[Archived] Andy Cole

[Tris]

I agree with you Tris that I wouldn't have given Cole a mid season break. At the end of the day that was Souness's very strange call.

I'll have to disagree though as to your assessment re: Cole's contribution.

His unstinting efforts in the second half of the season and in partnering Stead were vital in keeping us up.

His run and cross led to the crucial own goal v Leicester at Ewood. Superb first goal v Fulham. Created Stead's goal v Everton.

Why was he (Cole) on the pitch ? Given that you and many others believe that Souness is such a grudge-toting @#/? who has evicted Cole from the club, how do you explain the fact that after the bust up Cole remained in the side ??

Why did Souness bow to his Dubai holiday request after the Southampton game ?

I'll tell you why that happened. Souness broke his own rules to accomodate Cole because he sees him as a good footballer. Vital to Rovers last season. In the run in - with Stead - Souness recognised his best forward partnership needed Cole and played him. That - as so many have pointed out - kept the club up.

All parties have had 8 weeks to chill out. Souness has chilled out and signed a good experienced striker for what appears to be 2 1/2 weeks pay for Cole. Not to replace mardy man, but to provide back up.

Cole has taken umbrage, and either doesn't want to compete against a more energetic player for a first team place or has decided to play silly buggers in an attempt to salvage his well publicised end of contract pay off.

Rev can list Cole's best moments until the cows come home. Crucial goals. Most of them scored by other people. Shall we list the crucial misses ? Shall we list the other players with vital assists ?

The only disaster here would be subsidising Cole's move. But having in effect refused to play - as Todd did - it should be a question of claiming against Cole for breach of contract. Why can't star-struck fans see past the big name pr!ck's dummy throwing ?

[Billy Castell]

On the pitch, Cole has struck a pretty good partnership with Stead, and may be a hit next season. After a bad start, Cole looks good again.

Off the pitch, Cole has been a bit of a mardy brat. By running to the PFA because Souness was a bit rude to him in training or whatever, saying that he only cares about his game, and not helping the younger strikers, and by still moaning after that holiday, Cole appears to be a nob.

The dilemma is whether to keep him, pay the bonus, and have a potentially good partnership with Stead next season. Or to get rid, keep the bonus money and ditch a spoilt manchild. If he goes, I hope we can get a decent replacement.

[philipl]

Wild speculation mode on here, but....

I have been very surprised the way that Skysports, BBC, Guardian and Independent news sites have not carried the development of this story and Tuesday's board meeting- could the LET have over stepped the mark in their zealous reporting of some Rovers' bad news?

Alternatively, could it be the Rovers' finances are in rather worse state and in the absence of any interest for Yorke and Todd, the club has had to find a way of getting rid of its top paid player?

Mega-optimistic, but it could be that Matty is showing really well in pre-season training and the club have decided that Stead, Dickov, Gallagher and Jansen with one or two very promising youngsters coming through is enough cover for the forward positions?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

''Alternatively, could it be the Rovers' finances are in rather worse state and in the absence of any interest for Yorke and Todd, the club has had to find a way of getting rid of its top paid player?''

Good call Philipl, nobody dare touch on that point until now.Yet again

another 2k season ticket holders are lost so out go the highest earners?....a very big and realistic possibility.

[Cheshireblue]

If we are going down the wildly optimistic speculation route, maybe we are just clearing the decks for a Shearer swansong at Ewood.

Edited July 16, 2004 by Cheshireblue

[waggy]

at the end off the day it's about ego's,and whilst mr souness is at ewood,no one will be allowed to have a bigger one,talking about spitting dummy's out.i wish i had a tenner everytime souness spat his out

[Manchester Blue]

I disagree. Dunny had a big ego and for a while he was Souness' golden boy. IMHO the way Souness works you can have as big an ego as you want as long as you are putting it in on the field.

[herbergeehh]

Before Souness came in, Dunny was a fringe player on his way out - that was before Souey gave him a chance and made 5,5 million pounds on him!

God knows we wouldn't get that price in the current market, considering we have to give away players like Andy Cole!

[Paul]

If we are going down the wildly optimistic speculation route, maybe we are just clearing the decks for a Shearer swansong at Ewood.

I wish, oh I wish that could happen

[Ricky]

  For example, as others have said, I'm sure Stead wouldn't have made anything like the same impact had he been partnering Gally, Yorke or Jansen towards the back end of last season

Didn't quite a few of Steads goals come from Gally assists. I seem to recall his first one for us away at Boro was from a Gally pass, the back post equalizer against Newcastle was from Gally's cross, the goal against Man United was from a clever Gally through ball.

I think Stead would have had a similar impact whoever he played with, At boro we played with Gally and Stead and dropped both Yorke and Cole.

[Presty On Tour]

a shearer swansong at ewood???? a bit optimistic yeah but could you imagine??

shearer and souness get on alright when they are the pundits on sky sports champions league so i doubt there would be no dummies spat out or involved in this relationship!!

