Source: Daily_Mail
NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Sol Campbell or Titus Bramble
Titus or Sol? Who would you prefer?[LNB]It's a tough choice but you just get the feeling Newcastle fans will be celebrating the arrival of their new centre-backs for the start of the new season slightly more than their neighbours from Sunderland.[LNB]Former Arsenal and Spurs defender Sol Campbell looks set to get his wish and clinch a move to a club in the North East, enabling him to stay in his Northumberland home with his new bride, while also extending his Premier League career by a year or two.[LNB] Write caption here[LNB]And in doing so, whether he likes it or not, Campbell appears to have delivered a snub to Sunderland boss Steve Bruce. [LNB]Twelve months ago Campbell could have been playing in the North East at League Two Darlington. Now he is set to help Newcastle's survival bid by signing for Chris Hughton on Wednesday.[LNB]Although we are still awaiting final official confirmation of the extent of Steven Taylor's shoulder injury suffered in the opening pre-season game at Carlisle, Sportsmail understands the former England Under-21 defender is out for at least three months following surgery.[LNB] More from Colin Young... Colin Young: A fully-fit Barton is great news for Newcastle... and England20/07/10 Colin Young: Bruce doesn't waste time as Sunderland kick off in Ireland13/07/10 NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Told you so - Scots are taking over at Middlesbrough08/07/10 NORTHERN EXPOSURE: We'll fight them on the beaches... in Sunderland06/07/10 COLIN YOUNG: Expect Sunderland to get the better of hard-up Newcastle16/06/10 NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Smells like Tyne spirit as Toon Army march on08/06/10 NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Steve Bruce would dearly love to spike Manchester United's title push and stay on course for a top ten Premier League finish27/04/10 NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Newcastle pride restored as title party begins20/04/10 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Even with James Perch added in a surprise deal from Nottingham Forest earlier this summer, and Fabricio Coloccini still on the Newcastle books, Hughton clearly decided he needed an experienced central defender to lead his line during the difficult months ahead.[LNB]And they do not come much more experienced than Campbell.[LNB]Campbell started his career at Tottenham but in one of the most controversial Bosman transfers in history, he joined rivals Arsenal. He then made the move to Portsmouth where he captained Harry Redknapp's FA Cup-winning side. [LNB]That was his third FA Cup triumph, adding to a League Cup, as well as the Premier League title with Arsene Wenger. [LNB]After one game at Notts County last season, he returned to Arsenal to see out the season with the Gunners.[LNB]The former England international, now 35, is four short of 500 top flight games putting him fourth in the all-time appearance list behind David James, Ryan Giggs and Gary Speed. [LNB]At Newcastle he is likely to have plenty of opportunities to increase his total.[LNB]Campbell, who is had a medical on Tyneside on Tuesday after returning from his honeymoon, has met Hughton, whom he worked closely with at Tottenham. But he has also met Bruce, and Celtic boss Neil Lennon in the last month.[LNB] Pedigree: Campbell brings with him a wealth of experience and a winning mentality[LNB]Although Bruce and Sunderland will try and put a positive spin on Campbell's choice, no doubt claiming that the defender's age and wages precluded them from breaking the bank to get him, the choice of alternative will have raised a few eyebrows to say the least.[LNB]And it is a rare PR coup for the current Newcastle board who are keen to make an impact on their return to the Premier League in more ways than one.[LNB]But what about Sunderland and Steve Bruce, and Titus?[LNB]I will not be thanked for writing this, but if he is going to sign Titus Bramble, Bruce leaves himself open to question, criticism and one day, perhaps, even ridicule.[LNB]Brave: Steve Bruce, a Geordie, has risked the wrath of the Stadium of Light crowd[LNB]He has missed out on Heiko Westermann and decided not to pursue Campbell as vigorously as Hughton. However, with Matt Kilgallon, Michael Turner and Paulo Da Silva signed in the last year, Anton Ferdinand still in the squad and John Mensah hoping to be allowed to return to Sunderland, why the urgency?[LNB]Signing former Newcastle defender Bramble as the alternative to Campbell is brave but also one of the biggest gambles of Bruce's year-long reign, if not any reign on Wearside,. It could, in the long run, prove to be his resignation note.[LNB]On the whole, like it or not, Bramble was a Shambles at Newcastle and he wasn't even popular with his own fans. In fact, given his error-prone career at St James' Park, he was probably more popular with Sunderland fans at that point.[LNB]Admittedly he improved under Bruce at Wigan, but he was still guilty of some pretty daft mistakes at the DW Stadium, so much so that not many tears have been shed at Bruce's former club after another successful raid on Roberto Martinez's squad. [LNB]And you are not telling me that Bramble has eradicated the mistakes and expensive lapses of concentration which have blighted him since he was a youngster at Ipswich. Bruce is a good coach, and a former centre-back of some repute himself, but he's surely not that good.[LNB] Shambles: Bramble even had his own fans turn on him after a series of mistakes[LNB]Lee Cattermole (who he got) and Charles N'Zogbia and Maynor Figueroa (who he didn't) make sense. They are good players who would add to a squad like Sunderland. Bramble is a major risk, even at the initial £1 million Sunderland are reporting to be paying. [LNB]With the return of the Tyne-Wear derby this season, Bruce and his current employers will no doubt be doing their utmost to distance Bruce from his Geordie roots, particularly when derby day looms.[LNB]By signing Bramble he has perhaps unnecessarily opened himself up for criticism from the Sunderland faithful.[LNB]Because when Bramble makes his first mistake - and he will make one - Sunderland fans will turn. And it will be worse if it is in the derby.[LNB]It's just a question of whether Bruce or Bramble will get it in the neck most.[LNB] [LNB]
