Since the last edition of SHSoSHG, David Rozehnal has signed for Lazio, while Emre is expected to sign for Fenerbache next month once he sorts out a technicality involving his eligibility for Turkish national service. Moving on, we turn our attentions to Brazilian centre half Claudio Cacapa.

The Lowdown

When he signed for Sam Allardyce’s Newcastle last summer, supporters were optimistic that the multiple Ligue 1 winning Lyon captain would bring much needed experience to our backline. After a promising start, Cacapa was made a scapegoat by management, pundits and fans for our 4-1 defeat against Portsmouth, and struggled for form since. An injury towards the end of the season denied him the chance to prove himself in Keegan’s rejuvenated Newcastle side.

He Should Stay

Partnering Abdoulaye Faye in defence, Cacapa initially established a deserved place in the Newcastle starting line-up. The Brazilian easily made up for his lack of pace by using his experience and his positional sense to stay ahead of the game, and was one of the Magpies star performers in wins against West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur, winning praise from Steve Harper. Even after the Portsmouth debacle, the No. 6 managed to put in a Man of the Match performance away at Fulham.

In terms of defensive skills, Claudio can head, tackle and intercept the ball as well as any other defender. It is also very apparent that he is a player who learnt his trade in a much more technical league, for he has shown that he is very comfortable on the ball and can pick out a good pass. In terms of passing ability both in terms of technique and decision making, Cacapa’s passing ability is only exceeded at St. James’ Park by Michael Owen and Geremi.

He Should Go

The Premier League is much more intense and physical than the Brazilian and French leagues. While technical ability is advantageous, it doesn’t get a defender anywhere in the Premier League if it isn’t matched with strength, speed, and the tenacity to cope with ninety minutes of non stop action.

Cacapa’s infamous performance against Portsmouth demonstrated that he doesn’t possess those three important attributes. The lack of strength led to the Brazilian coming off second best in a one-on-one situation. Lack of speed allowed him to be skinned, while he showed an inability to cope with constant pressure over a fifteen minute period. Good player he may be, but many good players have failed to cope with the Premier League’s style of play, and Cacapa may be another player to add to that list.

Conclusion

Had he arrived in England five years ago, he may have turned out to be a top player for Newcastle. However, at 32 years old, it has probably come too late for Cacapa to secure a regular first team berth.

His horror games can however be mitigated by both a hamstring injury and the poor performances of the likes of Steven Taylor, Shay Given and Nicky Butt which put him under more pressure than you could expect a single player to cope with. It is a shame that he was unavailable for selection after the team performances improved under Keegan. Had he been given the opportunity to show what he could do in a consistent and performing team he may have found redemption.

All considered, Cacapa deserves a last chance at Newcastle to show what he can do. With the club in a transition period and more likely to be investing in other departments, we are going to need players like Cacapa to help the team out in a squad capacity.