[Archived] Andy Cole

[BuckyRover]

Do you mean the time we came 6th and he got a paultry 7 goals?

He has cost us over £20m in wages, signing on fees and transfers and propbably numerous lost sponsorship deals.

I agree, I think he was a bad signing.

Yes, at the time we needed a striker...but did we really have to spend £7 million on a player that we wouldn't see a return on? It was a poor decision and we will pay for it now because we won't have any money to replace him.

People can try to justify it by saying he saved us £20 million by keeping us up...and he may well have done...but we could have spent that £7 million on a much younger player who could have done the same job.

Yeah I mean they are practically hanging from the trees arent they?

What are you talking about? Cole did a job, cost us 7m saved us 20m and is now off to pastures new.

It was a successful relationship (for us more than him)

Onward and Upward

[Paul Mellelieu]

I think we have to reserve making a judgement on Cole leaving the club until a few games into the season. For sure Cole - along with Duff - saved us from relegation. But apart from a handful of games towards the end of last season when he linked up with Stead, Cole looked like a busted flush.

The fans should be given an explanation by the club though to how we've got into this situation.

Oh and Rover6, as someone else pointed out, Sukur didn't start against Man United during his time at the club. If my memory serves me right he did come on the second half and was very, very poor. But heh, don't let the facts get in the way of a bad argument.

[Ninjathunder]

Do you mean the time we came 6th and he got a paultry 7 goals?

He has cost us over £20m in wages, signing on fees and transfers and propbably numerous lost sponsorship deals.

I agree, I think he was a bad signing.

Yes, at the time we needed a striker...but did we really have to spend £7 million on a player that we wouldn't see a return on? It was a poor decision and we will pay for it now because we won't have any money to replace him.

People can try to justify it by saying he saved us £20 million by keeping us up...and he may well have done...but we could have spent that £7 million on a much younger player who could have done the same job.

Yeah, a Kevin Davies type player.

WE STAYED UP! WE WON A CUP!! END OF STORY!!!

It's also plausible that we could have signed a young player (out of interest who would you have bought?) who wouldn't have performed, we'd have lost the Worthington Cup final, we got relagated and never heard the end of it from the likes of you.

[Scotty]

I've been as critical of Souness as anyone recently but I don't think you can call Cole a bad buy. Far from it in fact. He rescued our season when he first came, scored the winner in the cup final, and has continued to be our best striker since - despite his disappointing goal tally. £7m well spent in my opinion.

After saying that, I'm surprised we aren't getting at least a nominal fee for him and I will be disgusted if we don't sign a quality replacement.

[Bobby G]

If we dont have a replacement signed up instead of him then its a joke!

Surely Souness cant expect us to lose 2 strikers in Smiling Dwight and Cole and replace them with only Dickov,unless Jansen is back to 2001-2 form,which I doubt.

This is disappointing.I hope it makes more sense soon.

[LeChuck]

Yeah I mean they are practically hanging from the trees arent they?

What are you talking about? Cole did a job, cost us 7m saved us 20m and is now off to pastures new.

It was a successful relationship (for us more than him)

Onward and Upward

Onwards and upwards to what? We have no money to replace him with.

£7 million could have bought many strikers, we didn't have to go for someone of Cole's age. I'm not denying Cole did the business for us, what I'm saying is that a club like ours can not afford to spend that kind of money on a player without expecting some form of return on them, it's the business side of things I'm thinking about rather than what happened on the pitch.

Edit: A bit off topic...but is this the campest picture of a footballer in action ever taken?

Edited July 16, 2004 by LeChuck

[AlanK]

Edit: A bit off topic...but is this the campest picture of a footballer in action ever taken?

Makes a change from having his hands on his hips scowling

[bob fleming]

I'd have to say so LeChuck, yes. Not only is he blowing a kiss when volleying from 10 yards out but he's also insisting on having his hands on his arse - makes a change from his hips I suppose (damn you alank).

Some people aren't going to like this, but this is how I feel and after all it's a messageboard for opinions OK?

