Liverpool legend John Aldridge has blasted former Reds midfielder Joe Cole for his 'disgraceful' recent comments about the club'.
In an interview last week, Cole admitted that he felt 'no connection' with Liverpool, and suggested that he disagreed with the contention that Liverpool is one of the 'biggest clubs in the country'. He told ESPN:
"When I joined, the guy interviewing me said 'you've joined the biggest club in the country' and reeled off the trophies they'd won.
"I just said 'yeah, if you put it like that, I suppose you're right.
"I didn't want to upset anyone so I just went along with it. But obviously they're not the biggest club in the country any more"
Cole's crass comments have enraged Aldridge, who hit back in his column for the Liverpool Echo last night, accusing Cole of throwing a 'custard pie in the face of every Liverpool FC fan' with his 'disgraceful comments', adding:
"Liverpool fans always supported him, and ignored the fact he was pocketing £5million per year and that he was out injured with a twisted sock most weeks.
"We stuck up for him, so for him to come out with rubbish like that was a real kick in the plums. I know he wants to endear himself to people back in London but what a crazy way to do it".
I doubt many people ever really saw Cole as a proper Liverpool player. I certainly never did. For me, he was an imposter; a mercenary who came to Anfield for the money, and did absolutely nothing to endear himself to the fans.
The gross hyperbole surrounding Cole's signing was laughable. Apparently, he was just the kind of player Liverpool needed to appease the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres; an experienced 'world class' (!) player who would exponentially improve the club's attacking threat in the final third. In fact, so amazing was Cole's signing that Gerrard was moved to compare him to Lionel Messi:
"Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better. I really fancy Joe for the [player of the year] award this season"
Gerrard the fantasist strikes again, producing a comment almost as far removed from reality as Sean Dundee's contention that he was 'as fast as Michael Owen' :-)
As I argued at the time, Cole was a gigantic waste of money, and only came to Liverpool to pad out his retirement fund, and we should be thankful to Brendan Rodgers for finally getting him off the wage bill.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
In an interview last week, Cole admitted that he felt 'no connection' with Liverpool, and suggested that he disagreed with the contention that Liverpool is one of the 'biggest clubs in the country'. He told ESPN:
"When I joined, the guy interviewing me said 'you've joined the biggest club in the country' and reeled off the trophies they'd won.
"I just said 'yeah, if you put it like that, I suppose you're right.
"I didn't want to upset anyone so I just went along with it. But obviously they're not the biggest club in the country any more"
Cole's crass comments have enraged Aldridge, who hit back in his column for the Liverpool Echo last night, accusing Cole of throwing a 'custard pie in the face of every Liverpool FC fan' with his 'disgraceful comments', adding:
"Liverpool fans always supported him, and ignored the fact he was pocketing £5million per year and that he was out injured with a twisted sock most weeks.
"We stuck up for him, so for him to come out with rubbish like that was a real kick in the plums. I know he wants to endear himself to people back in London but what a crazy way to do it".
I doubt many people ever really saw Cole as a proper Liverpool player. I certainly never did. For me, he was an imposter; a mercenary who came to Anfield for the money, and did absolutely nothing to endear himself to the fans.
The gross hyperbole surrounding Cole's signing was laughable. Apparently, he was just the kind of player Liverpool needed to appease the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres; an experienced 'world class' (!) player who would exponentially improve the club's attacking threat in the final third. In fact, so amazing was Cole's signing that Gerrard was moved to compare him to Lionel Messi:
"Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better. I really fancy Joe for the [player of the year] award this season"
Gerrard the fantasist strikes again, producing a comment almost as far removed from reality as Sean Dundee's contention that he was 'as fast as Michael Owen' :-)
As I argued at the time, Cole was a gigantic waste of money, and only came to Liverpool to pad out his retirement fund, and we should be thankful to Brendan Rodgers for finally getting him off the wage bill.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
Cole is a joke, he said he didn't love liverpool, well not surprised you was either suspended or injured, wasted so much money on him. Glad Brendan got rid of nearly all the dead wood. I believe it's exciting times for Liverpool.
ReplyDeleteJoe who?
ReplyDeleteGerrard is a quality player, but, after his Joe Cole comparison to Messi, I just pray that he will never becomes a Liverpool manager, if that's the quality (Joe cole) he'll be looking to sign!!!.
ReplyDeleteI really liked him and he had excellent technicall abilities. His injuried we're unfortunate and but he had enogh chances to prove himsself at liverpool, lets just enjoy we replaced him with a woderfull brazilian prospect !!
