[Archived] Andy Cole

[USABlue]

Yes he was good for the youngsters.

But surely only to a point, doesn't there come a time when the youngsters would look at Cole and say 50,000 a week and this fella does nowt. Yes I am sure he had a lot to teach but for those who follow the examples of others he would not be good.

I would rather see a youngster who has the talent learn the work ethics off a player such as Dickov than have them pick up the I am Andy Cole the World owes me type attitude.

Some good discussion on this thread, I have enjoyed it very much some great posts by Mr Fleming and Paul and soem good arguments posted by those against Coles moving. Thanks all I am getting antsy for the new season now.

Won't it be sweet irony if Mr McBride ends up keeping Cole out of the side at Fulham though I think those two will work well together. Thanks for the thrills Andy but there should have been much more, so much more. Have you no sense of pride man.

[Philly Rover ®]

do not worry he is only here as a squad player,or that is what most of the blue ans white eyes on here thought when he signed.

          we will have no problems if we start with gally ans stead,if sourness sticks with dickov ala lucas niell,we will be in the mire after 10 games.

Great idea, waggy, let's throw a 21 year old and a 20 year old with 23 Premiership starts and 9 Premiership goals between them into the fire and place our whole Premiership existence on their shoulders.

While we're at it, let's throw Fitzgerald, Donnelly, Johnson and Garner into the first team and see if they sink or swim. Youth is the way to go right?

[Philly Rover ®]

With the signing of Dickov, plus Stead and Gallacher, we also have Matt Jansen who I'm sure Souness beleives in 100% for the coming season.

I would almost be inclined to believe you, but your name makes you lose any credence you might have saying that.

[rover6]

No way can you say Cole justified his £8 million transfer fee. In fact, I'd add him to the list of bad Souness signings.

Yes, he helped us win the Worthy Cup and ensured we didn't get relegated.

But look at it in macro terms. He had HALF a season of playing well. The rest has been relatively poor (admittedly with poor service at times).

I don't care if he kept us up; from an £8 million player, you expect more than a dozen good goalscoring games.

Imagine if we re-signed Ashley Ward for £10 million and he got injured in pre-season and didn't play until the last game of the season which we needed to win to stay in the Premiership. Say he scores and we stay up - do you think that he would have justified his price tag?

Cole has talent - remember the solo build up play for Emerton's goal in the Genclerbirligi first leg match? But he's such a strange, introverted character that it requires a certain type of manager to get the best out of him - not to mention a bucket load of chances. I heard a journo saying that he thought Andy Cole didn't really like football. And in a perverse way - I agree with him.

[chris]

I heard a journo saying that he thought Andy Cole didn't really like football. And in a perverse way - I agree with him.

what he likes porn?

[Modi]

Yes, he helped us win the Worthy Cup and ensured we didn't get relegated.

But look at it in macro terms. He had HALF a season of playing well. The rest has been relatively poor (admittedly with poor service at times).

I don't care if he kept us up; from an £8 million player, you expect more than a dozen good goalscoring games.

What utter and total tosh.

You don't care his goals kept us up? Jeez, for the majority of last season you and a load of other doomsayers were harping on about the disaster of the club facing *certain* relegation. Many here said it would have been the death-knell for the club - you included.

Would we have even been in the situation to debate the wisdom of Stead as first choice striker in the Premiership going into the 4th in a row without Cole's goals in 2001/02 ? Or would we have been debating the possibility of playing against Stead against the newly promoted Huddersfield Town into the league we've just slipped? The *wisdom* of you and your ilk would suggest the latter would have been more likely.

You can't have it all ways. And to try and justify your nonsensical argument with Ashley Ward rather points to desperation or insanity; or both.

[1864roverite]

apparently someone is linking him to being a COTTAGER if that helps !!

[Exiled in Toronto]

Interesting that so many "Cole is crap and we're well rid" opinions have suddenly appeared from nowhere - and such passionately held views as well! These opinions must have been festering for a very long time, given that there has been no new news about Cole's ability since the end of the season.

Did I miss the "Cole must go" thread at the end of last season? Oh, there wasn't one. I wonder why?

