SAM: DEFOE HAS IT ALL TO PLAY FOR
because many do not speak English,” said the 33-year-old. “I am not perfect, but I can understand and express myself. So sometimes it’s difficult.”
He is a thoughtful influencer, not a shouter, and on his PLEASE.. NOT AGAIN
leadership style said: “I could go to the pitch and start to shout and put my hand up, but that is not the way to lead a squad. It is like being a small child then.
“I try to be with the players. If they need something on the
pitch, or in life outside football, I try to be close to them to get what they need and help.
“We have to be close on the field. I t ry to THE heartbreak of being separated from his children almost made Fabricio Coloccini quit Newcastle.
The defender has played for eight years on Tyneside and has had several chances to leave, including to Crystal Palace in the summer.
Coloccini (above, with Augustina, his daughter) said: “I have the opportunity to move, but I preferred to say here because the people in the street are kind with me. I feel part of this city and this club.
“People didn’t understand what happened when I wanted to go back to Argentina, in January 2013. My family moved to Argentina. My kids were there and it was a bit difficult.
“It was the first moment I have been separated from them. Then you have to separate work from family. It was difficult because I want to be very close to my kids.
“I had a lot of love from the club and the city at this time. They said, ‘Colo stay’. That was a big part in my decision to look forward.
“Then this summer I had a few opportunities to leave. I spoke to the club and said, ‘I have this opportunity, what do you want? I prefer to stay’.
“They say, ‘No, we want you to stay with us’. For me, that is part of the love that I take from the city.
“I enjoy Newcastle very much. It is not a big city so there is no traffic, 10 minutes to go anywhere and you have everything here. You don’t need to go to a big city for anything.
“We have everything. We have a theatre and it is very nice.
“I live in the present. Sometimes people say, ‘You are going to be a manager’. I say, ‘I don’t know, I have a game on Sunday’. I live and enjoy the present. A career is short and I like to enjoy every day.”
give confidence. Here in the changing room, I say are you OK – wife? Kids? It is a nice group. We just need little things to improve.”
Coloccini was in his first season in England, adjusting to a new life, like many of his team- mates are now. Kevin Keegan was forced out, Joe Kinnear came and went, Chris Hughton and Alan Shearer took the helm, and t he wo r s t happened.
Never again? He said: “Everyone knows we are
not in the best moment. There is a lot of criticism. But I am not worried. We had a lot of difficult big games – Man United, Man City, Chelsea – but I am really trusting this squad.
“See our level of play in the first half against Chelsea, or the game against Man U, Man City first half, and there are elements there that we can trust.”
The Norwich game is followed by a trip to local rivals Sunderland, also in the bottom three.
He added: “Now is when we start our league. We need points. It doesn’t matter playing well or bad. We need a win. We need characters and confidence.” SAM ALLARDYCE has demanded striker Jermain Defoe becomes more than a goalscorer to earn a recall.
The former England ace, and his Sunderland team-mates, have been warned there will be no hiding place for poor performances under their new manag manager Allardyce. D Defoe (left) has not st started recent games f for old boss Dick Advocaat and is keen for a fresh start.
But Allardyce i insisted: “There is al always a place for a goa goalscorer but you cannot tj just be a goalscorer today, so that’s something we need to address with Jermain.”
Defoe and his Black Cats colleagues are under scrutiny ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Brom, and Allardyce added: “Obviously he came here and has not played as much as he would have liked.
“Players who don’t play generally don’t play because they drop themselves, not because you have dropped them.”