ReplyDeleteto be fair hes gonna say that isnt he ...hes a cockney...they all back slap each other ...kiss badges blah blah load of B*llocks blah blah...the real criminals in this episode are the fools who handed an injury prone has been a bumper contract ...i dont blame cole Props to him and his agent for milking the idiot who negotiated with him
ReplyDeleteDid we really get rid of him of the wage bill? I'm sure the transfer states we subsidise some of his wages still?
ReplyDeleteThe fact is he is still a decent player and the desire to get rid of him should not take away from this fact. West Ham have got him on the cheap. We should have extracted some conditions from them too. i.e first shout on Diame etc
Hi Jaimie. I hate to be that guy but I know you like having a good standard of English and you have a typo in there.
ReplyDelete''Gerrard the fantasist strikers again.'' Is that supposed to be strikes? :P
Anyway keep it up. I don't always agree with your points but they're interesting and make a lot of sense (sometimes).
no magic2ouch, we paid him off something like 50% of what he would have picked up in wages by seeing out his contract. It was a one off payment.
ReplyDeleteSpot on West Ham got him on the cheap. Too often we have been mugged when buying and selling players.
spot on in your description of the time he was here, i always seen him as an imposter, a guy who was never going to contribute,only to joeys video diary lol
ReplyDeleteThere is a difference between him querying Liverpool being the "biggest club in the country" - which he is quoted as saying, and which most non Liverpool fans would agree with him on.
ReplyDeleteOr "one of the biggest clubs in the country", which isn't what Joe Cole queried and which most non-Liverpool supporters would not deny.
Its a non-story taken from changing a quote, not exactly worth get uppity about.
In fairness, most players these days are mercenaries. Not all, but I'd reckon most are.
ReplyDeleteThe days of loyalty to organizations are now the exception as opposed to the rule.
It's rare to find the Carraghers, Gerrards, Giggs, etc. that play their entire careers for one club.
I can't say that I hold it against Joe Cole because he went to the place offering the most money, as many players take this approach.
If anything, I'd blame the LFC management for offering it to him in the first place.
Liverpool fans...you are living on past glories. Youve had your day, get over it. You dint like Joe, Joe didnt like you...get over it too.
ReplyDeleteI'm not fussed about the biggest club thing.. I'm not 12.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am fussed about is his comment's that he can only play for a club he feels passionate about !!
What
the hell is that supposed to mean ? He's a PROFESSIONAL footballer ..
110k a week and he's saying he was never going to be anything better
than dross because he lacked passion for the club !! Might have wanted to mention that before you signed.. It's your JOB you cnut ! (and I don't almost use that word lightly !)
He didn't even have the decency to spin out the standard.. I tried my best but unfortunately things just didn't work out.. line
We
should take this joker to a labour tribunal and try to recoup some of
the money he fraudulently took in his time at the club under the guise
of a PROFESSIONAL footballer.
A classic case of a failure who cant accept it, He was making snide remarks about Liverpool when he was if France but they diddnt want to know and we were paying most of this ungreatful wretches wages - I said the same on this and other boards at the time. a stating the obvious prediction - he wont be in the West ham first team next season.
ReplyDeleteJoe liked the 110k a week we were giving him but didn't like the idea of actually earning it..
ReplyDeleteIt's called fraud. I know ye hammer's are a particularly happy hunting ground for mercenaries.. God knows it's the last club anyone wants to go in the capital.. so your nonchalance towards them doesn't surprise me.
Yer well suited .
the only joke is the guy who gave him the contract
ReplyDeletewithour risking the wrath its not like the players you mentioned play for nothing
ReplyDeletehes just playing up to westham fans i dare say he tried as hard for us its all soundbites
ReplyDeleteive nothing against cole its a market economy and he took liverpool to the cleaners....the lesson to be learned is research your players...even gerrad bigged him up.....they all p*ss in the same pot
ReplyDeleteOf all the people on here your the one that keeps banging on about the money these guys get, doing their JOB, and how if it were you in your job etc etc etc
ReplyDeleteNow a guy comes out and basically admits he never really had any intention of doing his JOB because he didn't have any passion for the club.. and it's the guy who gave him the contracts fault..
I've seen a drunk blind man trying to walk a straight line be more consistent than you ..
I'm glad he took you for a ride. I'm also enjoying your terminal decline. Still you had it good for a long time. Now that you've lost the glory hunter fans to Man United , Chelsea and Man City you can enjoy many years of mid table obscurity.
