Joe Cole

[paul_e]

32 plus 2 equals 34. Where does 35 come from?

He turns 33 in November so his contract will finish about 5-6months before he turns 35.

Aside from that, if what he offers in 18months is experienced backup on the bench for Grealish who's tearing the league apart then I'm all for it.  If everyone else is allowed to predict the future then I want in as well.

[Ian.]

32 plus 2 equals 34. Where does 35 come from?

Playing for Villa ages players quicker.

Not just the players, fans too

[ciggiesnbeer]

32 plus 2 equals 34. Where does 35 come from?

Playing for Villa ages players quicker.

Not just the players, fans too

Applause.

[olaftab]

32 plus 2 equals 34. Where does 35 come from?

It's the next number up from 34. 34,35,36...........

[Sexual Ealing]

All I mean't by my comment was that fans shouldn't judge players before they've kicked a ball for us, regardless of past history.
This also happens to be a reasonable point.

I don't think it makes sense, to be honest.

Of course you have to judge players on what they have done before.

When Lambert signed Cole, he was judging him on what he'd done before, as well, so why shouldn't the rest of us? Surely the vast majority of transfers in of players anywhere are done at least partly on the basis of what the player has done before?

Why are Hull trying to sign Lescott? On the basis of what he's done before.

Just because they are footballers doesn't mean they start every new job with a totally clean slate.

I absolutely hope Cole turns out to be a marvellous signing, but I am not about to ignore the fact that he has looked past it for at least three years now.

I also can't help but notice the depressing trend of our signings towards the cheaper end of the market. I hope that changes soon, and will wait to see if it does, but I am not massively hopeful about it.

First two signings, Senderos and Cole. How many of us would have been pleased to read that had we known a few weeks ago?

Incidentally, Cole is on a two year deal. We need to be thinking about how much we reckon a 35 year old Joe Cole is going to be offering us during the last 2/3s of a season of the spell he's with us.

You could always just try not to worry about it.

[ozzjim]

All I mean't by my comment was that fans shouldn't judge players before they've kicked a ball for us, regardless of past history.
This also happens to be a reasonable point.

I don't think it makes sense, to be honest.

Of course you have to judge players on what they have done before.

When Lambert signed Cole, he was judging him on what he'd done before, as well, so why shouldn't the rest of us? Surely the vast majority of transfers in of players anywhere are done at least partly on the basis of what the player has done before?

Why are Hull trying to sign Lescott? On the basis of what he's done before.

Just because they are footballers doesn't mean they start every new job with a totally clean slate.

I absolutely hope Cole turns out to be a marvellous signing, but I am not about to ignore the fact that he has looked past it for at least three years now.

I also can't help but notice the depressing trend of our signings towards the cheaper end of the market. I hope that changes soon, and will wait to see if it does, but I am not massively hopeful about it.

First two signings, Senderos and Cole. How many of us would have been pleased to read that had we known a few weeks ago?

Incidentally, Cole is on a two year deal. We need to be thinking about how much we reckon a 35 year old Joe Cole is going to be offering us during the last 2/3s of a season of the spell he's with us.

You could always just try not to worry about it.

I would hope a 34 year old Cole will be offering us, for essentially a similar wage, a lot more than Delfouneso was, for example. I have always liked him, and as a West Ham fan said to me yesterday, at home if you want to play in an attacking way he still finds balls and plays passes that no one else in their side can but there has been no movement from forwards around him apart from when they have been chasing games. He is what he is, and I agree we should be in for players who have been quality more recently that are available on frees this summer too, but we don't know if we are or are not yet. Plus I think a couple of loans or more will land too before the summer is out.

[silhillvilla]

32 plus 2 equals 34. Where does 35 come from?

It's the next number up from 34. 34,35,36...........

Thanks Carole.

[peter w]

Interesting point about Cole still having the ability but not having forwards moving for him at West Ham. Despite a lack of goals at times last season a lot of teh criticism, a lot, was because of the lack of creativity. If Cole can give us what the West Ham fan said that he offered down there then in the words of Lamert, we'll be fine. One thing our forwards have is plenty of movement. Benteke, and here's a thing, Weimann, will be given plenty of opportunities if Cole does what he has been brought in to do. Shame Sendo hasn't been on here to give us his impressions of him.

