Sol Campbell Is Just What Newcastle Need
It is a remarkable thing the transfer market. Protracted, unpredictable and often frustrating? Of course. But it also exciting, compelling and richly rewarding when the right deal gets done for your football club.
Newcastle United's signing of Sol Campbell is one of the latter deals. Turns down Sunderland, apparently Arsenal bound, and then he turns up in Newcastle for a medical.
It is the sort of transfer which, with one swish - actually I'm not sure that is what you do with a pen in your hand - makes me feels a whole lot better about Newcastle's chances of staying up this season.
First things first, Campbell is not the player he was. He is not the commanding England international he used to be and, at 35, it is only natural the physical attributes which made him such a phenomenal defender in his prime are on the wane.
But he is precisely what Newcastle need. He will be the power to Fabricio Coloccini's finesse and he also has the communication skills and experience to organise a back four which is going to come under intense pressure at times this season.
Chris Hughton clearly knows him from their days at Tottenham together and he has used that personal connection to good effect. Alright, so he has married a Geordie girl - just like me - but Hughton can have every right to feel pleased with himself. The quiet man strikes again!
It is an excellent signing and has been achieved because, unlike at Arsenal and even Sunderland, Campbell will get plenty of game time at St James's Park, particularly as Steven Taylor is likely to be missing for months rather than weeks with his shoulder injury.
He wants to play, not offer cover and he will get that chance at Newcastle. He doesn't exactly fit into the category of young, up and coming with a sell on value, but he comes in as a free agent and that means he is a bargain really.
However, his wages will be significant. I don't know the figure, but he was after £50,000-a-week at Sunderland so he has either got something similar at Newcastle, or he is going to get a two year contract.
Whatever the case, it makes a mockery of those who have claimed in the national media that Newcastle have a £15,000-a-week wage cap in place!
All Newcastle need now is cover at left-back, perhaps another winger and a striker and they are pretty much good to go.
Hughton still has his money to spend, will probably sign Patrick van Aanholt on loan from Chelsea and I still wouldn't be surprised if Tom Cleverely also arrives on loan from Manchester United. But where is the striker coming from?
The season curtain raiser is edging closer and there is still plenty of work for Hughton to do, but Campbell arrival should make everyone feel that little bit more confident about the season ahead.
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Luke; i totally agree, right man at the right time, we've always needed players with experience especially in defence to help the younger players come through, taylor included. i say offer him a coaches job next season if he hangs his boots up. lets hope if he does turn up he gets in a few headed goals from corners, i seem to remember he loved doing that against us. if he is in get him in quick, as an unfit campbell can look like an artic truck turning in a back lane -'never looks like he'll make it!'
Luke, From his perspective, given that Campbell would be sitting on the bench most of the time in the Premiere League except at Newcastle or Blackpool, the move makes sense from his perspective. But don't get too carried away about how it will work out for the Toon.
Playing in a team that will be on the back foot nearly all season, Campbell will have to put in a lot of work every game. FRor a few games that migh6t be okay but after around 10 games his 35 year old legs will start to give up on him.
All in all it is about 50/50 whether this one will turn out well or badly.
The Prem now has 4 levels. Good thing for Newcastle, who will be in the group of the worst 5, is that any team in their competition will probably only need 30 points or less (5 or 6 wins and a few draws) to stay up!
Luke, I share your anxieties about a striker, after all that's what costs the most money. I really don't know where we'd look for a decent striker.
As for Sol Campbell, not young and a bit of a gamble, but I'd rather have him than Titus any day!!
this is not a gamble, this is the cover we need. i don't agree with coments that "we'll be on the back foot all season", if we can but the goals in the net the rest of the team will look after its self. we need first time finishers to take the pressure off. a couple of people have mentioned Glen Roader not buying him, GR bought pretty much nothing of any worth the team went backwards with him in charge. the best thing he could of done was buy amimoble when he was with norwich...
Agree with your analysis Luke. As a Sunderland fan I was not too disappointed at missing out on Campbell as he seems to keep changing his mind about what he wants.
That said think he will be good at Newcastle. I remember when Peter Reid got us back into the Premiership and delivered those two seventh place finishes his master stroke was signing Steve Bould from Arsenal. No one was particularly impressed at the time but the touch of class he brought was just what was needed despite the fact that he was nearing the end of his career. Don't see why Campbell can't do a similar job for the Mags.