Joe Cole is Back, Now How About an England Recall?

October 26th, 2009 | by: Daryl |

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Hands up if you’d forgotten about Joe Cole? No need to be embarrassed, I sort of had as well. At least as an England starter anyway.

The Chelsea man has been out since January with a knee injury, but returned to play a starring role as Chelsea thrashed Blackburn 5-0 this weekend.

Interestingly, Cole played at the tip Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield diamond. Pretty much as a #10, behind the strikers, which is where he’s always wanted to play. How about this for a postgame quote from Joseph himself:

“If I was a manager, I would put myself in that position. I love it. The last time I really played there a lot was when I was at West Ham, and then I wasn’t the player I am now.”

Here’s why I think that’s interesting: Back when Cole was an England regular, pre-injury, he was mostly used as a left mid. Because no one else was capable of playing there. So where does Cole fit into Fabio Capello’s England?

My best guess is that he doesn’t, at least not in the first XI. But having a good international team isn’t all about the first XI, and Joe Cole can be an excellent second choice for either Steven Gerrard or Wayne Rooney. If we need someone to fill that Gerrard position of nominal left mid but drifting inside to support, then he’s ideal. And if we’re really going with the Heskey as target man, Rooney as support striker system, then Cole is an able (but not quite as good) deputy in the Rooney role too.

So welcome back Joe, England has missed you and we look forward to seeing you wear an England shirt again next month. Assuming Capello agrees with the above.

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http://epl.theoffside.com Rob

Pre-injury, Fabio didn’t really seem to know what to do with Cole, I suppose he was the sacrificial lamb to get Gerrard and Lampard in the same midfield.

There are few players I admire more than Joe Cole though, One of the few players I would pay just to see. But yeah, I’m not sure that he does fit in the starting XI anymore. I do think that his future might be in the behind-the-striker role.

We’re bound to get some injuries before the World Cup, we always do, so it’s good having someone so versatile to bring in.
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

100% agree Rob. I like Joe Cole a lot, but I always feel like England (team, fans, media) worries too much about who’s in the starting XI, and forgets that a successful team needs a plan B, either to replace injured players, or to change a game should it not be going well.

So there’s no shame in Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe, Michael Owen or anyone else being on the bench. It just makes us stronger.