[peter w]

Sorry can't 'modify' at work. I don't want him to mimic Cole so I guess it's impressions 'on' him. Some pedant will tell me.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

I thought we'd signed an experienced 32 year old international player the other day on a free.

Reading back here, it sounds like we've spent a fortune on a rapidly ageing has been.

By the start of the season I reckon he'll be in his mid forties and in a wheelchair.

[nigel]

All I mean't by my comment was that fans shouldn't judge players before they've kicked a ball for us, regardless of past history.
This also happens to be a reasonable point.

I don't think it makes sense, to be honest.

Of course you have to judge players on what they have done before.

When Lambert signed Cole, he was judging him on what he'd done before, as well, so why shouldn't the rest of us? Surely the vast majority of transfers in of players anywhere are done at least partly on the basis of what the player has done before?

Why are Hull trying to sign Lescott? On the basis of what he's done before.

Just because they are footballers doesn't mean they start every new job with a totally clean slate.

I absolutely hope Cole turns out to be a marvellous signing, but I am not about to ignore the fact that he has looked past it for at least three years now.

I also can't help but notice the depressing trend of our signings towards the cheaper end of the market. I hope that changes soon, and will wait to see if it does, but I am not massively hopeful about it.

First two signings, Senderos and Cole. How many of us would have been pleased to read that had we known a few weeks ago?

Incidentally, Cole is on a two year deal. We need to be thinking about how much we reckon a 35 year old Joe Cole is going to be offering us during the last 2/3s of a season of the spell he's with us.

I accept that I didn't really word it very well, and I'm not altogether disagreeing with your point of view.
The point being made is: How many of us didn't raise an eyebrow at the signings of Withe, McGrath and Merson? I reckon if we're all honest the answer would be very few.
All three had a good pedigree, but when we acquired them we bought one journey man and two alcoholics!!  All three turned out to be absolute master strokes by the relevant managers.
The other side of the coin would be Cascarrino (?), Colleymore and, to a certain degree, Ireland. Signings which excited us at the time but turned out to be false dawns.

I think both Senderos and Cole fall into the 'Good pedigree, but, had better days' category. Senderos is still an international with a half decent Swiss team at the World Cup.
I'll be honest and say that they're not signings that have excited me, but, when I look at the comparisons I think its unfair to say that they're sh*t signings.

[pauliewalnuts]

32 plus 2 equals 34. Where does 35 come from?

He's 33 in November which means for the last two thirds of his second season with us, he will be 35.

I thought we'd stopped doing things like that.

[Rolta]

I also can't help but notice the depressing trend of our signings towards the cheaper end of the market. I hope that changes soon, and will wait to see if it does, but I am not massively hopeful about it.

 

You can't help but notice! What're you talking about? Helenius cost us £20million last season, and there was that £15million left back we signed the season before – Joe Bennet – which was part of Lambert's epic spending spree of 9 signings at £12million each. Don't you know the only thing we can judge him on is tactics! What trend is there to notice? What? We've been poor since Lerner decided to cut costs?! Even when McLeish signed N'Zogbia and Hutton etc. we made about £10million in profit that season.

Maybe it's beyond time to lower your expectations, because reality makes all that's happening much easier to take.

[Rolta]

32 plus 2 equals 34. Where does 35 come from?

He's 33 in November which means for the last two thirds of his second season with us, he will be 35.

I thought we'd stopped doing things like that.

No he won't he'll be 34 in his second season, and he'll be 35 the November after his two years are up.

There's looking for negatives, and then there's making things up.

[E I Adio]

I was a fan of Cole in his prime, the sort of player that could pick a killer pass more often than most. I've not seen much of him in recent years, but it's hard to believe that he would lose that rare skill. Of course, it depends on whether he is here for one last payday, or if he genuinely wants to play football to the best of his ability.

If it's the latter that's great, but what is most concerning is whether we have any forwards who are capable of moving off the ball into positions to accept that "killer" pass.  There's not been a great deal of evidence to suggest that we have.