Maybe their views were already being expressed in an existing thread? So I have just leafed through the entire Dickov thread to see how many of the sages were predicting, or at least advocating, this being the chance to get rid of the usless waster, and yes, you've guessed it - not one person advanced such a view, including many of the most vociferous Cole critics on this thread.

So where did their new found insight and passionately held opinions come from? Of course it couldn't possibly be related to a tendency for some individuals to argue that everything Souness does is inspired management.

Full marks though to Kiwiwannabe for posting a BBC quote very early on in the thread that Dickov would be above Cole in the pecking order (another missed chance for the Cole critics to pitch in.)

And well done to the 18 posters who expressed horror at the concept of Dickov replacing Cole, and are sticking to that view on this thread.

[billy]

the best thing cole did for us was missing the open goal near the end of the game at west ham, when playing for m.utd. in '95.

next the winner at cardiff for the league cup.

but after that, going down ewood and watching him standing offside, time after time, then sulking when the linesmans flag went up, it was just pathetic, and if he was paid 60k a week for that, l'm glad he's gone. l have every faith in stead, dickov, gally, and jansen, to be able to run onto through balls, off thomo and fergie, and crosses from both wings, this is the part of the game that will now count , and l am now really looking foward to this season.

[American]

Ah, but exiled, we also held out hope that Cole was man enough to get past his problems with Souness and play inspired, like he did the last few matches of the season. Silly us for giving him the benefit of the doubt based on how he performed in the run in.

[T4E]

Oh, so it's £60k now? Christ almighty.

[Ricky]

I seem to recall a few members on here a while ago arguing that Rovers would never pay over 40k a week for a player (Tris ) , well it looks like we have been paying considerably more than that. Dont think we will ever know the true figure but it looks like he was being paid over 50k a week. Not a bad little earner.

[Philly Rover ®]

Oh, so it's £60k now? Christ almighty.

Yes. Apparently, apart from the loyalty bonus, there was also a little known clause in Cole's contract that bumps up his salary an extra £5000 per week for every day that he's the subject of transfer speculation.

At this rate, Kluivert will look like a bargain before we know it...

[Eddie]

My only opinion on this matter is really this-

If we don't get another striker before the season starts after getting rid of Cole....I will be ######

[grizfoot]

What ever you say about Cole he's still the second highest premiership scorer of all time and scored plenty of thoose goals while at Rovers.

[Ricky]

27 league goals in 2 and a half seasons... its not really setting the world alight is it. Works out an average of 11 league goals a season roughly.

Dickov managed 13 in the league last season with a poor leicester team. If we are paying in excess of 50k we should be getting 27 goals a season!!!

[chris]

27 league goals in 2 and a half seasons... its not really setting the world alight is it. Works out an average of 11 league goals a season roughly.

Dickov managed 13 in the league last season with a poor leicester team. If we are paying in excess of 50k we should be getting 27 goals a season!!!

he got11 goals in the PL and 2 in the cups, also he had a couple of penalties, so its about 8-9 goals in open play.

And he certainly is not taking the pens at Blackburn after his last miss in Foxes biggest game of the season, well i hope not

[Tris]

I seem to recall a few members on here a while ago arguing that Rovers would never pay over 40k a week for a player (Tris ) , well it looks like we have been paying considerably more than that. Dont think we will ever know the true figure but it looks like he was being paid over 50k a week. Not a bad little earner.

As I posted in the Souness must go thread, I think the figures of 55 or 60K have come about by adding his "loyalty" (ha ha ha) bonus due at the end of this season onto his basic. (ie 1 million quid split over the remaining year).

Which would put his basic at around 40K.

Based on the fact that after the 2002 World Cup, Duffer and Friedel were given new contracts which (apparently) boosted their salaries to equal the highest paid player at the club, apparently on £35K at the time.

If he has been on 55 or 60K over the duration of his contract then he's an even bigger p!ss taker than I already thought.

[Paul]

But he's such a strange, introverted character that it requires a certain type of manager to get the best out of him - not to mention a bucket load of chances. I heard a journo saying that he thought Andy Cole didn't really like football. And in a perverse way - I agree with him.

