Jack Colback

[Strawberry Avenger]

Medium..?

Geeze. Even I am a large...

Still...I wouldn't put a tackle in with Colback.

SA.

[Superreddamo]

Well there's more X's on my shirt than you'd find on an Australian beer can!

[wassy04]

Great signing although a year later than perhaps it should've been. To be fair I think he would've signed in Jan without the injury.

Just reading Tails mailbag on The Athletic, the last game Colback played was Apr 19 for us! That's a long time and includes a big injury. I hope he's still the same Player that was unlucky not to win POTS. 

Either way positive signing, hope it points in the direction of signing players with more championship experience

[GaribaldiRED]

Colback had a full preseason with Newcastle last year and almost made the cut as far as I remember.

[Tricky]

Well there's more X's on my shirt than you'd find on an Australian beer can!

:D  There are that many X's on my shirts, I look like a Littlewoods pools coupon!!!

[the jock]

Think it was shelvey said colback was training hard all year.

[Paplane]

Think it was shelvey said colback was training hard all year.

Everything I've read about him suggests he's a totally honest pro who has high standards, gets his head down and works hard. He's a top signing for us.

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Going to make a few people groan now  :) just wonder if we have a habit of bigging up players in Colback’s role and thinking than they are better than they are. Dont get me wrong he is a decent signing assuming Watson leaves but hear me out.
For starters Colback is 31 in October and 17 months older than he was when he last kicked a ball. He did well season before last, we finished 9th.

Season just gone people were discussing Watson as player of the season, for me his lack of pace was exposed badly at the end, I dont buy the fantastic passing range he supposedly had either, we couldnt string 2 passes together. He was a good pro and a leader (something we badly miss now) but nothing special. 12 months ago I was one of the few on here saying he still had a part to play, he did well but to say he is one of the best players in the league is wrong.

Before those 2 we had David Vaughn who again many went on about how good he was. He was well passed it with us and he final season we were very nearly relegated yet for some reason he escaped criticism.

 Go back further still to the season under ODriscoll, he brought in Simon Gillet and everyone waffled on about how he was an undiscovered diamond. He wasnt, he was pretty poor and was quickly replaced by perennial  Championship bench warmer Gary Gardner who again fans liked because he cracked in a couple of 30 yarders. See where I am going here?
Before him was the horrendous season under Cotterill who played Jonathan Greening in the same role, he literally needed a zimmer frame to get up and down the pitch but yet again for some reason most seemed to like him. Before him Guy Moussi, great competitor and character, some brilliant games (Derby away) and some where he was pretty terrible too.

Maybe it is the natural tendency to root for the unglamorous DCM role but it is a vital one in how we currently set up. Seems to me we havent had a really good player in this role for a long time, in fact Colback stands out on that list as being the best. Just think he is best of a very average bunch.

[GaribaldiRED]

Going to make a few people groan now  :) just wonder if we have a habit of bigging up players in Colback’s role and thinking than they are better than they are. Dont get me wrong he is a decent signing assuming Watson leaves but hear me out.
For starters Colback is 31 in October and 17 months older than he was when he last kicked a ball. He did well season before last, we finished 9th.

Season just gone people were discussing Watson as player of the season, for me his lack of pace was exposed badly at the end, I dont buy the fantastic passing range he supposedly had either, we couldnt string 2 passes together. He was a good pro and a leader (something we badly miss now) but nothing special. 12 months ago I was one of the few on here saying he still had a part to play, he did well but to say he is one of the best players in the league is wrong.

Before those 2 we had David Vaughn who again many went on about how good he was. He was well passed it with us and he final season we were very nearly relegated yet for some reason he escaped criticism.

 Go back further still to the season under ODriscoll, he brought in Simon Gillet and everyone waffled on about how he was an undiscovered diamond. He wasnt, he was pretty poor and was quickly replaced by perennial  Championship bench warmer Gary Gardner who again fans liked because he cracked in a couple of 30 yarders. See where I am going here?
Before him was the horrendous season under Cotterill who played Jonathan Greening in the same role, he literally needed a zimmer frame to get up and down the pitch but yet again for some reason most seemed to like him. Before him Guy Moussi, great competitor and character, some brilliant games (Derby away) and some where he was pretty terrible too.

Maybe it is the natural tendency to root for the unglamorous DCM role but it is a vital one in how we currently set up. Seems to me we havent had a really good player in this role for a long time, in fact Colback stands out on that list as being the best. Just think he is best of a very average bunch.

I posted this in the "Player of the season" thread earlier:

-----------------------------

Well put Turkish. I too believe that Watson has been the best DCM in the league this season. I know that Kalvin Phillips will most likely the heralded as the best but if you look at the stats Watson is better.

1. Both have just over 2000 passes in total and Watson has an accuracy of 83% compared to Phillips' 81,9%.
2. Both players use long passes to initiate attacks and here Watson has an accuracy of 75,9% compared to Phillips who has 73,7% (passes opp. half)
3. Tackles won Watson 64,4% compared to Phillips 62,5% (both involved in 65 tackles)
4. If we look at clearances, blocks and interceptions Watson come out on top with 64, 27 and 72 compared to Phillips with 50, 12 and 52.
5. Watson has 3 goals and Phillips 2
6. Watson has 4 assists and Phillips just 2.

I could have kept on listing stats in favor of Watson but I hope you all get the picture. Watson for Player of The Season.

[Salvatore Matrecano]

I get that Gari, this time las year i was called an idiot on here for suggesting Watson had any role at all, consensus was that Yacob or even Bridcutt were miles better. He certainly did better than most thought but stats dont tell you everything, in terms of commanding a game i would have preferred Phillips.
Colback is definitely decent and as good as we will get for free.

[GaribaldiRED]

I believe it's important to keep in mind that it most likely was a lot easier being a DCM in the Leeds team last season. They work so hard both defensively and offensively and in general the DCM in that team (Phillips) had a lot more passing options.

[Paplane]

I believe it's important to keep in mind that it most likely was a lot easier being a DCM in the Leeds team last season. They work so hard both defensively and offensively and in general the DCM in that team (Phillips) had a lot more passing options.

Yep, a lot more going on in front of Phillips than Watson.

IMO, Watson wasn't as effective 2nd half of the season as first, when he was a superb playmaker who would take the ball off the CD's and play it.