Likened to Messi last year, now Cole's
fighting to prove he's more than just an average
Joe
Back to work: Joe Cole (second left) returns to
training at Melwood
To the families who were enjoying the
glorious weather as they ambled obliviously through Regent's Park,
he was just another young man exercising in the great
outdoors.
As he approaches the first anniversary of his move
to Anfield, Cole finds his position in Kenny Dalglish's squad even
less secure than it was at the end of last season, following the
capture of Charlie Adam from Blackpool and the pursuit of Aston
Villa's Stewart Downing.
Cole was the man who arrived on Merseyside from
Chelsea to huge public acclaim and was greeted with a ringing
endorsement from captain Steven Gerrard, who wasted no time in
likening his imagination and skills to Lionel Messi.
He was brought in to provide sublime service for
Fernando Torres and ease the burden on Gerrard, and many predicted
Cole would be a resounding success at Anfield and the business was
hailed as one of the best free transfers ever.
It has been anything but. A red card on his Barclays
Premier League debut against Arsenal was followed by missed
penalties, injuries and plummeting form.
'I expect better from myself,' he said last October
after being hauled off by Roy Hodgson during a chastening 2-0
defeat by Everton at Goodison Park.
'I know I'm at a club that is going to help me
through it. Every minute of every day I'm thinking about how I can
get there again.'
But now Cole finds himself confronted by possibly
the biggest task of his career. It is inconceivable that £9million
signing Adam will not be asked to become a creative hub after 12
goals and nine assists for Blackpool last season.
And, in a club that already has a surfeit of
midfielders, it is difficult to envisage the two men playing in the
same team. Many expect Cole to leave Anfield before this transfer
window closes.
West Ham would have him back at Upton Park in a
heartbeat, and Queens Park Rangers have also mulled over the pros
and cons of offering him a fresh start.
The 29-year-old, however, is not in a hurry to turn
his back on this particular fight. He has three years left on the
lucrative deal he penned in the Swiss town of Bad Ragaz last July
but his reasons for digging in are not purely fiscal.
It gnaws away at him that he has not met
expectations and his determination in training has been recognised
by Dalglish as being exemplary.
But it is true that Liverpool would not stand in his
way if the right offer happened to come in and there are no
promises he will make it into the starting line-up.
Adam's signing could well mean the chapter on this
part of Cole's career is reaching an end but, until he hears
otherwise, he will attempt to turn the tide through perseverance
and hard work. Should that happen, the afternoon he spent toiling
in Regent's Park will be worth it.