[AndyC]

We will miss Cole badly. For all the effort Dickov will give us he isn't fit to lace Coles boots in footballing terms. I'd rather see Stead and Gally given a chance.

I am becoming increasingly frustrated at the managers inability to communicate with players. He may well rue not telling Flitcroft he will no longer be captain to his face. As I understand it Flticroft is very much a favourite in the dressing room, which will no doubt work against the manager.

I've heard the exact opposite martin.

Garys days have been numbered for a while, as he has lost the resepct of his fellow team mates.

Football clubs are small places and this comes from someone on the fringes of the first team.

[laughatthedingles]

well I have to wonder if Souness has been clever (in his own mind at least) in all this. Andy Cole would be very easy to wind up I imagine, so for Souness to fall out with him thus causing Cole to leave then Yorke probably following, frees up alot of money, I think Souey may have done this deliberatly. If this is the case, well he knows the finances better than me so if we have to get rid then we have to however, from a purely football side of things Cole is a fantastic player and one we will miss incredibly, it is also putting alot of pressure on Dickov who has only really had 1 good goalscoring season in the premiership fortunatly it was his last; on Stead who may or may not do as well as last season; Gally who has not scored enough goals to warrant being considered a regular yet and Jansen who well we all know about him.

[AndyC]

As Cole seems to be the one that has said he can't work for Souness, contary to the press reports, I doubt the Rovers will have to pay anything to get him off the books.

JW and GS are not that stupid. They have seen this coming for a long time.

I think the reason why they have waited this long to resolve it and not at the start of the summer, is that they had to wait for COle to make the first move.

[Hughesy]

When cole does go are rovers planning on replacing him?

If we dont then I believe it could be a massive mistake in letting him go.

[Cheshireblue]

When cole does go are rovers planning on replacing him?

If we dont then I believe it could be a massive mistake in letting him go.

Great post Hughesy. Well done lad.

[bob fleming]

If you read the LET last night I'm sure you'd have seen this coming. Sorry I don't have the exact quote but Souness did say something along the lines that if one or two left it would give him the opportunity "to go again" into the market.

Hughesy - I wrote this the other day about Tuesday's LET. I wish I'd kept the paper now and got a proper quote but those pescky bin men have been - damn them and their efficient refuse collection service.

So I'd take a guess and say that he will look to replace Cole - although as with most thing's - there are no guarantees - I can guarantee you that.

[Alan75]

Bob, could you just fanasize,

Remember those days when we went out and got.......

Bobby Svarc, John Radford, Quinn, Stapleton, Archibold all class strikers

[bob fleming]

I believe Paul Mckinnon is at a bit of a loose end.

[AlanK]

Before Souness came in, Dunny was a fringe player on his way out - that was before Souey gave him a chance and made 5,5 million pounds on him!

God knows we wouldn't get that price in the current market, considering we have to give away players like Andy Cole!

Agreed. Just after Souness arrived I saw an interview with Dunny who said that a move to Man.city was imminent for half a million. That was Kidds idea. Souness stopped it in its tracks which Dunn was very thankful for.

If Cole is leaving then I hope it all happens quick sharp so we can get on with things.

[rover6]

Souness can't handle big egos and will probably look to build a team of obedient, opinion-less underlings who'll folllow his every demand without query or suggestion.

I'm fed up with Souness' incessant falling out with players. It's a fact of life that a lot of players are going to be big time charlies who think the world revolves around them. I can't help thinking that the best managers are able to work with these 'egomaniacs' without letting them go out of control.

Alex Ferguson should be the role-model. A fiery passionate man like Souness, who's had his own plethora of tiffs with players. BUT he has proven that he can work with egos like Cantona, Cole, Beckham and Keane.

[Cocker]

Souness can't handle big egos and will probably look to build a team of obedient, opinion-less underlings who'll folllow his every demand without query or suggestion.

I'm fed up with Souness' incessant falling out with players. It's a fact of life that a lot of players are going to be big time charlies who think the world revolves around them. I can't help thinking that the best managers are able to work with these 'egomaniacs' without letting them go out of control.

Alex Ferguson should be the role-model. A fiery passionate man like Souness, who's had his own plethora of tiffs with players. BUT he has proven that he can work with egos like Cantona, Cole, Beckham and Keane.

Didnt he get rid of Becks becuase they kept falling out?

[Manchester Blue]

Exactly and he also got rid of the original big time charlie, Paul Ince. It's just nonsense to suggest that Souness can't work with big egos. Anyone that has met even a few of the players will know that the majority of them have big ego's. There is a difference between a player having a big ego and becoming to big for his boots. That is when Souness and Fergie, Wenger and many others get rid of the player.

[rover6]

But Souness isn't falling out with the occasional player, it seems a regular thing. Cole, Yorke, Todd, Sukur, Dunn, Berg that immediately spring to mind.

It can't be healthy for team morale.

[S15]

When cole does go are rovers planning on replacing him?

If we dont then I believe it could be a massive mistake in letting him go.

Great post Hughesy. Well done lad.