[Archived] Andy Cole

[The Producer]

Very bad news indeed. However, if, as the LET says, Cole has said he can't play under Souness then I really can't see what option Rovers have apart from getting rid of him. One or both of the parties has clearly come back to pre-season training determined to fall out with the other. Why couldn't whichever it was have decided this weeks ago and given us time to find a new striker before pre-season and also allow us more time to negotiate with clubs interested in Cole?

Cole is clearly not worth £55k a week. In fact, I doubt he's worth £30k a week on last season's form, i.e. scoring record, despite being one of our best players. IF we could clear him completely off the wage bill, then I'm sure £40k a week would attract a decent replacement. Unfortunately, I can't see any club being willing to pay Cole anything like £55k a week (except Boro who've already got their forwards sorted out) nor paying us much as a transfer fee. So any transfer fee and a chunk of the wages saved will go on a Cole severance package, leaving us scrapping around for free transfers.

[1864roverite]

bring in performance related pay for the sop called stars.

if cole cant score 15 goals then he should just get a basic wage.

if souness manages to secure a certain amount of points then he himself gets a prp

its the only way

[FourLaneBlue]

People on this board will know that if possible I do try to be positive and I have maintained this summer that Souness is still the right man for the job. However i find myself agreeing with many on here and in particular SG194 who is rightly amazed that we may consider paying one of our best players to leave and play for a rival team. Paul, vyeo, Scotty and Den have all posted what I feel. It really comes to something when I agree with Jim.

The goals scored are only part of it, it's obvious that Cole is a quality player. Even now. To let him go is quite simply a poor decision. So what if we save a little bit of money- what we gonna do? Bring in Teddy Sheringham with it? If Cole is to be adequately replaced then big money needs to be spent. Do we really have this money? On other threads people have mentioned the likes of Beattie and Kluivert. Can we really afford Beattie? Won't ever bother to say why Kluivert coming here will never happen in a month of sundays...

If Cole goes and isn't replaced by a quality proven striker (not Dickov) then I won't be defending Souness anymore on the 'Souness must go' thread. There's been too many players who have left out the team or cold-shouldered because of a falling out with Souness. I'm still hoping this just paper talk.

Otherwise, for me it'll be the straw that broke the camel's back...

One last thing - I can say without any amount of hyperbole that I am less optimistic about this coming season then I have been about any season since I first started supporting Rovers in the mid-eighties.

Cole must stay...and for more than just one season.

[Alan75]

Whilst I'm not a big Cole fan, this latest piece of news to be released by the Rovers Board stinks in my book. If anyone recalls Coles press remarks after the Birmingham game then the release / transfer of Cole must have been on the cards at the end of the last season.

Why werent the board honest enough to make a statement then, or prior to the sale of season tickets about Coles future at Ewood ?

As I stated above, I'm not one of Coles biggest fans, as his performances have over the season been indifferent, but he does raise his game for the big occation also to give him credit he did pull out the stops towards the end of the season.

Cole does gives us some presence and experience up front, something that Stead and Gally still have to learn. When I start to look at the team now it's like a throw back to the Jim Smith Bobby Saxton, Don Mackay era, of other peoples aged cast offs of bargain basement purchases, with a smattering of young prospects.

I'll be there at the start of the season, as I've done for the last 30 years, but at the moment I feel as if the rug has been pulled out from under my feet, feeling cheated by the fact that the club havent been honest, letting me pay for a season ticket, knowing that once deadlines had passed they would release the news regarding Cole.

ps. The difference between the Smith.Saxton Mackay era and now being that they were tactically aware, not just in theory but also in practice.

[modes98]

Why is he in the Germany sqaud if hes going to go then?

[Manchester Blue]

Put me in there as well. We NEED Andy Cole to teach the youngsters how to become a top striker, something Dickov can't provide.

But that's the point isn't it. Cole won't teach the youngsters anything other than bad habits. He is neither willing nor able to as he says so himself. Stead was reported as saying that Cole hadn't spoken to him for the first few weeks he was here. Is this sullen, disruptive, one-time top goalscorer the type of role model we want.

I'll be disappointed if we don't replace Cole by all means but if we are going to use the argument that he is the second top scorer in the Premiership then why don't we bring Ian Wright in and Les Ferdinand, both have scored a lot of goals but are sadly past their best. However at least you will get effort and a good role model for the younger players.

I'm very annoyed with Souness for not being able to sort this mess out. However I am equally annoyed with Cole who in my opnion has no wish to sort it out and is simply being as awkward as possible to force the situation.

[bob fleming]

Maybe he isn't modes - I doubt Andy Neild was there when they boarded the plane.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Regardless of whether this a 'tit for tat' between Souness and Cole there are a few major worries here for us as fans.