ReplyDeleteWatching the way a once great club like Liverpool have reacted to losing top club status has been an eye-opener. Had you just bitten the bullet, given Man U there due as new top-dogs, then battled away to get back where you once were, then long-time admirers like me, a Hammer long time admirer of Liverpool and of decent football, would have been much more impressed. It comes across and bitter and twisted.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record Chris, West Ham is a proper local community club with a great history. It serves a large working class catchment area. Players come and go, yes, but the club remains true to its supporters and roots. And thats the way it should be.
Another hapless hammer ..
ReplyDeleteFeel sorry for the poor Geordie lad we lent ye..
If we're in terminal decline then that makes ye nothing more than a parasite feeding of us to trying to maintain yer own insignificant existence..
Probably not insignificant to the 35000 that go to Upton Park every other week, or the 30000 who saw every Championship home game last season ?????
ReplyDeletealways new joe cole would be garbage for lfc complete dud i wish him well at west ham glad he off the f"cking books just wish we still were not paying the greedy twats wages,and to the west ham fans on here your welcome to him,just keep fading and dying
ReplyDeletejoe cole he never reached the sky hes back at west ham were he will fade and die
ReplyDeleteWhat comes across as bitter and twisted ?
ReplyDeleteThe fact I'm infuriated by a guy who basically admitted he didn't do his job because he wasn't feeling it ??
If you wanna talk about the article talk about the article,Joe Cole and the transfer between our two clubs and his comments.
But don't come on a LFC website , or any opposition website and predicate your comments with yer living on past glories nonsense, and expect a free ride..
You made a crass comment and got one in return.. In your own words.. Get over it .
I think it's called the transfer/loan system not the parasite system. You'll find that all clubs buy and sell players.
ReplyDeleteNo, but i would suggest these players mentioned earned their increased contracts and wage through appearance, effort and application.Don't recall Cole doing any of these, but i do recall him several times saying he wanted to stay and fight for his place at LFC, strange indeed considering what he's just said about LFC. I would be of the opinion he simply likes to blow smoke up the arses of those whom he currently resides with, whats worse for me that smoke blowin,badge kissin is accepted by so many gullible people as honesty!
ReplyDeleteI would always love to hear what wonderful clubs posters like yourself follow,i would also suggest that if LFC have lost glory hunting fans to said clubs,LFC are still the second biggest supported club in the UK, so loosing the glory hunters hasn't caused the terminal decline you speak of .....LFC till i die.
ReplyDeletehe was a good player at some point for Chelsea and for England once.
ReplyDeletehe was doomed from the first game for us, he looked keen, then never got back in, sulked and got slated and never had the balls to live up to expectations.
once a rent boy always a rent boy.
to light weight and a one trick poney, his time has passed.
once labelled the new gazza.................how funny, maybe that weighed him down aswell.
talking of gazza, what a signing that would have been all those years ago now.
What's it got to do with a market economy? He accepted a position as a professional footballer at LFC, signed a contract and accepted his wages every week.Since when did a market economy involve not fulfilling the role you get paid to do,and blame it on a lack of passion ...... absolute nonsense.In any other work place he could be sacked for what is termed industrial negligence,and simply admitting to not trying to do his job through lack of passion for it!
ReplyDeletei think cole tried ..the problem was hes finished and was so for several years at Chelsea ..a bit like Torres at Chelsea....im not going to knock a man who does whats right for him and his family i am gonna knock the idiot who didn't see it coming....ive nothing against cole as a person i have everything against him as a player
ReplyDeleteits that romantic fantasy world commercial acumen thats landed us with so much dross as a club...he played to his potential the problem is as always we paid him a crazy contract...who ever negotiated this contract should have put clauses in it to protect the club ....we didn't so suck it up ...cole and his agent had the contract water tight we didnt its called business in the real world
ReplyDeleteive never rated cole ..even when he was in his so called pomp...injury prone....no end product...no tactical awareness ..and a few fancy flicks sums him up..this cockney cheeky chappie was never gonna work at anfield and i was astonished we signed him...but we did ...the lesson... to be learned is simple...never sign injury prone cockney hasbeens
ReplyDeleteoh weres me anky old spece that story warms the cockles of me art
ReplyDeletept have you any tips on how to handle obscurity just in case we end up as bad as you
ReplyDeleteif one thing comes out of this disaster its we need to wise up on the transfer front......que borini & allen ..we havnt
ReplyDeletemy opinions and theories evolve constantly ...its how as a species we came out of the trees ..well most of us
ReplyDeleteNO CLASS AS A POLAYER OR PERSON
ReplyDeletetranslated...
