Cole in the hole?
Now most people who know football, or soccer if you are American, know that Joe Cole is an inspired signing for Liverpool. This is a team that struggled to be anything but workmanlike last season and one that suffered the ignominy of finishing seventh in the English Premiership.
However Joe’s best position, and the position he favors most, is in the hole, tucked behind the strikers working the space between the opponents midfield and their defense.
Liverpool though already have Stephen Gerrard, a player considered by many to be the best in the world currently playing that role. (I think that an abundance of fans pvc banners will back me up on that one.)
So the question is, do you play Cole out on the wing where he is less effective or do you restructure the playing pattern to accommodate both players? Speculation is rife that new Liverpool manager, Roy Hodgson, will change to a 4, 5, 1 line up with both Cole and Gerrard lining up behind Torres as the lone front man. Out on the left you will see Maxi Rodriguez and the right wing will be pacey striker-come-winger Dirk Kuyt.
It would seem that this would not only fit with the needs of both his central midfielders but also produce a strike force comparable with any in the Premiership.
In addition, with rumors abounding that Mascherano, Liverpool’s holding midfielder, wants to join his old boss Rafa Benitez, now with Inter Milan, a flat back four protecting the goal keeper with the midfield set up to put pressure on opponents could lead to a much improved season for the reds.
With Hodgson much less likely to rotate his players it is obvious though that if a winning pattern is set up which can absorb Joe Cole’s skills, and maximise there potential, he could be seeing far more first team action in the coming season than was the case at Chelsea last season.
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