So what's he waiting for then? Is he haggling about money with Fulham?

Time to go Andy. You don't want to be here and personally I don't want you to be here either. Thanks for the memories, mostly distant. Thanks for doing a bit at the back end of last season and keeping us up (although not single handedly). Appreciate that.

Sorry about the lack of service and not having players of the same quality as Manchester United to suit the exact requirements of your game. Sorry about you having to run around and create space and your own chances now and again.

I hope Fulham are good enough to give you extra time off when you want it. I'm sure Chris Coleman will be all too accommodating in that department. Still, if Fulham are in a relegation battle come next March/April and he won't give you time off (whilst still earning X thousands of £'s a week) then you can always report him to the PFA as well.

There have been many threads, talk, over the last few months about “heart”, “passion”, “determination” and people having an affinity with the players.

Last season I went to Man City away. Sat in the home end, got tickets off a mate. Anyway, the game was insipid. I turned to my mate after all of 10 minutes and said – those two up front are having a laugh. Just watch them. Cole and Yorke. I went for a pint (as I normally do, admittedly – before you say anything Kayos) but this time at 3.20. I believe I missed nothing, they don’t show the game in the concourses at the Council House like they do at Ewood (take note alcoholics). I think they call that sort of performance “taking the pi$$”. The second half was marginally better but I could see that nothing of note was going to happen in those first 45 mins.

I’m sorry but I don’t understand where all this gnashing of teeth is coming from with him leaving (probably – almost certainly). This is no Alan Shearer. Sure £7 million has gone in a little under 2.5 years – not good. But we’re saving a reported £4 million (wages and “bonus” for seeing out his contract – JHC). The Souness stuff can wait for another day – this is Andy Cole. (Briefly in Cole's defence, I never thought he was the same player once Yorke arrived at the club)

Hopefully we’ll get someone else in – surely we must? (maybe there is £4m to play with??!)

I tell you now though – I doubt I’ll be walking off for a pint at 3.20 (I’ll wait until 3.30 – alright Capt?) when Dickov is playing. You know what you’re going to get – and so do the defenders - a hard time of it. I wouldn’t like to play against him and hopefully we’ll see someone who’s going to put a full shift in for BRFC.

That's how I see it. It differs from most I'm afraid it would appear but that's football! Those who say he's our best player, that he runs his socks off every game for the club, Sorry - I just don't see it.

Edited July 17, 2004 by bob fleming

[den]

That's a very good post from you, Mr Fleming.

[tcj_jones]

Very disapointing news. Not so much the club failing to recoup any money, but because of the partnership he had developed with Stead. At the end of last season they really did appear to have an understanding and I doubt we will forge a more deadly partnerwship. I really had a good feeling about the two next season. Now its going to take our front pairing more time to settle and Souness will no doubt have to switch things around much more - I really don't want to be mid way through next season without a settled front pairing again.

Saying that, we are linked with a couple of promising youngsters, one being a forward and we will have to wait until the season starts to see the affects of Cole's departure.

And remember, this was a liklely outcome ever since the end of last season, we should be prepared for it by now.

Edited July 16, 2004 by tcj_jones

[AlanK]

Thats a great shout Bob, great shout.

[Scotty]

I went to that game too Bob and I thought exactly the same - both Yorke and Cole were taking the pi55. What I realised over time though was that whenever Yorke and Cole played together they took the pi55. That's because they both looked to do the same things and were equally as lazy.

They both prefer the ball to feet, they both don't like running into the channels, neither are good in the air and they are both thrive on supply form wide areas. They were a terrible pertnership together and yet it took Souness over half a season to realise it.

Cole has always been at his best for Rovers when he's played alongside a forward who's got a high workrate and a physical prescence. Jansen fitted the bill perfectly initially and, please god, Stead may be the answer now. Unfortunately, just when we were all getting excited about the prospect of Cole and Stead linking up we find out that Cole's been released.

