Joe Cole

[kippaxvilla2]

Stan not impressed, I see.

Ohhhh that's what Brian Doogan does.

[Gerrin]

At least we don't have to worry about other teams coming along and cherry-picking our best players as they come to the end of their contracts!

What's the latest on Delph's contract??

[pauliewalnuts]

I can't work out why the 32 year old Joe Cole is past it and a bad signing whereas the 33 year old Gareth Barry would apparently be ideal.

For me, its because Barry isnt a crock. And Barry is just a better player all-round. Cole has the tricks but when does he use them. Seldom.

Exactly.

Barry and Hoolahan have both done the business very recently. Cole has looked past it for a long while now.

He had a good spell at Lille and yes didn't impress in his recent spell back at West Ham. However, is that partly down to the anti-football tactics of his previous manager and does Cole signing for us suggest a change from the anti-football tactics of ours?

It suggests no change in our wages and transfer policy, and not much change in the grey matter if we've given a 2 year contract. How much do they think we'll be getting out of a 35 year old Joe Cole in the last half season of his deal?

He was at Lille 3 seasons ago. That's a long time when you're 32. Since then, he's played at a team totally based on passing the ball, and looked past it. He's then gone to his boyhood club for two seasons, and looked past it there, too.

I have no problem with signing 32 year olds. Hoolahan, for example, has proven he can still do it recently. So has Gareth Barry. Joe Cole has not shown he can do it in the premier league for years.

When was his last good season in the Premier League?

I suspect the reason we're signing him and not Hoolahan is that Hoolahan has a year on his contract and will involve a fee, whereas Cole does not.

It strikes me as a nuts move in almost all senses.

I'll wait and see if we make an attempt to improve on any of our starting players, but I am far from convinced that'll happen, and every laughable signing we make like this just makes me more sceptical.

[Dave]

However, is that partly down to the anti-football tactics of his previous manager and does Cole signing for us suggest a change from the anti-football tactics of ours?

Jay Jay Okocha seemed to cope with it alright.

[Gerrin]

"Cole joined Liverpool on a free transfer after signing a four-year deal in July 2010. He was manager Roy Hodgson's first signing at the club and was given the number 10 shirt. Cole was to receive £90,000-a-week wages and was advertised as a major coup by the club. Club captain Steven Gerrard even claimed Cole was a better player than Lionel Messi."

[rob_bridge]

"Cole joined Liverpool on a free transfer after signing a four-year deal in July 2010. He was manager Roy Hodgson's first signing at the club and was given the number 10 shirt. Cole was to receive £90,000-a-week wages and was advertised as a major coup by the club. Club captain Steven Gerrard even claimed Cole was a better player than Lionel Messi."

Alex Ferguson claimed McLeish was a good appointment for Villa.

Has a similar hollow ring to it, IMO

[Toronto Villa]

I can't work out why the 32 year old Joe Cole is past it and a bad signing whereas the 33 year old Gareth Barry would apparently be ideal.

For me, its because Barry isnt a crock. And Barry is just a better player all-round. Cole has the tricks but when does he use them. Seldom.

Exactly.

Barry and Hoolahan have both done the business very recently. Cole has looked past it for a long while now.

He had a good spell at Lille and yes didn't impress in his recent spell back at West Ham. However, is that partly down to the anti-football tactics of his previous manager and does Cole signing for us suggest a change from the anti-football tactics of ours?

It suggests no change in our wages and transfer policy, and not much change in the grey matter if we've given a 2 year contract. How much do they think we'll be getting out of a 35 year old Joe Cole in the last half season of his deal?

He was at Lille 3 seasons ago. That's a long time when you're 32. Since then, he's played at a team totally based on passing the ball, and looked past it. He's then gone to his boyhood club for two seasons, and looked past it there, too.

I have no problem with signing 32 year olds. Hoolahan, for example, has proven he can still do it recently. So has Gareth Barry. Joe Cole has not shown he can do it in the premier league for years.

When was his last good season in the Premier League?

I suspect the reason we're signing him and not Hoolahan is that Hoolahan has a year on his contract and will involve a fee, whereas Cole does not.

