Joey Cole rolling back the years?

Joe Cole’s second debut for West Ham could hardly have gone better for him in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United in the FA Cup, but can the Hammers’ prodigal son continue to put in performances like that on a regular basis?

 

The hype surrounding Cole pulling on the claret and blue again provided the standout tie of the FA Cup 3rd round with even more to be excited about.

 

 

Are you on Facebook? Excellent, so are we http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/ForeverWestHamcom/200938616608282

 

 

Typically, all sorts of tenuous links were drawn upon to give the fixture extra gravitas. For example, Cole made his West Ham debut as a 17 year old in the FA Cup Third Round and turned out for the Hammers again just a week later in the league against, you guessed it, Man United.

 

 

So far, so irrelevant.

 

 

It didn’t stop there though, previous cup clashes between West Ham and Man United were of course added into the mix. Top of the bill was that one in 2001 when Fabian Barthez tried to con Paolo di Canio into thinking he was offside only for the Italian to cooly slot the ball past the French international and West Ham to win 1-0 at Old Trafford. Oh yeah, and Joe Cole played in that game too.

 

 

Looking for experience? Just want to be heard outside of the Boleyn? We are currently looking for writers, drop us an email at foreverwestham@snack-media.com for more details

 

 

Despite all the unnecessary hype setting it up for a fall, the match did not disappoint at all in terms of entertainment, and Cole exceeded all expectations.

 

 

Under the floodlights at the Boleyn Ground, a spirited fightback from West Ham after they went 1-0 down midway through the first half was equalled only by the sheer brilliance of the Premier League’s most decorated player playing a sublime lofted pass to its most prolific one. The home fans could not help but leave the ground feeling robbed though. Ryan Giggs’ ball over West Ham’s back line in the 91st minute and the graceful efficiency Robin Van Persie showed in converting it was painful to watch for the Hammers fans.

 

 

In a flash, a famous victory was snatched away from West Ham and they were simultaneously handed the arduous task of travelling to Old Trafford for an FA Cup third round replay.

 

 

Still, Hammers fans are famous for their uniquely masochistic brand of optimism, so plus-sides were sought out almost immediately.

 

 

The claret and blue army wasted no time in clutching at the most obvious reason to be cheerful: Joe Cole’s performance. With two assists for both of the Hammers’ goals and other flashes of creative excellence elsewhere, Cole offered glimpses of the ability that he showed for West Ham regularly throughout his early years at the club – ability that has often eluded him since he left east London.

 

 

With all the expectation borne out of the hype detailed above, Cole’s homecoming could have been a baptism of fire. Instead, West Ham’s new favourite son doused the flames by spraying the ball about the pitch.

 

 

But this is just the beginning. And, as promising as Cole’s first display back in a West Ham shirt was, whether he will be able to continue to put in performances like that remains to be seen; and whether he can then turn it into a rich vein of form will remain to be seen for longer.

 

 

The odds are stacked against Cole. At 31 years old, he is not the spritely upstart Hammers fans were used to seeing years ago. Not only has time taken its toll on Cole’s body, so too have the injuries he has endured since he left for Chelsea in a £6.6m deal back in 2003. From a serious stress fracture to the dreaded cruciate ligament damage, Cole has suffered for his trade and his ability to do it has suffered as a consequence.

 

 

Ever dreamt about getting paid for reading about West Ham? Well now you can make dreams a reality http://bit.ly/ffc-foreverwestham-lp

 

 

This has, in turn, lead to Cole being given very little playing time at Liverpool, his former club. As a result, Cole is short of real match fitness – hence his withdrawal from the Man United game in the 78th minute on Saturday evening.

 

 

Luckily for the Hammers, Sam Allardyce has ensured the squad has plenty of depth in midfield. Should Cole not be up to the task, there is competition for his place on the wing. Ricardo Vaz Te, Matt Jarvis and Matt Taylor are all ready to fill any void left by Cole.

 

 

But every Hammer knows that they want to see Joey Cole out there with his number 26 on his back and the ball moving quickly between his feet terrorising opposing defenders.

 

 

The initial glimpse of Cole against Man United suggests that will happen. West Ham appear to have captured a player who has turned back the clock on his career and restored himself to his former glory.

 

 

However, even if Cole can only summon some magic sporadically, he will always be loved at Upton Park.