed more appropriate. I guess I could have gone with the more generic “Humans” or “People.” 😀

    I appreciate the info…completely forgot about the U-21 exception.

      (Quote)

  13. Wrote a piece once. Don’ t think it was published so could dig it out. I think the squad size should include all players to stop big clubs stockpiling players. It would mean they would be more restricted than ffp.

      (Quote)

  14. NorCal you say “folks” all you want mate. Perfectly acceptable term when addressing a group 🙂

      (Quote)

  15. Or you can use the much valued “you scrotie lot” Norcal mate as in The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs.

      (Quote)

  20. Yes, I’m fed up with the stockpiling that goes on as well Premand mate. Look at your Chelsea’s and your Man City’s. It’s bordering on criminal. In fact I’m going to look into that side of it. Parliamentary investigations etc. etc.

      (Quote)

  21. A lot of you are saying “G2 can we not fob Obie off on Sunderland?” Yes very good suggestion lads. They just fobbed Wickham off on Palace after all. So they need a high scoring, pacey winger possibly. Food for thought there….Harrumph.

      (Quote)

  22. So all the new signings play tomorrow. Should be good although I’ll be playing golf.

      (Quote)

  23. From the Chronicle:

    “McClaren has indicated there are likely to be exits before the season kicks off and it means it is decision time for squad players like Shane Ferguson, Gael Bigirimana, Haris Vuckic, Mehdi Abeid and Olivier Kemen.

    Newcastle are also in the hunt for another forward and a centre-back with their success on the recruitment front likely to have a big impact on the futures of Papiss Cisse and Mike Williamson.

    Next week will also be make or break for Fabricio Coloccini, the Argentina international yet to kick a ball for the Magpies this summer.

    McClaren has stated he wants to keep Coloccini but the player is thought to be unsettled and Crystal Palace have been linked heavily with a move for his services.”

      (Quote)

  24. Sharpy @ 434. Good example of the insidious nature of the media. Was the No9 shirt part of the negotiations or was it somebody’s storytelling?

    Too late. It’s all part of folklore now. Forever to be remembered as the time we tried to lure a player with the famous No9 shirt. Whether true or not, it is now a known fact.

      (Quote)

  25. G2 Sunderland like ex manu players so Obertan might fit in well there. His got great pace and he already know’s John O’shea and Wes Brown, so he won’t have trouble fitting in.

      (Quote)

  26. Coloccini is in the last year of his contract so I think Pards can have him if he wants him. Does he really have more than a year of PL in him? A lot on here have said he is slow and sometimes disinterested. I would have taken the captaincy off him after his dalliance with San Lorenzo. Now McClaren should appoint Janmaat captain and force Colo’s and Pards’ hands.

    Surely we can get somebody fitter, stronger and better looking than Colo for the wages we are paying him? He has never done a press conference with his only communication being that letter. He did a runner to Argentina and tried to broker that deal with San Lorenzo where I think he wanted fatman to pay up or partly pay his contract, yeah right 🙂

    On his day he looks really good. But we have too many “on his day” players and need a bit more consistency. So adios muchachos and take Willo with you.

      (Quote)

  27. I see that Abeid is interesting a German 2nd division team and might be sold. I have never seen why people rate him so highly. On the flip side with Anita getting the 8 shirt it looks like Steve wants to keep him and I have seen very little in 3 years that would warrant a first team place for him either.

      (Quote)

  28. I like that Steve is being decisive. Get rid of that lot named @473 (apart from Cisse maybe). There is not a premier league player among them let alone a potential star. Save the wages and give some to Aarons who looks like he could be special, although you never know (I have seen so many next big things who weren’t) 🙂 Worth a try though and a better bet than that lot.

      (Quote)

  29. And Steve is going back to “the purples” mentality. I don’t think that is a bad thing as long as they are really purples and not Willos and Bigis.

      (Quote)

  30. SHARPY17
    if thats not you as good as saying we should pay 15 million for austin at comment 384 i dint nar what is 😆

      (Quote)

  31. TAE – what is is me saying ‘we should pay QPR the £15m’ – what I said was, £15m for Austin didn’t seem as high considering Wickham was going for £9m.
    I have no problem with them negotiating the fee down – providing we land him in the end. If we don’t & he goes elsewhere, then it would be another example of us missing out for the sake of a few million (as we have supposedly offered £12m). It would also be ridiculous as we have paid £14.5m for Gini.
    If we can get the lad for £13 & Vuckic as reported then great – but we struggled badly for goals last season, so we need Austin in IMO

      (Quote)

  32. McClaren should be looking at moving Ferguson, Biggi, Satka and Vuckic on as they’re taking up squad places now and clearly haven’t got a future here. I would also look at moving Colo on and bring another centre back in. Cisse too with Austin his replacement. In a dream world get rid of Obertan or Gouffran and bring in Thauvin who they obviously like.

      (Quote)

  33. We have conceded 190 goals in the last three seasons!!!! Now that is unbelievable!

    Is there anyone on here who still thinks we don’t need to strengthen our defence?

    TDS, Lionel? Where are you? Let’s be having you!

      (Quote)

  37. Stuart: I saw Gibson say we conceded 190 goals, I wonder if that was in the league only? The constant during that time has been the triumverate of shame – Coloccini, Williamson and Taylor.

      (Quote)

  39. Correct, Eric. But don’t worry, Lionel thinks SMc can improve them beyond recognition and TDS thinks our defenders aren’t that bad.