Personally I'm gutted. I really thought those two together could be brillant. I'm afraid I don't hold out the same hopes for any of our other strikers, especially Dickov who I feel is no more than a workmanlike first division forward.

IMO we need to sign a centre forward. Someone who can put themselves about a bit, run the channels and generally take the pressure off the other forward. Sadly I'm not sure we've got the funds to do it. Which is why I would never have let Cole go.

[Legion]

IMO we need to sign a centre forward. Someone who can put themselves about a bit, run the channels and generally take the pressure off the other forward. Sadly I'm not sure we've got the funds to do it. Which is why I would never have let Cole go.

Come in James Beattie your time is up!!!!

[philipl]

To Andrew Cole- thanks for the memories:

The Worthington Cup winner

The way you fired us to safety and tenth place

The goal at Liverpool

Many sublime moments of skill

Your link work with Stead-especially the goal at Everton

There were some horrible misses (far too many of them) which if Rovers keep on creating chances at the rate they have been doing I suspect a far lesser player than you will get on the end of many more and convert a bag full.

Sadly, Hoddle was wrong about your chances to goals ratio- towards the end of last season in the live games I saw it had worsened to about 8 chances missed for every goal scored.

On balance, I don't think you are a bad lad and I am sorry you are going. Paradoxically, you might be leaving just as the Rovers have a midfield availble which would have played to your strengths but you did not see it that way and your insecurity about the Rovers' signing Paul Dickov says all that needs to be said about your frame of mind today.

Good luck at Fulham. I hope the boo boys keep quiet at Ewood when you come back with the Cottagers.

[doctorryan]

Well said philipl. It really is sad, isn't it.

[Flopsy]

its alright we'll be going in for Radzinzki (sp)

I know this coz i just made it up. My job application for the Sun is in the post

[Ricky]

I don't really think the Cole signing was a bad one. We were in the relegation zone at xmas, we bought him in, won the cup, and then finished tenth in the league. His goal return in that season was excellent.

LeChuck (I think it was you) stated we should have bought someone else. Bear in mind that Cole was at peak age (28-29) when we bought him. There was nobody better at that time. We could have took a gamble on a young player but would they have been able to deal with the pressure of pulling the team away from the drop zone, I doubt it. At that time Beattie's form was shocking and there would have been uproar if we'd signed him and we would have probably gone down. We bought in one of the top scorers in Premiership history and he did a job for us.

The club are in a lose lose situation with the fans. If they buy in a player and lose money on him over a few years the fans are up in arms. If they have a young player and sell him on for a massive fee (duff,dunn) the fans are equally up in arms.

[FourLaneBlue]

Alan Nixon broke the story a week ago. We all laughed at him yet the way things are going it seems to be coming true.

The other story of his about Rovers featured a £10million transfer fund. In every close season Souness has brought new players in throughout the summer. Even with giving Cole a golden handshakes deal and bringing three new players in, if Nixon got it right there would still be enough left for a replacement for Cole. A good one at that. Here's hoping...

It's been said by some on here than Rovers couldn't afford to bid higher for M G Pedersen - is that true? Or did they just not want to bid higher for him? Especially with De Pedro waiting in the wings available on a free yet the interest shown in him being masked by all the talk of Pedersen.

Of course they'll keep saying they have no money for any new players. A daft person would take that at face value and believe it, a wiser person will just wait and see. They've surprised us many times before.

Edited July 17, 2004 by FourLaneBlue

[Ricky]

Hopefully the guy from SWI will invest some money into the club, he's got a bit of cash. Rovers have always been able to surprise us with transfers, if we can get Yorke off the wage bill too we should be able to bring in a decent player with the money we can save on wages. Selling Cole will save us 3-4m I guess shifting Yorke would save us 2-3m. thats anything up to 7m in saved wages.

Not sure who would be good to bring in, Wiltord on a free, Earnshaw for 3-4m, Kanoute for about 3-4m, Beattie for 6m, Fowler for 2-3m. I know I'll get shot down for this but I still feel Fowler is not past it yet. I'm sure he's got a couple of seasons left yet.

[Eddie]

Please, please, please. If we get rid of Cole can we bring in someone younger. I feel Cole is just about as good as they come relative to his age for playing in the premiership that is out there that we could get. So I see no point in getting rid of him simply to bring in someone who is only going to last for a couple seasons. Bring in someone with some experience, but also with age on his side, and I know that, that is not easy, and is also expensive, but I think the club will have to step up and do this in order to both excite the supporters, and give the club a chance of getting back to the standards it set a couple of seasons ago.

[1864roverite]

I always thought there was somehting behidn the secret scowl with andy cole and its now been highlighted

he is a COTTAGER

the toilets at Moor Park, Preston will now be visited by someone else other than cottager cole !

Personally he is NO good to Rovers in fact he is a liability. Great posts by phil, scotty (as usual) and eddie as well as the others pointing out how much a liaibility he actually is.

I mean, if he had converted just 6 of the chances he had spurned over the whole season then Rovers would have been top 6, I am not just blaming him now he is off and certainly not taking anything away from our other players who spurned scoring chances but at the end of the day he is on massive money, an eperienced striker and goal scorer and that is what he actually is paid to do.

Yes the fact that it may hinder the progress of Gally and Steadinho is a worry cause those two up and coming stars will have continued to learn from someone who had done it all.

I am not worried about possibly going into the season with Dickov, Stead, Gally plus Jansen, I personally think that Rovers have the facility to bring in a loan striker and a loan midfielder. There is at this time NO point in wasting further funds until Todd, Flitcrift and Yorke are all off the payroll.

Losing those 4 players will bring in a million and will undoubtedly save 400k a month in wages.

The loss of Cole will IMO bring a better feeling around the club, as his lowly work rate compared to the enthusiasm of Dickov will definately NOt be missed.

no more sulks, no more whingeing, no more horrendous misses and no more hands on hip I am a gayboy look to the Blackburn End.

Thanks AC for the winner at Cardiff, it won me a fine 200 quid, thanks for your effort and goals but you have ,et us down, the club the fans and yourself. Your conduct is simply unacceptable now lets see how you tackle Colemand and mr Harrods !

so long and please dont come back

[chris]

Losing those 4 players will bring in a million and will undoubtedly save 400k a month in wages.

The loss of Cole will IMO bring a better feeling around the club, as his lowly work rate compared to the enthusiasm of Dickov will definately NOt be missed.

i don't think every striker has to run around like a headless chicken, Cole has never worked that hard, many top strikers don't, sure Dickov does work hard, maybe that's why Cole has about 15-20 medals in his house from Champion league to PL titles and Dickov has div 2 play off winners medal.

Personally i think you give Cole the right partner and his qualities will show, Yorke was a bad influence and too lazy, he lost all his pace and it was evident, but players like Stead and Jansen linked well with Cole and looked good there is no doubt about that.

[1864roverite]

chris

I have never doubted AC's ability and his class.

The thing that really pi$$es me off about him is that he earns massive money for doing very little at the end of the day !

Yes he has a pot full of medals, but he aint won them on his own. He has plenty of other players to thank for those.

Yes he was good for the youngsters.

but

he was NOT good for the BRFC as a whole, if you dont want to play then out you must go. His moping and sulks are not good for the club and IMo it is far better to rid the club of him and get someone else who can do a job.

Comparing his medal haul to that of Dickov is a joke. PD has never played a full season in a team full of superstars. He may not have the grace of top class striker but he certainly makes up for that with aggression and effort, and that is definately something you can never say about cole or dorke !

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The loss of Cole will IMO bring a better feeling around the club, as his lowly work rate compared to the enthusiasm of Dickov will definately NOt be missed.

you have ,et us down, the club the fans and yourself. Your conduct is simply unacceptable now lets see how you tackle Colemand and mr Harrods !

so long and please dont come back

Thats completely OTT Roverite...stick the knife in when it suits eh!

[American]

Well, heck, if medals are what count, why aren't we going after Phil Neville?