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Fabricio Coloccini played like Bobby Moore - Pardew

By Phil McNultyChief football writer at the Stadium of Light

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments156

Alan Pardew 'proud' of Newcastle team in Tyne-Wear derby

Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew said Fabricio Coloccini's performance during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Sunderland "was like watching Bobby Moore".

Coloccini was magnificent as Newcastle - reduced to 10 men in the first-half - earned a point at the Stadium of Light.

And Pardew decided the display was worthy of comparison with Moore, a gifted centre-back who captained England to World Cup success in 1966.

Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini
Coloccini was back in the Newcastle side after a three-game absence

"He was absolutely phenomenal," said Pardew of his Argentine defender.

"If you want a defensive example of how to head it, kick it, cover people and have the calmness to play, then this was it. That was like watching Bobby Moore. It was that good."

Newcastle held onto a third-minute lead given to them by Yohan Cabaye until four minutes from time, with Coloccini, who had missed six of his side's last seven games because ofi a hamstring injury, leading the resistance.

It was only after losing his South American centre-back to cramp that Sunderland equalised, Demba Ba's own goal denying the Magpies victory.

Though they could not hold on with 10 men, Pardew had no complaints about midfielder Cheick Tiote's dismissal for a tackle on Steven Fletcher.

"I know Cheick and he's not tried to do the player," said Pardew. "He has just caught him and [referee] Martin Atkinson has deemed it a red card. I thought the fourth official had a part to play in it because I don't think Martin could have seen it."

Pardew was delighted with the nature of his team's display, adding: "It would have been one of the greatest victories had we managed to hang on but 65 minutes is a long time with 10 men.

"We talked beforehand about showing the fans how much this means to us and I thought we did that, particularly when we were down to 10 men. It was an unbelievable effort and I'm so proud.

"I'm just disappointed we haven't taken all three points when we have played for more than an hour with 10 men. That's saying something."

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156 comments

  • Comment posted by User0572718266, at 09:25 22 Oct 2012

    There are a lot of very stupid people who frequent this website. Read the bloody article.

    Pardew was not saying that Coloccini is as good as Bobby Moore... he was simply referring to a one-off performance.

    And yes, the performance in question was that good. Not helped out by woeful opposition, but you can only deal with what is in front of you.

    Terrific defender.

  • Comment posted by User0215492688, at 11:44 22 Oct 2012

    @47 Cattermole is atrocious. That is all.

  • Comment posted by Fabrique_Belgique, at 09:56 22 Oct 2012

    I'm embarrassed by some of the comments on here, particularly the ones from those who can't interpret an article properly.

    Coloccini was not being compared to Bobby Moore in general. Pardew was talking about his performance yesterday.

    And for those who say he's a load of rubbish.....so you wouldn't want him in your team then?

  • Comment posted by User0506775177, at 10:54 22 Oct 2012

    34 - redanwhite

    If you really think Lee Cattermole is not a dirty player then you dont watch him play much.

    Im a boro fan and can tell you from experience that his is one of the most limited footballers i have ever seen (and I have seen plenty of rubbish in the past 25 years) he offers nothing other than being a liability, as his record shows - he is reckless at best.

  • Comment posted by TAB101, at 11:16 22 Oct 2012

    Some bizarre comments on here. Pardew has been given a long term contract and effectively creates stability. Collocini was superb yesterday. Tiote made a tackle that was not necessary and Sunderland have a team of average players. Facts always work

  • Comment posted by Superd79, at 13:34 22 Oct 2012

    How Many people on here actually ever saw Bobby Moore play? Fact is if Coloccini played for a London club the media would have been bigging him up along time ago!!

  • Comment posted by SteveLukather, at 12:03 22 Oct 2012

    I love Coloccini to bits, he reminds me of a younger Robert Plant (Led Zep). If he was a woman I would marry him and start a family.

  • Comment posted by User0556431894, at 11:41 22 Oct 2012

    @52 Given Coloccini has been out injured I don't think he feigned injury at all. I take it you;'ve never missed weeks of football and returned to go straight into a match then? I have, and I also got cramp. Don't you think he would rather have stayed on if he could have? Try running round with cramp and you'll see how hard it is.