ReplyDeleteI'm a hypocrite and I change my mind like the weather to suit my argument..
And your right, so keep typing mate.. You know they say your kind will eventually produce the complete works of Shakespeare giving enough time..
Until then I suppose we'll all just have to suffer the mumbo jumbo you come up with.
Meh...Hes gone now thats all I care about...Pity Lille didnt buy him
ReplyDeleteIf that be the case then clauses should be put in all contracts to protect the club, unfortunately when word gets out then no players want to come. It isn't fantasy world commercial acumen (whatever that means) that lands any club with dross it's managerial mistakes and poor scouting.He admits he didn't play to his potential, i seen him play both before LFC and at LFC and would agree Liverpool didn't see his full potential (i know you think he did), so the problem is we got a shirker,a blood sucker,a bluffer.Had he played to his full potential i suggest he would still be at Liverpool.
ReplyDeleteyou infinatly will im afraid an infinate number of times
ReplyDeletei see you are too embarrassed to say who you follow!? probably for the best.
ReplyDeletei bet the doctors surgeries are overrun with 30000-35000 patients with neck ache?
ReplyDeleteclauses have started to be put in contacts at liverpool as suarez pay rise proves also sterling and kelly have clauses in them....lots of clubs insert clauses etc etc its just we have been slow catching the bus
ReplyDeleteThe positive out of this is that Liverpool fans welcomed him and wanted him to do well and therefore it just goes to show our class.
ReplyDeleteJoe was finished at Chelsea and if this teaches us something is that quality power pace and youth are the way. The board got this wrong and Lfc paid the price,be warned.
but west haaaam are 'the academy of football', don't you know? hahahahahahaha! they hope that by moving stadium, they may attract new fans? deluded is the word best used here.
ReplyDeletetrue to it's roots? that's why they are leaving upton park then?
ReplyDeleteYOU wanna be mature now is it ... ? LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing neither of you glanced over the site update then? ;)
ReplyDelete"God knows it's the last club anyone wants to go in the capital......"
ReplyDeleteNot for long mate. Once we go to the OS, they'll all want to be there. Manchester City only got the stadium built for the commonwealth games and look what happened.
We're going to be in a ground with the best transport links in the world.
You can add Nuri Sahin and Assaidi to that list as well because neither really featured.
ReplyDeleteNevermind the following Liverpool gets outsdie of the country. And if you meant "losing" the glory hunters I'm all for that.
ReplyDeleteto publicly say that just about sums up about Joe Cole. I'm sure his wife and family will not be impressed by his statement.
ReplyDeleteWhen he wanted the job he praised BR in ever other article i read about him and how he owed Liverpool and will pay back by working hard. Now that he is out he says noconnection with us. Does not he feel ashame. Any way his personality will reflect for the club he is now playing and the fans there would know about his unfaithfulness character.
ReplyDeleteJoe cole was a bad move he was used up as a player couple years before he moved to liverpool constantyl injured and in the end setteled for the money i personally wont knock him for the lucrative contract he got clearly that was just poor management by the previous regime however his ability on the ball was poor and in 3 yrs i only remember his contribution in the west ham game this season which is a joke considering how many money he made.......BTW bit of topic but has any one seen my name sakes goal against Tigre pure class loool
ReplyDeleteThink Joe Cole was unfortunate tbh. I'm sure there are plenty of fans cursing his name now that were excited that we beat Spurs to sign him. He just couldn't make it work, he's a decent player just didn't work out for him IMO. He did the same thing any of us would do, looked at the pound signs when the next jobs was on the horizon. In saying all that, he should shut his damn mouth! I ever hear him talking that trash again gonna introduce him to my friend PAIN!
ReplyDeleteLove the way people judge players after 9 months at the place, i have no doubt whatsoever that you also slaughtered Lucas all them years ago, to put Allen Boroni and Assaidi in the same bracket as Smokin Joe beggars belief!
ReplyDeleteI had an open mind about Lucas because he was being compared to Alonso and Mascherano who were 2 of the best in their positions in the League.
ReplyDeleteI never put Allen and Borini in the same bracket as Joe but you have to admit Borini has been has injury prone as Aurelio and Kewell. I only hope he becomes injury free like Agger and contributes to the team next season. Allen on the other hand apart from his first few games hasn't justified the faith BR put in him this season. Maybe the shoulder injury has something to do with it but at the moment I would prefer Henderson in ahead of him as he has been poor. What Assaidi has to do to get a game is anyone's guess but can you expain why he hasn't featured at all with Sterling getting games ahead of him even when he was fatigued. Anyway, I am happy with Sturridge and Coutinho.
