Joe Cole

[Gregorys Boy]

I really don't see the fascination with him. He's most noteworthy contribution during his playing career was as a wind-up merchant and that warrants being a TV personality? It's a sad indictment.

Regarding Joe Cole, I still have hope that he has a part to play for us this year and hopefully can disprove a few doubters. 

Not to take this off topic or anything (to be fair I don't know how we even got onto Savage in a JC thread), but sometimes I do think certain Villa fans are determined to hate Savage forever because of who he once played for.  Didn't like him as a player, but I think those wind up qualities actually work better as a pundit.  He is outspoken and it is entertaining when he really gets into a debate with someone on 606, but his predictions stick! Moving on...

[Chris Smith]

When I try to get optimistic about Joe Cole I keep seeing Pires and Ginola not Merson. To get an indian summer out of a player like we did out of. Paul Merson and Paul McGrath that player has to have retained his appetite and enthusiasm for the game. I suspect that Joe Cole does not have that any more. I hope I am wrong but it looked a massive punt to bring him to the club.

It's a gamble, sure, but massive punt is over egging it a little. If it doesn't come off then it's a relatively minor outlay in today's market?

We keep hearing that, but in our on-going austerity drive, all these "inexpensive" flops are starting to add up.

Even by modern standards is is a bit early to be calling him a flop.

[Risso]

When I try to get optimistic about Joe Cole I keep seeing Pires and Ginola not Merson. To get an indian summer out of a player like we did out of. Paul Merson and Paul McGrath that player has to have retained his appetite and enthusiasm for the game. I suspect that Joe Cole does not have that any more. I hope I am wrong but it looked a massive punt to bring him to the club.

It's a gamble, sure, but massive punt is over egging it a little. If it doesn't come off then it's a relatively minor outlay in today's market?

We keep hearing that, but in our on-going austerity drive, all these "inexpensive" flops are starting to add up.

Even by modern standards is is a bit early to be calling him a flop.

I wasn't necessarily including Joe Cole, but if it doesn't work out, he'll have cost us £2m+ in wages.  When you add that on to the others like Tonev, Luna, Bennett and Sylla etc, it mounts up.

[N'ZMAV]

Cole needs to play, but I don't think he's up to it - sadly, we could have invested in someone younger and with a better fitness record. Sounds obvious really. Lambert obviously has a plan and a need for Cole. Let's hope it's not a pointless signing.

[silhillvilla]

What staggers me is a quick trip to a west ham forum or call to any ST holder would have told you Joe Cole is blowing out of his arse after 7 mins of trotting about. The guys legs are gone , he is useless to us at this level.

[brian green]

There you have it Sil. We buy players albeit "cheaply" without full and forensic examination of their problems.  Somebody could have told us NZogbia runs into dead ends with his head down or that KEA bottles tackles or Tonev shoots wildly from 30 yards. Surely Lambert was aware of Cole's inability to achieve proper levels of fitness? You can only assume that he did know but once again chose to roll the dice.
As Riss says entirely correctly it is the steady frittering away of a couple of million here and a couple of million there which is at the core of our lack of transfer funds.

[JUAN PABLO]

What staggers me is a quick trip to a west ham forum or call to any ST holder would have told you Joe Cole is blowing out of his arse after 7 mins of trotting about. The guys legs are gone , he is useless to us at this level.

Exactly. I spoke to a WHU season ticket holder who said he is finished. Mind, it didn't take being Einstein to work that out .
He really needed to drop down to a Brentford level.

[supertom]

Cole needs to play, but I don't think he's up to it - sadly, we could have invested in someone younger and with a better fitness record. Sounds obvious really. Lambert obviously has a plan and a need for Cole. Let's hope it's not a pointless signing.

I just get the feeling that for a half decent number 10, we probably couldn't afford anyone better who could be consider a fairly safe bet. Joe Cole on a free was probably an alternative to Wes Hoolahan.
I think we looked at a Spanish player at one point late in the window. I'm buggered if I remember who, but obviously it didn't come off.

I just think we could really do with a good 20-30 million quid window next summer. With TV money etc, and a good further trimming of wage bill with 1-2 going, I think a spend like that should be within our means. Given our struggles we could well also lose a couple of our better players, so we can't do things by half any more. Hand in pocket time.

[ACVilla]

I had totally forgot we had signed him.

[supertom]

We've been linked today with a january loan move for Clint Dempsey, along with QPR too. For me he'd be a good short term solution, in the Robbie Keane mould who could play the number 10. And he's in decent nick for his age, unlike Cole. It might give us a couple of months with a bit more nous and threat up top.

[Clampy]

We've been linked today with a january loan move for Clint Dempsey, along with QPR too. For me he'd be a good short term solution, in the Robbie Keane mould who could play the number 10. And he's in decent nick for his age, unlike Cole. It might give us a couple of months with a bit more nous and threat up top.

Didn't he go to Everton last season and did naff all or did I dream it?

edit. Just looked and it's Fulham he went back to for five games. He did do naff all though.

[supertom]

We've been linked today with a january loan move for Clint Dempsey, along with QPR too. For me he'd be a good short term solution, in the Robbie Keane mould who could play the number 10. And he's in decent nick for his age, unlike Cole. It might give us a couple of months with a bit more nous and threat up top.

Didn't he go to Everton last season and did naff all or did I dream it?

edit. Just looked and it's Fulham he went back to for five games. He did do naff all though.

Ha ha. I'd forgotten all about that. That said, he was quality in the World Cup.
I don't envision our ambitions going much higher than something like this in Jan to be honest.

[eamonn]

Dempsey, Keane (again), Cahill and... fuckit, Henry. We can send Bennett, Sylla, Salifou and Gardner over to the US on an exchange trip.

[OCD]

I wouldn't mind Keane coming back, just as a coach to teach the players about movement.

[Des Little]

Joe Cole is fat, unfit and past it. End of.