Grant: Cole not for sale
West Ham United manager Avram Grant has said that he will not listen to any offers for striker Carlton Cole because he is not for sale.
Cole has been linked with a move away from West Ham this summer with Stoke City said to be leading the clubs trying to sign him. However, the England international now looks as though he will stay at Upton Park for the coming season and be the main man in West Ham's attack.
Grant has said that at no point did he say that he would be willing to let Cole leave the club. He hopes that he can score the goals, which will push West Ham into the top half of the Premier League table.
There are many reasons why this good news is productive for both West Ham as a club and Carlton Cole as a player. It's important to consider both sides in order to judge how successful Cole can be over the course of the coming season.
Benefits for the club
Carlton Cole gives West Ham United something that they don't already have. He is a very big striker who carries a very big presence and West Ham do not have this in other areas of their team. Only Scott Parker can come close to creating the same fear in the hearts of opposition players that Cole does.
Grant has only just taken over the club as manager. He would have been hoping that no stories emerged over the future of his players because he needs time to work with the squad. West Ham do not have a huge number of players so it's important that Grant can keep the team as a well organised unit.
The club don't have to worry about hunting for a new striker. Cole is a very unique type of striker and West Ham would have been limited in terms of their options if they needed a new player.
Grant said: "I don't want to sell Carlton. He is working very hard. His attitude is good. He is a good player. Against Ipswich, he was in the right place at the right time again. I think the new system has helped him. We also have a team that know how to play football so they can give him the pass at the right time."
Benefits for the player
Cole will know that he has a very good chance of leading the attack at West Ham. He will want to add to the 26 goals that he has already scored for the club and improve his games to goals ration.
He will also know that the only way he is going to get an England call up is if he's playing regularly. Fabio Capello has already said that he recognises Cole as a very good English striker and it's now up to the player to hit the ground running ahead of the new season.
Grant added: "If you look at all the goals we have scored this summer, all the goals came from combinations between many players in the team. Of course it is good for him."
Betting advice
Cole stands a very good chance of starting the majority of West Ham's games this coming season. This means he will have more chances to score and it means he is a very good bet to be top scorer at the club.
He's also a good candidate to score at any time during a game against one of the weaker teams in the Premier League. Take advantage of this because the bigger teams will find ways of playing against his huge physical presence.
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