It strikes me as a nuts move in almost all senses.

I'll wait and see if we make an attempt to improve on any of our starting players, but I am far from convinced that'll happen, and every laughable signing we make like this just makes me more sceptical.

I'm not taking the position that this is the end of our transfer dealings. Rather just an opportunity to add some depth on a limited budget. I've said before that if this is it we're in trouble and like everyone I am hoping the sale goes through so we can invest appropriately prior to the deadline. Lambert himself has said we need to invest so I cannot imagine this is what he imagined that investment to be. I'm not edging any closer to the cliff in early June, but come late July with a couple more of these types of deals I might be a lot closer.

[mr underhill]

imo there are only two scenarios that will see us pay for a player this summer; if we are sold, and secondly, if we sell first. Maybe the restaurant meet was to give Randy the chance to personally deliver  bad news  budget wise to Lambert and try and sweeten it a little with the personal touch and a nice dessert. Lambert certainly looked pissed off on the flight home according to people who saw  him, but I suppose that could just have been the shrimp and grits. Cole and the other chap are where we are now; in the freebie bin.

[LeeB]

imo there are only two scenarios that will see us pay for a player this summer; if we are sold, and secondly, if we sell first. Maybe the restaurant meet was to give Randy the chance to personally deliver  bad news  budget wise to Lambert and try and sweeten it a little with the personal touch and a nice dessert. Lambert certainly looked pissed off on the flight home according to people who saw  him, but I suppose that could just have been the shrimp and grits. Cole and the other chap are where we are now; in the freebie bin.

It's a step up from the bin we were rummaging through when we signed Sylla and Holt.

[pauliewalnuts]

imo there are only two scenarios that will see us pay for a player this summer; if we are sold, and secondly, if we sell first. Maybe the restaurant meet was to give Randy the chance to personally deliver  bad news  budget wise to Lambert and try and sweeten it a little with the personal touch and a nice dessert. Lambert certainly looked pissed off on the flight home according to people who saw  him, but I suppose that could just have been the shrimp and grits. Cole and the other chap are where we are now; in the freebie bin.

It's a step up from the bin we were rummaging through when we signed Sylla and Holt.

The problem is, we need to stop rummaging around bins, full stop. Or at least move from the bins area towards the restaurant entrance. Perhaps infringe on the car park.

[LeeB]

imo there are only two scenarios that will see us pay for a player this summer; if we are sold, and secondly, if we sell first. Maybe the restaurant meet was to give Randy the chance to personally deliver  bad news  budget wise to Lambert and try and sweeten it a little with the personal touch and a nice dessert. Lambert certainly looked pissed off on the flight home according to people who saw  him, but I suppose that could just have been the shrimp and grits. Cole and the other chap are where we are now; in the freebie bin.

It's a step up from the bin we were rummaging through when we signed Sylla and Holt.

The problem is, we need to stop rummaging around bins, full stop. Or at least move from the bins area towards the restaurant entrance. Perhaps infringe on the car park.

We need to move swiftly to the reduced-to-clear shelf, find an eclair with slight pastry damage.

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm not taking the position that this is the end of our transfer dealings. Rather just an opportunity to add some depth on a limited budget. I've said before that if this is it we're in trouble and like everyone I am hoping the sale goes through so we can invest appropriately prior to the deadline. Lambert himself has said we need to invest so I cannot imagine this is what he imagined that investment to be. I'm not edging any closer to the cliff in early June, but come late July with a couple more of these types of deals I might be a lot closer.

I think my problem is that I just don't trust them - our leaders - any more. I don't trust them to even agree there is a need for significantly better players, let alone provide the cash to buy them. I am starting to suspect that that "OK, I'm selling, blah blah blah something about Shampoonites blah blah" statement is going to be seen as an excuse to not bother even pretending to give a shit any more.

I am aware this is extremely cynical of me, and I hate being like this, I really do, but this is the way they've made me.

I find myself looking, for example, at the likes of Delph and Vlaar with a year left on their contracts, and feeling almost resigned to the fact they won't get extended, and we'll lose them - because they'll cost too much money.