      (Quote)

  40. Of course there was the other triumvirate of shame managing the keystone cops – Pardew, Carver and Stone.

      (Quote)

  42. I hope people do not put all of the weight of expectation on MBemba and Lascelles today. Has MBemba even trained with us yet? In an ideal world we would play on the front foot and only give Mbemba 20 minutes at the end.

      (Quote)

  43. Sorry, Prem. go back and read what they both out down. Lionel thinks we will be ok because a better coach will improve them. TDS was clear also. He is happy to go into the season with Colo, Taylor, Mbemba and Lascelles. It’s all in black and white.

      (Quote)

  44. Eric Sykes @476, if Collo really is in the final year of his contract, and the legend in his own lunch time Alan Pardew wants to pay 5 million spondoolicks for him then we should let him go imo.

    There again, hasn’t the curly one been pining for yonks now for a return to Argie land citing private family problems, his love for San Lorenzo etc etc
    Surely it couldn’t be that he has been telling us porkies all along, and he really wants to join Super Al Pardew at a big club for the last 2 or 3 years of his career ?
    …and all while being one of the highest earners at the club…by far….

    Sounds like a tidgy widgy dilemna for Mr Charley. Should he stick or twist ?

      (Quote)

  45. What Lionel said was that if Pards had stayed the whole season we would have been better off than we were. Factor in an improved squad and improved coaching and we should do better than Pards would have achieved. That should add upto top 10. The hystrionics came from you.

      (Quote)

  46. Eric Sykes @492, agreed 100% there.

    At the same time I would evaluate each of the players seperately.

    Depending upon who you ask they may both be pretty much the same age 😆 😆 😆 MBemba has played Champs League, looks brilliant on Youtube, and everyone, including the legendary Phillipe Albert, reckon he really is the dogs…

    Lascelles on the other hand looks to me to be a lumbering centre half, where lots of footballing people have warned “isn’t yet ready for the PL”.

    They both need to get up to speed pretty quickly though, if we are going to lose Collo and have to rely on Staylor and Willo up against the EPL’s finest 🙄 🙄

      (Quote)

  47. No Prem, I’m afraid we were talking about the fact that for the last 3 seasons we are always amongst the worst defences in the league – Pardew or not! He couldn’t see the players just aren’t good enough and from your comments I’m starting to think you feel the same. How many chances do they players deserve?

      (Quote)

  49. With all of these statistics available now and the so called “Moneyball” approach there has to be some way to determine how good or bad our CBs have been and to judge incoming players. I would compare them to Sunderland and West Brom, not your Fat Sam or Pulis teams, to see just what they have done. I think they have been terrible with hoofs and positional play but I think you could also judge by such criteria as:

    – total goals against
    – goals conceded from set pieces
    – goals scored from set pieces
    – free kicks given away in dangerous positions
    – how often they are out of position

    You get a gut feeling that they are not very good but I bet there is stuff to back it up but I wonder why we don’t use it.

    I read the “Moneyball” book when it first came out many years ago because I am a fan of Michael Lewis. It doesn’t translate directly to football but there are definitely some insights to be gained by using similar analysis. I doubt NUFC have done this though 🙂

      (Quote)

  50. Of course the simplest analysis you can do is injury record – I am looking at you Taylor, Seim and Marveaux. You can’t influence a game if you are not on the pitch. You could argue that we were so shyte because Taylor was always injured and Willo wasn’t 🙂 In hindsight, Taylor should never have got his contract because we knew even at the time he is made of glass.

      (Quote)

  52. What I am saying is that there has to be some way to semi-objectively analyse them to back up the evidence of our own eyes. I mean, with Obertan all you have to do is look, but it is backed up by how few goals and assists he has over an extended career in the PL. That’s why you get rid, no end product, no time on the pitch – end of story.

    I am probably boring people, but this approach is being used more and more in sports. It is more difficult in football than cricket or baseball but that is why you might get a bigger edge if you can utilize it effectively. Just saying…

      (Quote)

  54. I don’t know if anyone saw this but Pards got Patrick Bamford to Palace on loan. I have no clue if he is any good or not as I don’t watch Boro but I know we were linked with him.

      (Quote)

  56. Eric…I watched a few, he knew where the goal was but the games I seen he was mostly used as a sub or was subbed, maybe hasn’t the stamina for a full 90? or maybe it was just coincidence that it was the case when I watched them?

      (Quote)

  57. Bloody hells bells, every link I am trying is ****, either wants me to register or infect me with viruses 👿 Anyone PLEASE got a decent link?

      (Quote)

  59. Glorified training exercise. How anyone can watch bamboozled me. Two hours wasted

      (Quote)

  60. A bloody Pardew team this,willo,oba,goofy,keeping the new defender on the bench along with Mis ,Aarons

      (Quote)

  65. Relax people. Have you not considered that tho could be Obertan, Williamson, Taylor and Anita in the shop window? 😛

      (Quote)

  67. Anyone seems to forget we got 1 player Missing???

    Where’s Sylvain Marveaux??? 😐 😐

      (Quote)

  69. Colo, Dummett, Tiote & Cabella are injured, They are treading carefully with De Jong & Aarons who played midweek. Mitrovic & Mbemba have been here barely 5 minutes

    It’s not a surprise to see the team he’s picked

      (Quote)

  73. I’m on a tablet and cant put a link on, Search Twitter for NUFC and there’s a few links to it

    No commentary but that is a blessing in some cases

      (Quote)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *