Have We Found The New Moncur?
Last updated : 23 October 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor
We've had odds-and-sods (Albert, Howey, Dabizas, Woodgate, etc) since Bobby Moncur lifted the Fairs Cup in Budapest on Joe Harvey's 50th birthday in 1969.
But perhaps Sam Allardyce has signed the man to finally take over Bobby's mantle.
Allardyce managed to sign defender Cacapa on a free transfer in the summer, and if Monday night (v Spurs) is anything to go by ... forget all the talk of Anton Sibierski being our best ever "free transfer".
Cacapa arrived at Newcastle United in the summer after six years at Olympique Lyonnais, where he collected five league titles.
And the 31-year-old - also captain of Lyon for five years - looked world class against Tottenham as he starts to find his feet in the Premiership.
Allardyce: "Cacapa has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.
"You can't beat experience and a player like him from Brazil, who has played across the world of football in the his lifetime is fantastic.
"He's just breezed into the Premiership like he's never been anywhere else, and that comes out of experience and it comes from being a very intelligent footballer.
"This man knows where to stand and knows how to stand there before anyone else on the park.
"In fact, he can work his way into positions that other people have to run into. That's how far ahead he thinks.
"He never leaves himself exposed because he's always in the right starting position. That's why he looks so comfortable, and I'm so pleased to have him here.
"Everyone was like they always are outside of the club you're at - I used to get the same thing at Bolton.
"This time when we signed Cacapa, it was Claudio who? That's born out of the ignorance of this country. This lad has had five years at Lyon and they were five years where he was captain and they won the title.
"To go with it, that's five years of Champions League football. It just shows the quality of the player that he is.
"We were the first to get in there with one of our scouts. We brought up the situation and I knew a little bit about him myself.
"We did a bit of checking, invited him over and he flew past every test we put in front of him. He could be a terrific boost this season.
"We captured him on a free transfer because he didn't want to stay at Lyon any longer due to his will to have a new challenge in the Premier League."