The exit of Rafael Benitez and the appointment of Steve Bruce as his successor led to an outrage among the Newcastle United faithful due to years of mismanagement of Mike Ashley. The protest is still on at Tyneside, but the Magpies had a positive (somewhat!) start to their season having defeated heavyweights Tottenham Hotspur on the road a couple of weeks back.
The Spaniard’s departure, however, was thought to be a moment of optimism for Jack Colback who was cast out by the ex-Liverpool chief since regaining promotion back in 2017. The England professional opted not to move out due to geographical reasons and spent his time with the reserves before plying his trade at Nottingham Forest for minutes.
Despite spending one and a half year on loan at West Bridgford, the Championship side decided not to secure his services on permanent terms. He rejected offers from the lower leagues of England as well as abroad (according to The Shield Gazette) and is unlikely to be involved again having found himself omitted from Newcastle’s 25-man Premier League squad.
What Went Wrong For Colback At St James’ Park
Colback was pivotal in Sunderland’s success in staying up defying the odds and even earned his maiden international senior call-up after impressing the then Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson. The versatile Englishman rejected several new contract offers from the Black Cats and decided to join their fierce rivals Newcastle on a Bosman transfer.
He had a strong start at his boyhood club but eventually slipped down the pecking order following the emergence of Isaac Hayden and Jonjo Shelvey in the middle of the park. His form tapered off drastically under Benitez as he struggled to attune to his gameplan and philosophy. Colback’s traditional style of play and the lack of adaptability refrained him from staking a claim in Rafa’s long-term plans. The player never managed to justify his talent ever since even after the backroom alteration.
Does He Have A Future At Tyneside?
The 29-year-old was heavily involved in their pre-season but is expected to be offloaded in January for a minuscule figure, according to the Chronicle. Colback is currently on £50,000-a-week and the club, therefore, are keen on getting him off the wage bill at the earliest.
Despite his ability to feature as a makeshift left-back, Bruce is not going to reintegrate the former England youth international who could have added more depth and flexibility within the squad. He would instead explore Jetro Willems extensively following Matt Ritchie’s ankle ligament injury and Colback’s misery at Tyneside is set to be prolonged until the winter window.
