Time for the Real Joe Cole to show what he’s made of

You maybe asking a question from the title, who is the “Real Joe Cole” anyway? After all he is spent the best part of the last two seasons injured, and has invariably been unconvincing when fit whilst playing for either Chelsea or Liverpool. At 29, he hasn’t got many years left in him either and his young fleet-footedness could well have been lost over the years with age and injury taking its toll. One man who is unconvinced with this explanation though is Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish. King Kenny said of Cole recently:

“Joe has the ability to open up a can of beans. He’s a talented footballer and we will try our best to get that out of him. He’s positive, he’s lively and he’s bubbly… We need to have a look to see where he’s up to. We have to make sure he’s right and ready. We won’t judge him now because he’s still trying to get himself fit. He knows himself he has to get adjusted to playing again. After being injured it takes a wee while. You cannot just turn it on and off like a tap.”

Some Reds fans question the ability of Joe Cole; I am not one of them. I have always been an admirer of the player over the years, his flair, skill and end product when fit have made him one of England’s most gifted midfield players over the last ten years. He is a player who possesses something different, who can instil life into a match with a small piece of inspiration. Kenny’s description that he has the ability to “open up a can of beans” is very apt in my opinion.

Nearly every Reds fan I spoke to was very excited about the prospect of Joe Cole coming to the club last summer. Although there were question marks over the motivation for his move, his commitment to playing for Liverpool since he joined has been undoubted. Cole himself came out yesterday to say he is still determined to make an impact at Liverpool, and although he admits the last six months have not gone as he planned, he really does want to find his best form for the club.

For all intents and purposes it would have been easy for the player to keep himself and his family in London where he has spent all of his life. After all he has earned enough money to retire long ago, and he could have spent the last few years of his career playing under his mentor Harry Redknapp at Spurs or gone back to his boyhood club West Ham. He obviously wanted a challenge of some sort and a desire to play first team football, as otherwise I can’t see how money would be motivation enough to uproot his young family up North.

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