Does Carlton Cole deserve a new contract?

Carlton Cole is in the final year of his contract with West Ham. Weighing up his lack of goals against his devotion to the Hammers, does he deserve a renewed deal?

 

Very few players are as frustrating to watch as Carlton Cole. He is West Ham’s very own Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Worryingly, you never know which incarnation of Cole will waltz onto the pitch on a match day.

 

 

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Hammers fans have seen the very best of the 29-year-old centre-forward, but they have also seen his very worst. Many will remember fondly that spectacular half-volley he teed up for himself and smashed in with his left foot from outside the 18-yard box against Tottenham Hotsp*r a few seasons ago. That miss against Norwich last month is just as memorable though.

 

 

All the more frustrating is Cole’s unfulfilled potential.

 

 

Waste of talent

Much has been made of the return to Upton Park of Cole’s namesake Joe, and particularly the latter’s failure to make the most of the ability he was blessed with as a young boy. But Carlton is just as guilty as Joe.

 

 

In 2002, when Carlton Cole broke into the Chelsea first team as an 18-year-old, he was hailed as a prolific prodigy having banged in an impressive 37 goals for the Chelsea reserves that season.

 

So far this season he has failed to score three.

 

The Premier League is, of course, tougher now than ever before, so it obviously makes the reserve league of 2001/2002 look like a rubbish game of Subbuteo. Nevertheless, Cole has not built on his amazing start to life as a professional footballer and become the all-conquering behemoth he should be.

 

 

One thing Carlton Cole is though, is fiercely loyal to West Ham.

 

Claret and blue blood

Having been beaten over the head with the story following West Ham’s promotion last year, few Hammers fans need to be reminded of Cole’s decision to take a pay cut in order to stay with the club. But there is still a small faction of the claret and blue army who need to be told that the guy who scored 15 goals for the Irons last season agreed to halve his wages and drop down a division for the privilege – such commitment is virtually unheard of in modern football.

 

Now that West Ham are back in the top flight, necessary additions have been made to the frontline to ease the weight on broad Cole’s shoulders.

 

 

At the time of writing, Wellington Paulista’s arrival is imminent, and Modibo Maiga, Marouane Chamakh and Andy Carroll have already been brought in.

 

 

Many saw Carroll’s arrival at Upton Park as signalling the end of Cole’s love affair with West Ham; given the similarities in the way they both play the game. Cole, however, has other ideas, saying he wants to retire at West Ham.

 

 

“I don’t want to leave,” Cole told The Sun back in October. “I’ve told the board that I want to stay for the rest of my career. I want to stay and help out the club any way I can.

 

 

“Because Andy Carroll is here, it doesn’t mean I am going to go.

 

 

“I’ve never been one to lie down. Andy’s a great player. I see it as good competition having him here. It will be good for the club and for me because it makes me up my game and set my goals higher.

 

 

“By the end of the season you will see a different me and a different team as we’ll be working well together.”

 

 

Cole’s prediction of him and Carroll forming a partnership is unlikely to come true, especially with Carroll sidelined for most of the time he has been a West Ham player, but we are starting to see a different Cole.

 

 

 

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First choice striker

To his credit, West Ham’s number 9 has seized upon Carroll’s misfortune and has received a lot of praise from Irons fans for his spirited performances while leading the line alone. Cole has fought for every ball and done so against some very tough

opponents.

 

 

Cole played a huge part in West Ham’s best performance and victory this season – the 3-1 win over Chelsea – scoring the equaliser and setting up Mohamed Diame to drive the ball past Petr Cech and put West Ham in the lead. Cole also gave Manchester United’s defence a torrid time in the FA Cup Third Round game at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday, making Nemanja Vidic look ordinary.

 

Andy Carroll was not performing to the best of his ability before he damaged knee ligaments at the end of November, meaning he would be unavailable for at least six weeks. In addition to Carroll’s poor performances, Maiga has failed to settle in since his move from France in the summer and rumours suggest that Sam Allardyce is losing patience with the Mali international due to the player’s poor work rate.

 

Therefore, Cole has been and, because Chamakh and Wellington are largely unknown quantities, may continue to be the first choice striker in the West Ham squad.

 

Risky business

As such, when considering whether to renew Carlton Cole’s contract, the club have to take into account the alternatives on offer. Were Cole to be released on a free, the Hammers only have the unfavourable Maiga tied down to a long-term contract. Not only will Carroll’s season-long loan deal expire in the summer, Chamakh has been loaned from Arsenal for six months and reports suggest Wellington will be moving to east London on a similar deal.

 

This is symptomatic of West Ham being a club that is riddled with huge debts and owned by businessmen who, despite their admirable efforts, are relatively poor compared to other Premier League club owners.

 

It is, nonetheless, a huge risk for West Ham to consider simply letting Carlton Cole go.

 

There is very little room for sentimentality in football nowadays, and clinging onto Cole despite his poor goal return would not be in keeping with the cut-throat nature of the modern game. But, given that Cole stuck by the club when he could have traded up for a better team when West Ham were relegated to the Championship, it is only right that the Hammers return the favour. And it’s about time clubs started doing what is right.

 

 

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Diamond geezer

As an appendage, another thing that must be said about Cole is he is a player who thrives on the big occasion. He almost always puts in his best shifts against the top sides the Hammers come up against, and every West Ham supporter will remember that goal he scored at Wembley in the Play-off Final – even more fondly than the aforementioned ripper against Spurs.

 

As the Hammers hope to continue their ascendancy back to being heralded as one of England’s top teams, players who shine when under pressure will be crucial to the club’s cause.

 

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