I heard that as well on Five Live. The suggestion being that he enjoyed playing but wasn't interested in all the trappings around it. Might explain his lack of interest in helping the likes of Stead and Gally for another season.

Anywayy looks like he's going and Rovers will be freeing up £3-4m from the wage bill. That has to be good either for the club's profitability and/or new signings.

I'm not happy he's going but if he's fallen out with Souness and has no interest in helping Stead and Gally develop it will be for the best.

[Eddie]

I'm not very happy at the moment.

In my opinion the prospects for the season have just got a lot worse. We have two young developing strikers who will turn out to be great players but aren't there yet, an old scottish one who everyone knows is really just a bit part player at this level, and one of the most talented players i've ever seen play for rovers, though he sadly is no longer the player he used to be. We better get someone else in, and injury, or even worse, two, up front and we will really be in trouble.

I bet it will feel a lot worse when I see Cole come up on the bottom of the ticker on the first day of the season as well

[chris]

But he's such a strange, introverted character that it requires a certain type of manager to get the best out of him - not to mention a bucket load of chances. I heard a journo saying that he thought Andy Cole didn't really like football. And in a perverse way - I agree with him.

I heard that as well on Five Live. The suggestion being that he enjoyed playing but wasn't interested in all the trappings around it. Might explain his lack of interest in helping the likes of Stead and Gally for another season.

Anywayy looks like he's going and Rovers will be freeing up £3-4m from the wage bill. That has to be good either for the club's profitability and/or new signings.

I'm not happy he's going but if he's fallen out with Souness and has no interest in helping Stead and Gally develop it will be for the best.

so what exactly is Dickov's advice going to be, "err Stead ang Gally, run after the ball and then run some more".

Stead would improve just training and playing with Cole, I think he has already said that, if we want to improve their technique then get a coach.

[Philly Rover ®]

I'm not happy he's going but if he's fallen out with Souness and has no interest in helping Stead and Gally develop it will be for the best.

Precisely.

Paul, you've managed to nearly sum up my feelings in one sentence. But for those of you who are interested, I've finally collected my thoughts on the matter:

I still find myself tentatively in the "Cole should stay" camp because I fear that the club will be too thin up front without him. Add to this the fact that Yorke should also be on his way out and that leaves Rovers with only four strikers--unless of course Souey is willing to gamble that Jemal Johnson is ready for first team action, which is something I somehow doubt.

That being said... the more I've thought about a Dickov-Stead partnership, the more the idea grows on me. Bear in mind that it wasn't an inability to score goals that hurt Rovers last year... it was a penchant for conceding them. I can understand Souey's thinking--a settled defense and a true left-sided player in de Pedro will cut back on the goals conceded and make the side more effective as a whole. Odds are that Rovers won't score as many goals as they did last year, but if things go according to plan, they won't need to.

I'm still worried because I feel that while Dickov is solid, he shouldn't be able to walk into a first team place for a quality side (as he will be able to when Cole departs)... and the inexperience of Stead and Gally as well as the Jansen's complete loss of form makes me very nervous. Still, if offloading Cole saves the club the £1 million loyalty bonus as well as £60,000 per week (or whatever the press have decided he's earning now) and allows Rovers to go after other targets (a loan move for Butt, anyone?) then it's not all bad news.

My current thinking is that I'll trust Souey on the matter for the time being... but if the strikeforce fails to produce the goods then a big-time move must certainly be made in the transfer window.

[Billy Castell]

I'm annoyed he went on a free. We may have got a bit of cash for him. Maybe Ferguson can leave for two Fruit Salads and a Black Jack, whilst We can swap Gray for a Flymo.

I just hope we can get a decent striker in before the season starts. Dickov is useful in a squad, but it is worrying if he is going to be the main, experienced striker.

[Eddie]

I think he has already said that, if we want to improve their technique then get a coach.

Isn't that something Dean Saunders might be able to do?

[Billy Castell]

Saunders is too busy planning a biological attack during the upcoming US election, eating babies, and having sex with your wife (and your pets). Dean Saunders is too busy being the source of all evil to teach technique.