I genuinely can not believe my opinion of them has fallen so low. I was one of those who'd endlessly stick up for Randy against the likes of Risso and other arch sceptics until a few seasons ago, it's not like I've always had it in for them, but they've really, honestly lost me.

I used to think they were well intentioned, but I'm not even sure about that any more. I think they don't understand the risk the club has been at for three years, and will continue to be at unless something changes, and I don't think they care for anything but survival at the lowest cost.

It just seems that every season, the commitment tails off a bit more, the level of expectation gets set even lower, the risks we take get higher. You can not exist like that for very long, because you'll get punished for it.

What happens, say, if there's no takeover in the next few seasons? There's no guarantee there will be. Does this go on for years? This undisguised lack of ambition? Is this it?

The problem with our recent transfer activity has not been the players we have bought, it has been the players we haven't bought. Plenty of filler and almost zero actual improvements. How many players, and of what level, do people think we need to improve as much as we need to (honestly, 15th or 16th isn't just unacceptable, it's nothing like it)?

I'll wait and see like everyone else what happens - we have no choice in it - but my faith in them to firstly recognise what needs to be done, and then to do it, is zero.

[pauliewalnuts]

imo there are only two scenarios that will see us pay for a player this summer; if we are sold, and secondly, if we sell first. Maybe the restaurant meet was to give Randy the chance to personally deliver  bad news  budget wise to Lambert and try and sweeten it a little with the personal touch and a nice dessert. Lambert certainly looked pissed off on the flight home according to people who saw  him, but I suppose that could just have been the shrimp and grits. Cole and the other chap are where we are now; in the freebie bin.

It's a step up from the bin we were rummaging through when we signed Sylla and Holt.

The problem is, we need to stop rummaging around bins, full stop. Or at least move from the bins area towards the restaurant entrance. Perhaps infringe on the car park.

We need to move swiftly to the reduced-to-clear shelf, find an eclair with slight pastry damage.

Waiting eagerly for the about-to-pass-sell-by-date marked down flapjacks to make an appearance.

[LeeB]

imo there are only two scenarios that will see us pay for a player this summer; if we are sold, and secondly, if we sell first. Maybe the restaurant meet was to give Randy the chance to personally deliver  bad news  budget wise to Lambert and try and sweeten it a little with the personal touch and a nice dessert. Lambert certainly looked pissed off on the flight home according to people who saw  him, but I suppose that could just have been the shrimp and grits. Cole and the other chap are where we are now; in the freebie bin.

It's a step up from the bin we were rummaging through when we signed Sylla and Holt.

The problem is, we need to stop rummaging around bins, full stop. Or at least move from the bins area towards the restaurant entrance. Perhaps infringe on the car park.

We need to move swiftly to the reduced-to-clear shelf, find an eclair with slight pastry damage.

Waiting eagerly for the about-to-pass-sell-by-date marked down flapjacks to make an appearance.

Keane's come in thanks to his close contacts with the bakery staff, he gets tipped the wink when they get marked down. This is what modern football is all about, contacts.

[pauliewalnuts]

imo there are only two scenarios that will see us pay for a player this summer; if we are sold, and secondly, if we sell first. Maybe the restaurant meet was to give Randy the chance to personally deliver  bad news  budget wise to Lambert and try and sweeten it a little with the personal touch and a nice dessert. Lambert certainly looked pissed off on the flight home according to people who saw  him, but I suppose that could just have been the shrimp and grits. Cole and the other chap are where we are now; in the freebie bin.

It's a step up from the bin we were rummaging through when we signed Sylla and Holt.

The problem is, we need to stop rummaging around bins, full stop. Or at least move from the bins area towards the restaurant entrance. Perhaps infringe on the car park.

We need to move swiftly to the reduced-to-clear shelf, find an eclair with slight pastry damage.

Waiting eagerly for the about-to-pass-sell-by-date marked down flapjacks to make an appearance.

Keane's come in thanks to his close contacts with the bakery staff, he gets tipped the wink when they get marked down. This is what modern football is all about, contacts.

Keano: "Are the eclairs marked down yet?"
Staff member: "No, not yet"



Staff member: "Here, take them all, we want no trouble"