1. This is not a surprise FFS so why has it taken up until now for this to be sorted? - not so close to the new Season - as more plans will have to be made yet Souness says we have the squad now to take us forward.

2. Our coffers are minimal at most - or so we are told - so if Cole does go its likely that a severance payment will have to be made as there is no way we are going to get for him what the club values him at. In addition we will probably only be able to get experienced with a has been 30odd year old or will have to look at the lower leagues and hopefully pick up another Stead - not impossible but risky as we will have the usuual they are not ready yet for the Premiership - as the coffers will be reduced anyway

3. There is no advantage to be gained to Rovers if they let him go to Fulham or anywhere else for that matter, and Rovers stumping up part of his wages as we will lose one of our main strikers and give the advantage to whoever - which will more than likely be a Premiership club as noboy else will be able to afford his wages and its unlikely that any Foreign club would take him on.

4. If we keep him we are going to be left with a far from happy player -who will probably not give his all and disrupt the 'dressing room atmoepshere' ( no change there then some people will say) and cause unrest amongst the other players.

Rovers are in a lose lose lose situation regardless and this is very disappointing news and very very bad business by the Rovers Board et al- lets just hope what we have prove to us they are upto the task, IMO all is not lost but still worrying all the same.

Oh nearly forgot - just to add BANG! there goes the dustbin lid as the undecided/new Season Ticket holders dispose of their application forms.

Edited July 14, 2004 by CAPT KAYOS

[Philly Rover ®]

...If Cole is to be adequately replaced then big money needs to be spent. Do we really have this money? On other threads people have mentioned the likes of Beattie and Kluivert. Can we really afford Beattie?...

Bingo.

We can't pretend to know exactly what went on behind the scenes, but no matter what the case, the fact remains that the club is offloading its most natural goalscorer and best (still) best striker. The only way this is not an absolutely horrible move is if a top notch replacement is lined up--e.g. Beattie. This is, of course, another reason that this move should have been made much earlier... in order to replace Cole, Rovers should have been in for Kezman, or Mikael Forssell, or even Alan Smith or Mark Viduka. Paul Dickov, as tough of a player as he is, is not the answer: he is (or at least should be) the replacement for Yorke, not Cole.

Can't help but thinking that Rovers are doing this because they want to cut back on the wage bill and can't offload Yorke.

[Rovermatt]

Its interesting that the LET says that Cole would've been starting on the bench next season, behind Dickov. Surely GS knew what would happen if that was the plan. Well at least we can while away endless hours speculating on a replacement - how about keeping that nice Dwight Yorke after all?

...wonder if Milan Baros fancies the short hop to the east?

thought not 

That is an incredibly worrying thought. Dickov may be a relatively solid addition to the squad, but he possesses only a fraction of Cole's ability and experience. How Souness can let his own feelings get in the way of fielding a bloody good striker like Cole is beyond me. Incredible...

Edited July 14, 2004 by Rovermatt

[Florida Rover]

I hate this because I feel like we will be back in the relegation scrap that we just managed to survive last season.(It really takes a toll on our collective nerves,stomachs,etc.)I don't see how not having Cole and not replacing with a similar striker(and don't tell me dickov,please) is good for us to thrive and succeed.It is definitely a shorter leash that Souness will find himself on i feel.

[herbergeehh]

IMO, there's no way in hell that Dickov would knock Cole down the pecking order, even though he's not best friends with Souness.

Souey was very pleased with the way Stead and Cole worked out last year, and he's always said that Dickov will be a fine supplement to the team as a whole. I think that the LET wrote this to get another reason why Cole should be unhappy, not just the fights from last season.

But why is Cole on board to Germany, if he's to be sold?

However, his wage will be a relieve, and the mentioned £1m loyalty bonus would also make way for a replacement - but I can't say I'm to happy about this deal either way. AND, I can't see why Cole would want to cut his wages to go elsewhere, when he also has got to say bye-bye to that million. So the way I see it, Rovers will have to lower their transfer amount, OR pay some of his wages. Either way, I'd be hugely disappointed.

If Cole goes, we'll need a new striker !

Chris Sutton anyone? Recently linked with Norwich..

Sutton, Stead, Gally, Jansen and (perhaps) Yorke - not to bad !

[thenodrog]

Put me in there as well. We NEED Andy Cole to teach the youngsters how to become a top striker,

Paul.....Who taught Cole and even more relevently who taught Shearer? No one that I can rem, coud it be that top strikers are born and not made? Surely we dont need to pay 55g per week for a teacher. (btw isn't that Saunders job anyway?)

Cole has been a surely git severely in need of right slap on more than one occasion but he can be top drawer when he wants to be.......some, myself included would opine not often enough mind. Personally I'm not bothered to see the back of him and his idle mate Yorke BUT not at the price of relegation! Christ with the money that those two have been on we could almost afford Henry! (not relevent but for 55g per week I would trim the piggin Ayatollah's toenails daily with my teeth!)

