OPINION
When a player describes their future at a club as being “bleak”, you know that not much hope is left for them there.
In this case, it is Newcastle United’s forgotten man Jack Colback, who has been loaned out to Nottingham Forest this season.
The 29-year-old reckons that his future at St James’ Park is getting blurrier by the second while Rafa Benitez is in charge, but still holds out that one day the manager will come calling.
“My situation at Newcastle looks pretty bleak, with Rafa. “That is one of those things. I am not too fussed about that, but it was disappointing with the way it ended, with Newcastle being my home town club,” he said, as quoted by the Chronicle.
“If the (Newcastle) manager comes calling and wants to take me back there, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
However it is clear that Colback is in complete denial and must now accept the fact that his career at St James’ Park is over, as he is not going to win over Benitez any time soon.
With the array of talent in the midfield – Jonjo Shelvey, Kenedy and Ki Sung-Yueng just to name a few – the likelihood of him starring for the first team look slimmer than it has ever been.
Yes, admittedly it is good that he is remaining optimistic about his future – after all, why wouldn’t he seeming as it is his boyhood club?
Nevertheless, it is crystal clear that he is not up to standard any more, otherwise he would have featured in Benitez’ plans this season rather than being loaned out to the Championship.
United have progressed without Colback, and him coming back would not make any sort of impact whatsoever – and as hard as it will be, he needs to recognise that his future is fading at the Toon – and the faster he does that, the better.
