One player that will be sweating over his future at St James' Park following the ratification of Colback's move to Newcastle will be Vurnon Anita. The diminutive midfielder is a fans favourite amongst the Magpies support but that won't be enough to save him if he's put in direct competition against his new team-mate. In many ways Anita and Colback share many attributes in that they operate diligently from the centre of the pitch, efficiently recycling possession for the team through their progressive distribution of the ball and intelligent positional sense. In layman's terms they don't pull up any trees, keep it simple and stray clear of the limelight. But why should Anita be worried? Despite being exposed to the physicality of the Premier League for two years it seems the Dutchman is still swimming against the tide in that sense. He's a technically astute player and we appreciate the elegant touch he brings to our midfield but he is too easily shrugged off the ball or outmuscled in the tackle. He's plucky but just not strong enough and that is the nub of our qualms. Colback, on the other hand, is the opposite to Anita in that sense and has exhibited a tenacity and backbone that Pardew will consider a key attribute in the composition of his midfield next season. His reemergence as an attacking threat during he latter half of last season, playing in an advanced position behind the striker, is an additional benefit that adds another string to his bow. It will, however, be interesting to see if Pardew attempts to knit Colback and Anita into the same lineup or if the former Ajax schemer is sacrificed to accommodate our returning Geordie.
