Jole Cole

[Hoboh]

Shrewd or money grabbing tosser? Good deal for the bin dippers in my opinion

[Bruce Rioja]

I thought he'd have gone to where he'd get CL football, myself.

[H. Pedersen]

Sell Benayoun for 5 million, get Colefor free? Yeah, good deal.

[Prufrock]

I think HP has already given the gist, but I think it needs stressing.

Imagine:

You're a cheapo American who buys a footballing institute and, since football is a business, the fourth biggest footballing name in the world, at least; you then don't back a manager on the up, later giving said manager a bumper new contract before, despite claiming to have no money, then sacking him; from there, getting Joe Cole (admittedly on high wages) plus 4 million quid for Benayoun (a good player but worse than J.Cole) is the best they have done in so very, very long they deserve a fecking standing ovation. Good signing.

[keveh]

Yeah I think what has come out of this isn't how much of a money grabber Joe Cole is, it's more about how good of a signing it is for Liverpool.

Everybody knows the team is pretty much Torres and Gerrard, with other players having bit-part roles. At least this now means they have another quality player, not somebody just to fill a position.

[Puskas]

I think HP has already given the gist, but I think it needs stressing.

Imagine:

You're a cheapo American who buys a footballing institute and, since football is a business, the fourth biggest footballing name in the world, at least; you then don't back a manager on the up, later giving said manager a bumper new contract before, despite claiming to have no money, then sacking him; from there, getting Joe Cole (admittedly on high wages) plus 4 million quid for Benayoun (a good player but worse than J.Cole) is the best they have done in so very, very long they deserve a fecking standing ovation. Good signing.

Wouldn't agree that Cole is better than Benayoun. They're both rather good. Cole's main advantage is that he's several years younger. However, he's probably getting paid about twice as much as the Israeli.

[blurred]

Sell Benayoun for 5 million, get Colefor free? Yeah, good deal.

Cole will cost comfortably more over the course of his contract than Benayoun (when you take the transfer fees and wages into account). Not necessarily the snip it looks at first glance.

[CAPSLOCK]

Sell Benayoun for 5 million, get Colefor free? Yeah, good deal.

Cole will cost comfortably more over the course of his contract than Benayoun (when you take the transfer fees and wages into account). Not necessarily the snip it looks at first glance.

Do you not get bored giving lessons in basics

Spot on, by the way

[blurred]

Do you not get bored giving lessons in basics

Spot on, by the way

I find it necessary with Mr Pedersen.

[hisroyalgingerness]

It'll be good business if he makes 40 or more appearances across all competitions. I do doubt it though. This could be Liverpool's "Michael Owen - circa Manchester Utd years" purchase if Cole doesn't get fit.

I think he suits Liverpool's style, I think they'll benefit from his versatility and experience (he has won titles) but you have to wonder about giving him a 4-year deal. I think his agent's won that one.

[blurred]

It'll be good business if he makes 40 or more appearances across all competitions. I do doubt it though. This could be Liverpool's "Michael Owen - circa Manchester Utd years" purchase if Cole doesn't get fit.

But whatever could it be about Joe 'averaged 17 league appearances per season in 7 years at Chelsea' Cole that would lead you to doubt his fitness?

Especially when compared with Yossi 'average 30 league games a year in the last five' Benayoun?

[BWFC_Insane]

It'll be good business if he makes 40 or more appearances across all competitions. I do doubt it though. This could be Liverpool's "Michael Owen - circa Manchester Utd years" purchase if Cole doesn't get fit.

But whatever could it be about Joe 'averaged 17 league appearances per season in 7 years at Chelsea' Cole that would lead you to doubt his fitness?

Especially when compared with Yossi 'average 30 league games a year in the last five' Benayoun?

Though to be fair some of that is down to Cole not always getting into the Chelsea side. Though as you say his fitness record isn't great!

I do think it was a mistake letting Benayoun go though, I like him as a player!

[jenkz]

Damn! And we we're so close to signing him too

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Wouldn't agree that Cole is better than Benayoun. They're both rather good. Cole's main advantage is that he's several years younger. However, he's probably getting paid about twice as much as the Israeli.

