Written by Daniel Blazer for FootballFancast.com: If media reports are to be believed then Joe Cole is on his way out of Anfield this summer, with Tottenham Hotspur apparently readying a £10 million bid for the forgotten man. In a business sense this would be a very good bit of import export for Liverpool, having signed the former Chelsea man on a free transfer, but the arrival of Joe Cole was dubbed one of the best signings of the transfer window, so what has happened to the England international whilst on Merseyside?
During Cole’s short spell at Anfield he has already seen two managers in charge, firstly Roy Hodgson and now Kenny Dalglish. For a new signing it is always hard when the manager who brings you to the team leaves relatively early into your career, but the fact of the matter is that even under Hodgson’s tenure Cole’s form was being criticised, with the former Fulham manager even commenting “He knows he is better than that and he knows he can do better than that”. Every footballer goes through blips in form, but ‘King Kenny’s’ arrival should have made Cole want to start fresh and give his all to impress; although this appears to have failed with the reported selling of the midfielder, so has Cole simply lost the desire to play or are there other issues?
Not playing is obviously not going to help anyone’s fitness, however, in the modern age of football where players have intense and specially designed diets, training programmes and routines, becoming overweight is not a plausible option (call me a hypocrite). But it has become apparent to even Stevie Wonder that Joe Cole has put on a few pounds, surely the former West Ham man hasn’t become the next Benni McCarthy, content to earn his weekly wage by warming the bench?
Getting sent off on his league debut for Liverpool after 45 minutes was close to rivalling Jonathan Woodgate’s Real Madrid debut as the worst one ever but this wasn’t enough for Cole and he decided to miss a penalty in his next game. Not the best start by any stretch of the imagination and perhaps they were early warning signs from the eye in the sky that Cole’s Liverpool career was going to derail. Two incidents don’t ruin a career that has seen Cole been labelled the answer to England’s left midfield problem, the midfielder clearly has shown he has an abundance of talent over the years, but has he really lost his ‘edge’ or should praise be going to the continual good form of Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez, with the former in particular arguably Liverpool’s player of the season.
Ultimately Joe Cole will more than likely leave Anfield in the summer without ever showing fans why he was dubbed a child prodigy at West Ham and won Chelsea’s player of the year in 2008.
So why has Joe Cole failed to make the grade at Anfield?
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The player’s legs have gone. Simple as that. Chelsea knew this two seasons ago, and it’s been evident in any game he’s played last season and this , which is why they wouldn’t give him another lucrative contract. It’s extraordinary that he is still toiling in the Premiership. He should be playing out his career at a near-home London club club like Crystal Palace or maybe next season back at West Ham in the Championship.
Because he’s a greedy rat-bag who tried to bluff more from Chelsea before being freed, the turned down Harry and Spurs for an extra £20,000 per week to play for Liverpool under a manager they didn’t even want. That enough reasons? Deserves it. I so hope he goes to QPR. I’d GIVE you Kranks rather that take Cole in exchange.
Because he isn’t fit enough, doesn’t have a proper position and Liverpools first team is playing well as it is.
he nows he is going u could see it in his goal he scored an how he reacted
To even suggest that Spurs would buy a ‘flop’ player from a club that is below them in terms of players and points is utterly crazy – and for 10m – yeah right! Spurs will no way sign JC and they have been breathing a sigh of relief this season (to be fair 60% of Spurs fans knew it last summer) !!! PPPHHHEEEEWWWWWW !! Couldn’t agree more Championship (or “West Brom” standard – no offence)at best… Always was in my opinion massively over rated – never scored goals and played consistantly at the level he was potrayed at by the media, not even one season springs to mind where he consistantly was player of the month / scored / supplied.. Had “moments” at Wet Spam & Chelski – no more no less…
Classic example of the kid in the playground who can do 1000 keep ups so walks into the school team, only we all know that keep ups mean fa in a match.
Id like him to stay at liverpool cos i think hes handy to have on the bench but certainly not a starter at the mo. Hope he can turn it round tho he can turn