Six matches into the 2015/16 Premier League season and Newcastle United sit languishing precariously in 19th position in the table. With only local rivals Sunderland AFC below the Magpies, these are dark times for football in the North East, each side having acquired a measly two points from 18 available. One major issue that is tearing United fans is the debate whether Fabricio Coloccini is still the right man to lead Newcastle United as captain of the club?
This article will look at both perspectives:
Captain Fantastic?
Having joined the club for £10.3m in the summer of 2008 from Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna, Fabricio Coloccini has been around for a very long time, becoming one of United’s longest serving senior players. Of his seven years on Tyneside, Coloccini is entering his fifth season as Captain of the club, having retained it under new boss Steve McClaren. The former Deportivo man has seen many players come and go, such as the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Hatem Ben Arfa, some of which leaving for large fees as a testament to their efforts on display whilst at United, however “Colo” has stayed put.
In his debut season Coloccini was hardly the most impressive of performers, being renowned for his slow adaptation to the English game, but remained at the club following their relegation that year, becoming a mainstay in Chris Hughton’s promotion side. Under Alan Pardew, Coloccini’s rich vein of consistency continued, being awarded with the captaincy and leading United to a fifth-placed finish, taking Newcastle into Europe for the first time since the 2006/07 season. Having made 228 senior club appearances for Newcastle, the curly-haired Argentine knows the club better than anyone in the current playing squad turning out in front of the thousands at St James’ Park on over a hundred occasions. With Coloccini’s wealth of experience and presence in the dressing room, a calming senior figure as captain is possibly just what United need to motivate them to emerge from their current rut. After all, in numerous matchday programmes, fellow teammates of Coloccini’s always single out their captain as the man who seems most suited to managerial life; even Sky Sports were touting the 33 year-old centre-back for the manager’s job following Alan Pardew’s departure in January of this year. As seen just this season, on the pitch, Colo rolled back the years with a performance likened to the days of 2011/12 where he was a rock at the back, quiet but assured and quick in step, he put his body on the line against Manchester United securing a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw, earning him Man of The Match awards among local media such as The Chronicle and The Journal.
Root of the Problem?
However, it is the respect of fellow professionals and a certain charisma that is required in United’s dressing room at the moment. Throughout the good periods of Newcastle United in recent history, Coloccini has been at the heart of the defence, but many fans will argue, those good times have been short-lived. The majority of 2015 had been spent battling relegation and speculation over Coloccini’s contract situation, until he signed a new deal in the summer, quelling any rumour of a shock move to Crystal Palace. It is not the first time that Coloccini has been at the heart of scandal regarding his contract situation, with sources close to the club citing that in 2014, Fabricio Coloccini had been wanting to leave the club for his native Argentina, in particular San Lorenzo, one of his former sides. It was a similar story in 2013, where Coloccini was alleged to have been involved in a scandal with a local woman, resulting in a dip in form and sounds being made that the Argentine wished to leave Tyneside for his native homeland. When the going gets tough, Coloccini does not seem to be around either, passing off the post-match interviewing positions to the likes of Daryl Janmaat who spoke to the fans after last season’s 1-0 away defeat to Sunderland, but also following this weekend’s 2-1 defeat at home to Watford. It is often the case that Newcastle United fans joke that they have participated in more press conferences or interviews than Fabricio Coloccini, but the seriousness behind the jest is not to be laughed at. While other club’s captains such as Ashley Williams of Swansea City give interviews or press statements regarding the club’s current form or league position, Coloccini’s input is very muted. As an avid follower of Newcastle United, it is difficult to recollect an occasion in recent memory where the club captain has given his thoughts to the fans, outside the matchday programme notes, so much so that many United fans do not even know what Coloccini’s voice sounds like, which is astonishing considering the amount of interviews and PR opportunities modern players get nowadays.
Similarly, on the pitch, Coloccini has proved time and time again that he is not up to the test of the Premier League, which understandably isn’t helped by his advancing age – 34 next January. While United have reshuffled the defence in recent transfer windows, with the additions of Massadio Haidara, Daryl Janmaat and Chancel Mbemba, the only mainstay in the back four is Colo, and therefore as the common denominator in a leaky defence over the past few seasons, indicates that potentially the problem of conceding so many goals, lies with the captain. As a leader on the pitch it is the expectation of the captain to provide a calming influence to aggravated teammates and to rile up the rest of his team when they are on the back-foot or searching for a goal. It is very rare that United fans see a vocal Coloccini marshalling anyone but the back four, which having conceded over 60 goals last term, isn’t exactly an achievement.
It’s not as if Newcastle aren’t short of candidates for the captaincy; the likes of former Ajax captain Siem De Jong and former PSV captain Georginio Wijnaldum, could easily step into the role after leading both their sides to the Eredivisie title and into the Champions League. While Coloccini does not lack the experience, he may lack the character and charisma to assert himself over his teammates, or set an example as the best player at the club, which is a worry for the season ahead, considering the Geordie’s already unenviable task of escaping the grasp of the relegation zone amidst some tough upcoming fixtures including Chelsea, Manchester City and the local derby with Sunderland.
Replacing Fabricio Coloccini as captain six games into the season would be a foolish move, as it would disrupt the team and potentially cause unhappy, anarchical behaviour within the dressing room creating a toxic atmosphere. However, with Colo likely to see out his contract’s remaining two years, the Argentine will be 36 by the time he leaves Newcastle United, a tiresome age for the fast-paced Premier League. It is equally likely that he will retain the captaincy until his contract expires, but the question is: can Newcastle United still harbour an uncharismatic, distant leader in the heart of the defence until the close of the 2016/17 season, and by January, will Fabricio Coloccini still be the man to lead Newcastle United into battle?
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