Sutton? Maybe but please God, please dont make my sneaking suspicion come true please dont let Souey sign Robbie Fowler!

Edited July 15, 2004 by thenodrog

[American]

... a bloody good striker like Cole ...

HE IS NOT A BLOODY GOOD STRIKER ANYMORE!! He is an average striker, and not at what he makes. If you add up his goals the past 2 seasons, a bloody good striker would get that in one season, not 2.

Do I want him to stay? If he plays like he did down the stretch last season, sure, but if he plays like he did the season and a half before that, no way.

That all being said, let me contradict myself by saying I would be upset if no replacement was brought in.

[des]

a number of points

first the report in the LET states that Cole does not want to play for GS, well hard luck, in life we all have to work for people who we do not like, or we leave, However the club should NOT pay part of his wages, either keep him or sell, but do not go down the middle road.

second if he scores as many goals amnd misses as many then its time to say good bye, a player living on passed glorys no thank you

[T4E]

... a bloody good striker like Cole ...

HE IS NOT A BLOODY GOOD STRIKER ANYMORE!!

Yes he is. Goals are only one part of his game. We have Andy Cole to thank in a major way for us surviving last season, his performances when we needed him were at times outstanding. He's still got it in him, and we will miss him majorly if he goes.

[Blueboy Downunder]

it totally amazes me how many fickle fans we have with the kinda of opinions and knowledge of the game that can only be expressed in a way that is commonly known as 'tunnel vision'.....what andy cole does not do in one part of his game, he makes up for in others.

for (Please don't use that word again) sake, if you are gonna slag the guy for not scoring enough or not doing this or that, what about his team mates who constantly are not on the same wave length as what coley is. when he makes runs down the channel and trys to take a defender out the way....his team mates are not always on the same wave length....and he still gets stick for it. the guy may not like playing under souness anymore but he just can't win no matter what he does. he gets criticised for making runs that the midfielders don't see, or do see but only play the ball when it is too late.

i shall be gutted when he goes.

[John]

Alex Ferguson could not wait to see the back of Cole as he put it- 'his attitude is no longer there'.

He has done his time for Blackburn but if they cant work together then move him on if there are any takers.

I can think of numerous opportunties last season and I am sure all of you can of some bizarre misses and some completely lacklustre displays.

[herbergeehh]

Can't help thinking this is a bs article, since Cole is in Germany while Todd and Yorke stays home.

[Blueboy Downunder]

Alex Ferguson could not wait to see the back of Cole as he put it- 'his attitude is no longer there'.

He has done his time for Blackburn but if they cant work together then move him on if there are any takers.

I can think of numerous opportunties last season and I am sure all of you can of some bizarre misses and some completely lacklustre displays.

i don't suppose you can recall the times that he ran his socks off trying to open the defence with hsi runs or trying to drag defenders away for the midfielders to run through, but where to ###### thick to realise what he was doing...or at least trying to do??

i totally agree with anyone that says he does not score enough goals....but i am happy with this because of, and as t4e syas...the other side to his game!

[Eddie]

Im a big admirer of Cole, and I feel that he does a great job for the club in ways that have already been stated many times before. Also, just like what has been said, I would not be happy to see him go unless a replacement was to be brought in.

However, if Cole was to leave and money was made available for Souness to spend on a striker of a decent age who would come in, in a similar way that Cole did in the first place, then overall it could be beneficial for the club. If this is not going to happen, and we are simply going to make do with the other strikers we have, or bring in some young talent who may or may not make it, or someone of a similar age to Cole who in no way will have as good of a pedigree and who will stand a risk of not settling in as well and performing as well as Cole has proved then he can, then I have to say no, this is a very, very bad idea.

[den]

I can feel an email to John Williams, coming on.

[G Somerset Rover]

Very worrying news that Cole man is set to leave. It's true that I've contsntly critisised him, but this is mainly because I believe, like all, that he should score more goals. However, he is our best striker and does so much for the team. If we are letting him go with no replacement in mind then this is a shocker from rovers even if him and Souey don't get on. And the thought that we may pay him off makes me cringe even more! When we signed Dickov, I put him in the "Squad player, but no more" bracket, and I still believe this, however I hope that souey hasn't got different ideas and that he was broght in to be Cole's replacement and not Yorkeys. IF Cole does depart and Souey were to seek a replacement, I'd put my house on him going for Radzinski like somebody else mentioned. This would be a huge backwards step from Cole. I hope Cole does stay, but I cannot see it, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that I approach this season with slight pescisism.

[tchocky]

If given the choice between Souness and Cole, who would you keep?

[T4E]

If given the choice between Souness and Cole, who would you keep?

To be honest, my answer to that now wouldn't be as black and white as it would've been 12 months ago.