Cole as a young Hammer

Prodigy. Genius. Magical. There was an endless list of superlatives used to describe Joe Cole as he rose like a phoenix through the ranks at West Ham’s academy during the 1990s. The future of English football. His emergence would signal a new breed of player in the birthplace of the game. Technique, skill and imagination would come to the fore, with the strength, discipline and desire so implanted in the psyche of the English game taking a back-seat. Such was Cole’s natural ability; future teams would be constructed to suit his strengths. However now aged 28, supposedly when a player is at his peak, Chelsea are stalling on offering Cole a new deal. His World Cup place is under severe threat. How has it come to this?

Summoned from the bench 62 minutes into last night’s galling Champions League exit at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan, the midfielder made as minimal contribution as he had in the first leg three weeks previously. He was twice overlooked by Carlo Ancelotti. Firstly, Ancelotti chose to start with the erratic Salomon Kalou at the San Siro. Then as Kalou predictably tired, youngster Daniel Sturridge entered the fray for his second Champions League appearance. The Islington born lad was left kicking his heels on the bench. It was a damning snub from the Chelsea manager, but it seems Cole has one ally within the Chelsea backroom staff.

Ray Wilkins, or Butch as he is most fondly referred to, spent almost a full week reassuring us all that Cole’s future lay on the Fulham Road:

He is a very valuable asset to us. Joe himself is upbeat about his future here. He loves Chelsea and wants to stay. It is a contractual situation that he and the club, I am sure, will sort out.

Fair enough, it seems Butch managed to get his point across. However, less than a week later he felt the need to provide another insight into the reasons for Cole’s fleeting appearances this season.

Joe’s had a very traumatic time with his knee, and you get highs and lows. But he’ll play plenty of games for Chelsea.

Butch putting his foot in it.

There was nothing wrong with any of Wilkins’ statements. In fact it was a public show of support and compassion for a player whose knee problems have been a constant nuisance throughout his career. But, the enigmatic midfielder’s contract situation is a stone that has been gathering moss over the past few months. These comments have shone the spotlight on Cole in a manner that he would not have wished for. Every Chelsea game he sits out is seen as an indication that Ancelotti does not fancy him. Any time he is on the pitch, he is under excruciating pressure to perform.

Cole is seen as a highly versatile player, and has played in a number of roles at both club and international level. But it seems this has been a hindrance for the England international. He has never nailed down a position as his own at any time in his development. Having often stated his wish to play in the hole behind the strikers, it seems that any opportunity for him to shine is this most under-utilised position has passed.

At Stamford Bridge, Mourinho wore his 4-3-3 as a badge of honour. Claudio Ranieri before him was on borrowed time. It wasn’t until Ancelotti experimented with a diamond formation that his opportunity arose. A stunning display of invention and creativity against Blackburn had the nation drooling. However subsequent displays were not as encouraging. For all his ability, Cole does not possess a powerful shot or the eye for an early pass to prosper in an advanced central midfield position. But what if he had been handed the opportunity to grow into the position. As we enter an era of 4-2-3-1, Cole may wish he had been born a decade later.

West Ham were never going to thrust such responsibility on a pubescent Cole. It is a club labelled with the traditions of a 4-4-2.  He was marooned on the left of midfield. Successive Hammers’ managers Harry Redknapp and Glenn Roeder seemed bemused having such a lavishly gifted individual within their ranks. While always gracious in their appraisal of Cole publicly, one can imagine they had many sleepless nights wondering how to accommodate this most exciting of English talents. Those schooled in the old fashioned traits of the English game would possibly have seen Cole as a luxury.

The Special One

It is widely believed that under Jose Mourinho, Cole was stripped of his innocence so to speak. Mourinho was highly critical of his lack of defensive qualities, exclaiming that it could have cost Chelsea the game after a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in 2004. His showmanship was no longer to be appreciated, with the Portuguese manager favouring players that can do a job at both ends of the field. Despite this minor setback, Mourinho’s reign was the peak of Cole’s career. He played at a level that is light years away from the uninspired performances he has delivered this season.

On the international stage, an orderly queue has formed for Cole’s former niche of the left side of England’s midfield. This was a position he could finally call his own from 2004 to 2008. However in 2010, it is not unreasonable to suggest the former West Ham captain is fifth choice. Aston Villa alone have three candidates, but Steven Gerrard has reluctantly settled in there. He may be joining the rest of us in observing the World Cup from the comfort of his couch.

Wherever Joe Cole is playing his football come August, he will look back at the eleven years since his debut and ponder where he went wrong. Technically, there is no British footballer his equal. He must wish he was born in a Latin country, where style is celebrated over substance. It seems he will go under appreciated in a island where innovation methods of football are sneered at. English football has done Cole no favours. His country has failed him.