    Also, 'burning' the clock...you do realise this isn't basketball?

  • Comment posted by User0556431894, at 13:23 22 Oct 2012

    My favourite image of 'hardman' Lee Cattermole is the one of him crying his eyes out like a little girl when Villa stuffed Middlesbrough. Since then he seems determined to prove he isn't a cry-baby by attempting to break every premier league player's leg.72 games 32 booking and 5 red cards. Even If he was an amazing player he'd be a liability. I know of many S'land fans who'd prefer he left.

  • Comment posted by User0377637688, at 08:35 22 Oct 2012

    Loads of hatred for a good player! Yes it's not the best comparison but he was outstanding yesterday, never panicked, always calm, read the game very well and bossed the back line, so in that sense he was like Bobby Moore. Pardew didn't say "He is as good as Bobby Moore." So why so many people are jumping on it I don't know.

  • Comment posted by Jimbo, at 12:01 22 Oct 2012

    In fairness, Cattermole IS atrocious.

  • Comment posted by recruitmentch, at 08:31 22 Oct 2012

    bobby who? This kid spent his early years alongside nesta, maldini and costacurta at Milan. he never really got a chance to play, but he would have picked up a lot from Nesta especially.

  • Comment posted by User0215492688, at 12:03 22 Oct 2012

    @61 Cattermole is summed up by number 2. - Of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant

    This is a guy who was banned from every pub in middlesbrough due to his atrocious behaviour and a guy who has played for atrocious teams - M'boro, Wigan, Sunderland (and even then has been a liability due to his atrocious disciplinary record). Essentially as I said, he is atrocious.

  • Comment posted by JonC1200, at 13:43 22 Oct 2012

    On the subject of Lee Cattermole, I think Colin Murray summed it up very nicely on MOTD2 last night. In the past three seasons, no one has received more cautions than Cattermole. His tackling is reckless at the best of times and his off-field behaviour is something to be desired too. Banend from every pub in his local town and cautioned by police for damaging cars in Newcastle. Sums it up nicely

  • Comment posted by TAB101, at 12:11 22 Oct 2012

    Collocini was superb yesterday. Fact
    Long term engagements prove to bring stability. Fact
    Tiote should not have made the tackle. Fact
    Sunderland don't create or score much, don't concede many and don't have clubs lining up to buy any of their players. I would suggest average is the perfect description which would make it... That's right, a fact

  • Comment posted by User0215492688, at 13:15 22 Oct 2012

    @71 I know what a defensive midfielder's role is. The fact he can't defend or distribute the ball well makes him what he is. A reckless talentless footballer.

  • Comment posted by User0215492688, at 12:16 22 Oct 2012

    @63 No it's because I don't think I've seen him pass the ball further than 10yards, he doesn't score goals, doesn't assist in any goals, slows the play down, and his tackles constantly border on a sending off every time. He is a very poor, limited footballer. If he didn't play for Sunderland you wouldn't rate him either. The fact he is a horrible human being is just on top of that.

  • Comment posted by User0998803220, at 09:18 22 Oct 2012

    Coloccini was magnificent yesterday. Out-jumped, out-fought and out-thought Sunderland's dreadful front six

  • Comment posted by Michael D, at 09:58 22 Oct 2012

    Coloccini seems to have become a much better player as his hairstyle has become much larger. He was pretty dreadful when he first appeared in a Newcastle shirt.

    I suspect a bigger story may have been the lack of passion shown by the Sunderland players yesterday. This is by far their biggest game of the season and they failed to show up - unlike the Newcastle team who certainly did so.

  • Comment posted by MagpieG, at 15:17 22 Oct 2012

    Can I just add that Coloccini has class off the pitch as well. He spends a month of the summer back in his home town in Argentina coaching kids and has paid for a kids refuge and sports centre out of his own pocket. And just to repeat no one said he's better or as good as Bobby Moore just that he plays in a similar manner. I just wish he was 5 years younger.

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