EPL News: Liverpool's Roy Hodgson goes hard on Joe Cole
The Liverpool manager, Roy Hodgson, often known for this diplomacy has arguably wilted under pressure and gone on to hand Joe Cole, a mediocrity ticket over his performance in the game against Dutch side FC Utrecht.
The manager chose a second string side to take on a relatively easy opponent on Wednesday night. It might have been a sensible option resting players seeing as the Christmas period is going to be a busy one in the Premier League. Plus, the game was at Anfield;
why would there be any hiccups..?
Think again! The home side, after a less than impressive display on the night, fired blanks as they were held to a goal-less draw – The story of their season, perhaps..?
The former Fulham manager was quoted by media saying:
"He [Cole] knows he is better than that and he knows he can do better than that. He sets himself high standards and I'm sure he came off the field feeling it was not the performance he wanted to give."
It could be argued that on any other day, blaming a singular party for the woes of a team might seem a touch harsh. However, on Wednesday night, a weakened Liverpool needed a leader; something that they already have in Steven Gerrard. Joe Cole was leading
a relatively inexperienced side and it was vital that he made his mark on proceedings. Being given the opportunity, the England international should have displayed better leadership qualities but was unable to make his presence felt.
The Merseyside team was evidently out of their zone against the Dutch side. There were however some flashes of individual brilliance at times. Milan Jovanovic was seen rattling the crossbar with a thunderous long range strike. The unit in general, on the
other hand failed to capitalize on their home advantage. They seemed disorganized and never really found their rhythm throughout the course of the night.
Joe Cole was presented with a scoring opportunity on a plate to seal the result but the winger’s low shot was charged down.
"Players like Joe play on very small margins. If he had struck the shot less well he would probably have scored." concluded the Liverpool manager.
The Liverpool number 10 was subjected to a lot of hype since making his move from Chelsea this summer. Despite the fact that he was a free agent, the amount of wages that the club was induced into paying, demands an equally handsome performance on a consistent
base – A simple trade off.
Since his arrival at Anfield, Cole has only scored once which is a poor reflection of his potential.
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