Anyway I think you may want to redirect your comments towards Gilstrap. I just mentioned 2 players. Nuri Sahin who was moved on despite being quality (which equals a failure) and Assaidi who I have no problem with but truly hope he plays more before becoming chronically bored and unfit (match fit wise).
ReplyDeletein an area where you have a fantastic chance of being shot on the way to it! still, nice shopping centre though.
ReplyDeletethe joke of the day, lolololol
ReplyDeletenice one mate :)
the 'new gazza'? only because he likes chicken and fishing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a surprise, another Man Utd loving Cockney.
ReplyDeleteWell said, couldn't have put it better myself.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it will have 'the best tansport links in the world' as you put it. Shame you won't be able to fill the stadium.
ReplyDeleteDead right
ReplyDeleteRather he kept his mouth shut but not much wrong with what he said, even though its not the PC/safe thing to say.
ReplyDeletewhy did the twat join us if he was not 100% with us......MONEY i think had a lot to do with it we don't need gold diggers like that.
ReplyDeleteWhat's done is done. He had a few good games and showed a few tasty touches but he never was the world beater that the London based media made him out to be.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit optimistic when he signed and thought he did ok until his red card against Arsenal but that performance was overshadowed by N'Gog's goal on the day.
In the end, he turned into Harry Kewell MkII - a lot of promise but never lived up to the hype and paid handsomely for it.
He's moved on and we, as a club, have moved on. It's time us fans moved on too.Good luck in life, Joe, we'll survive without you.
It is true that Stevie often talks a lot of nonsense - e.g. if he really said that about Cole and Messi. But he remains one of the greatest players in the history of the club and can perhaps be excused. Cole has never in his life been anything but ordinary - I much preferred Benayoun, who had pace and could net goals.
ReplyDeleteAnother player has come out with a few comments, since recently leaving the club. This time, Sahin. Respectful about the club but not so much about Rodgers.
ReplyDelete"I have left Brendan Rodgers, thank God."
We didn't like Joe? I think you are wrong here. There were a few voices of concern at the time has has signed claiming that he wasn't the player he used to be. And how right they were, he never cut the mustard for us. Most of us were at least willing to see what he can offer. That's hardly not liking him.
ReplyDeleteTerminal decline? "The condemned live longer" springs to mind. Somehow, even after losing the glory hunting fans to other clubs, we still fill our ground and are one of the most followed club on the planet.
ReplyDeleteInteresting though that mid-table starts at sixth for you. Now, that tells me a lot about your general football knowledge, and your maths skills, too.
There is a long way to go to create anything resembling an atmosphere at an Olympic stadium.
ReplyDeleteBenayoun has also had "football intelligence", probably because he is more intelligent than Cole overall.
ReplyDeleteThat's not what I was suggesting. Every player is making money (obviously some more than others)
ReplyDeleteBut generally speaking, you'll find that players can usually get more money elsewhere as teams will tend to have to overpay players to leave surroundings they are comfortable with, provided that the player's current club is offering him a fair market value deal.
Well what else could he say, it's a smoke screen for the fact he was a major Flop
ReplyDeleteAND THE WORST TEAM
ReplyDeleteThey got an injury prone player on the cheap. Even if he still has the desire which I doubt he just is not the player he was. He is in a downward spiral of being not being fit enough to play and not playing enough to get fit
ReplyDeleteIts kinda funny we got a "mercenary" who pocketed £5m a year I wonder what Chelsea fans view in paying £50m in transfer & £9.1m in wage for a certain out date golden boy.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wonder why footballers make statements like J.Cole did to the press. I mean yeah his statement is abysmal but in doing so it has made him sound bitter and look like a right old dick. Taking into consideration he did not amaze the world of football with his talent so who is he to say such things. Yes, Liverpool remain poor in the league in standings, but this is a BIG BUT Liverpool remains one of the worlds most supported team in the world. It is one of the worlds BIGGEST sports brand making it recognized across the oceans. This is something J.Cole's dear old clubs (Chelsea, West Ham) will never be able to reach. Has anyone heard the @ Stamford Bridge lately you can hear a pin drop at times. Liverpool we are, Liverpool we will grow, but the haters can GO!!!!
Joe Cole is wrong investment and silly mistake from LFC management.He just come to waste times and want high salary at Anfield.LFC should regret because sign him a few year a go.
ReplyDelete