da jogodeouro： As a youngster at West Ham, recently recalled England international Joe Cole was renowned for his natural attacking ability, creative flair and artistic vision.
da dobrowin： Yet by the time Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho inherited the attacking midfielder at Chelsea in 2004, The Special One was keen to mould the midfielder into a different type of player and attempt to control his famed offensive nature. Mourinho argued that Cole would become a better player by adding defensive steel to his forward-thinking mentality.
Mourinho is clearly a coach who prefers caution over creativity and one who believed there was no space in his Chelsea title-winning side for a traditional No.10 in the shape of Cole, a player who would roam the field with a lack of boundaries and restrictions. Shortly after his arrival, the Special One commented:
“He has a lot to learn,” said Mourinho. “I think he has two faces – one beautiful and one I don’t like. He must keep one and change the other one.”
“When he scored the game finished for him. After that I needed 11 players for my defensive organisation and I had just 10.
“Joe can be a regular but he has to improve when the team needs him to be part of a defensive organisation.”
Mourinho wanted Cole to track back and defend, something with the former Hammer obliged in doing. Cole developed as an all-round player, winning a place in the PFA’s team of the season in 2005 and becoming a key member of the club’s 2004-05 & 05-06 title winning side. Yet his natural attacking game suffered as a result and one of England’s most technically gifted, creative players of his generation was turned into a stereotypical wide player.
Cole first broke into the West Ham side at the age of 17 and flourished playing in a behind the striker role. Cole quickly endeared himself to the Upton Park faithful with his inventiveness, trickery and unpredictability, while his early performances seen him linked with a £10m move to Old Trafford.
This progress was under the guidance of current Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp who attempted to lure the 28-year-old to White Hart Lane this summer. Yet I’m sure Redknapp will be more than delighted with the services of Dutch maestro Rafael van der Vaart instead, a player who is currently demonstrating the advantages of having such an attack-minded, free-roaming player on the pitch with some early eye-catching performances for Spurs.
The Premier League has developed since Cole’s days as a youngster in East London and has become a more tactically controlled environment. Managers such as Mourinho and Rafael Benitez placed an emphasis on defence, while the league has become so competitive that many sides line up to avoid defeat over risking it all for a win. Foreign coaches such as Ancelotti, Benitez and Mourinho began to alter the league’s mentality slightly and cannot all be wrong with nine league titles and five European Cups between them.
Such defensive tendencies however have seen players like Cole suffer, a trend continued by Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge. Cole was marginalised at Stamford Bridge under the Italian and was allowed to leave without much fuss on a free transfer this summer. Ancelotti later made disparaging comments towards Cole’s intelligence and his ability to follow tactical instructions. Liverpool’s Yossi Benayoun was brought in as his replacement, which prompted the Italian to say:
“Joe Cole is quicker than Benayoun but Yossi is better tactically. He understands what I tell him.”
Cole has since moved to Liverpool where Hodgson will give him the freedom to attack and create opportunities for his team-mates in the final-third. Cole has however had a difficult start at Anfield and Ancelotti’s decision to release him seems a correct one with the Blues currently topping the table and Cole’s new club floundering in the relegation zone.
Despite this, you feel Mourinho’s and Ancelotti’s criticism of Cole’s defensive play says more about the pair’s meticulous planning and importance they place on defense. Other managers have different footballing philosophies and coaches such as Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger would certainly see Cole’s ingenuity as a bonus.
Cole’s creativity should be celebrated and encouraged and not buried behind defensive strategies and protective mindsets. While Cole may find the freedom he wants at Anfield he is unlikely to add to his medal collection during his time on Merseyside.
And in that regard, it’s difficult to question Ancelotti’s opinion on Cole’s perceived lack of tactical discipline.
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