Much speculation went on over the past few weeks about where Joe Cole would sign. On Monday, it was announced that he signed a 4 year contract with Liverpool worth just under £100k per week.
It has turned out to be a straight swap of Yossi Benayoun for Joe Cole. Both players play the same position, and while Cole will be making 30k more per week or so, the sale of Yossi will be enough to cover the difference.
So what will Liverpool have with this swap? In reality, both are very similar players that the difference will be minimal while on the field. About all of Joe Cole’s qualities (tidy dribbler, quick, good control) are the same as Benayoun’s. This move will prove important for the culture of the team. With a big name like Cole, the other stars on the squad will believe the organization is committed to winning.
The question for Cole has always been his health. He made over 14 starts just one time in the past 3 seasons because of recurring injuries. For this reason, he cannot be counted on to be more than what Yossi was: a bit starter and the occasional sub appearance. I hope that Roy takes great care with how Cole is handled. I’d prefer he only start 20 or so games with some substitute appearances than go 5-10 games in a row and suffer a serious injury. On the positive, Cole is an English player and is two years younger so he should still have plenty left in him.
Cole is adept with both of his feet and can play on either flank. However, it has been noted that he wants to play in a more central position. I can see him playing behind Torres with Gerrard moving back into the midfield. He also could play as the inverted winger I wrote about when Hodgson signed on with the team.
I see this move as a plus for Liverpool. I feel under Rafa’s watch, Yossi would have been replaced by a £3-5 million flop. This is a high quality replacement and the team just needs to keep him healthy.
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