Yossi Benayoun: born 5 May 1980. Joe Cole: born 8 November 1981. Not that much difference, in truth.

It's an interesting zeitgeist tale, this. With Chelsea clearing the wage bills, Cole ran out of options, certainly at the six-figure weekly basic his tenpercenters were requesting. Ferguson's long been a fan but the Rags won't commit to another ageing injury risk. Spurs have a much more rigid pay structure whose ceiling is nowhere near Cole's request. Arsenal decided not to bother, partly through pay structure, partly through pride in youth (why pay £4.7m basic a year, times four years, if you have any faith at all in Wilshere et al?).

Be intriguing to see where he plays. He's long wanted to play centrally as a No.10 but that won't happen while Gerrard's around (and certainly not if Woy wepwises the 4-4-2 he used at Fulham). Cole's problem is that he plays in a position where all the glory boys like to hang out - just off the main striker. For England, he was in a queue behind Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard – the latter of whom has subjugated his game for his country by adapting to a deeper role, but still plays the Forward Ranger for Chelsea. Now Cole has moved from being team-mate to one of the Eternal Problems to the other. It's possible Hodgson could play both in a 4-3-2-1 with attacking full-backs, and Glen Johnson would certainly suit that role, but at the minute Liverpool haven't got any left backs. At all.

Interesting times, and an interesting gamble of what must be a significant slice of the downsized Anfield payroll.

[boltonboris]

It's a big name on board, one in which the fans' and players demanded.

They've still got a fair deal on this with Benayoun going t'other way. The transfer fee covers Coles wages for a season, whilst Benyouns freed up wages could add another half season or so. It'll be interesting to see if it still looks a good deal in 18 months time though, once the income used for Cole dries up

[blurred]

They've still got a fair deal on this with Benayoun going t'other way. The transfer fee covers Coles wages for a season, whilst Benyouns freed up wages could add another half season or so. It'll be interesting to see if it still looks a good deal in 18 months time though, once the income used for Cole dries up

If he is on this reputed £90k a week (which seems reasonable to assume, as it's not near the benchmark of the very top earners at Liverpool but comfortably up there), then his cost to the club over the period of his contract will be comfortably in excess of £20m

£90k a week * 52 = £4.7m per year, or £18.7m over 4 years which, when you include the employer's NIC costs and all that malarky, will top the £20m mark.

Benayoun was on less than half that, and even when you take into account the transfer fee of around £5m this will still end up costing the club a big chunk of money over the term of the contract (especially as Cole's 4 years outlasts Benayoun's deal by at least a year, if not two).

Agree with a lot of DSB's points, too - the age thing is a bit of a misnomer seeing as Cole's only a couple of months away from turning 29 while Yossi's only just turned 30, and given their respective fitness records I might prefer the slightly older, slightly more reliable performer.

It's interesting, that's for sure, but I'm not leaping for joy like some fans are. Oh, and we've got Jonjo Shelvey from Charlton, an 18 year old from Rangers and a freebie from Serbia coming in, too. Our cup runneth over.

[seanworth]

I think it's a good signing. Let's see how Roy does. If he starts playing some of the players in their proper position and accomplish what he did at Fullham which much less money invested, I think some of these crap players might end up not being so bad afterall. Mind I always though Benitez was just a prick.

[Gary the Enfield]

I think it's a good signing. Let's see how Roy does. If he starts playing some of the players in their proper position and accomplish what he did at Fullham which much less money invested, I think some of these crap players might end up not being so bad afterall. Mind I always thought Benitez was just a prick.

And you would be right to think that.

[jenkz]

Never rated Hodgson, I admit he did well at Fulham, however he could be coming into his own as a experienced and well respected manager. Can't wait for him to shoot down Gerrard's ego though!

[boltonboris]

Never rated Hodgson, I admit he did well at Fulham, however he could be coming into his own as a experienced and well respected manager. Can't wait for him to shoot down Gerrard's ego though!

Do you think he'll have more authority than Steven Gerrard? An ageing manager, with little trophies to his name, who's come in from a relatively small club after an uncharacteristically decent season versus Mr Liverpool FC, Champions League winning Captain and Englands World Cup captain?