Joe Cole Happy With Liverpool Move
Joe Cole says he is a very happy player to be joining Liverpool despite reported interest from other high profile clubs.
Cole has signed a four year contract with the club, which will probably see him stay in Merseyside for the rest of his career. He has said that once the offer was on the table there was no doubt in his mind that he'd take it.
Cole struggled to make the impression needed at Chelsea to win another contract with the side when he recovered from injury. However, this move gives him a fresh start and the chance to get back to the high level he is capable of.
It's important to look at the situation Cole is likely to walk into at Liverpool because that will have an impact on how successful he is likely to be. A lot is still undecided at Liverpool with the future of other players in doubt and this could place extra pressure on Cole before he's even played a game for the club.
The Club
Cole will go to Liverpool with a very good chance of starting each game in a position that he wants to play in. This is something that he did not have the luxury of at Chelsea because of the quality in the squad. However, Liverpool does not have many players better than Cole and he should be able to hold down a first team place.
Roy Hodgson is not a stupid manager and he will quickly work out the best position to play Cole in. This will allow him to routinely play in his best position and it will allow Liverpool to get the best out of him.
The ownership battle at the club seems to have died down for the foreseeable future. This should allow Cole to walk into a settled club where the players are happy and everyone is settled and looking forward to the new season.
Cole said: "This is a challenge for me. I have played in London all my life. I could have stayed at Chelsea because the fans loved me and I won things, but I wanted to challenge myself and when I knew Liverpool were interested it was a no-brainer because they are the biggest club in the country."
Pressure
Remember that there are still question marks over the future of one or two players at Liverpool. If the likes of Fernando Torres do leave the club at a point where it's impossible to replace him then Joe Cole will be under heavy pressure.
Liverpool will look to the big players they do possess and Cole falls into that category. He will be under pressure to do well because of the stature of his move but if key players leave then this pressure will be doubled.
He added: "That's the thing I am looking forward to. You talk to Liverpool players and talk about the European nights. I experienced it as an opponent and it was immense. To go out there and play in that atmosphere every week will be phenomenal."
Advice
Caution on all fronts is the best option. If you want to back Liverpool then be wary because they have lacked the consistency needed to win the Premier League in recent seasons and they failed to get their Champions League place last season.
Cole should score a few goals during the course of the season. It will be more productive for you if you back him to score with each match because he's not going to score the volume of goals needed to go on and win the golden boot.
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