With the transfer window now shut, West Ham United fans can begin to reflect on some good business – particularly when considering our options up front. We’ve added Mauro Zarate, Enner Valencia, and Diafra Sakho to our attacking line up – and now that the locker room is awfully crowded with strikers (and who knows, one day we might even see Andy Carroll play again) there is a question of whether or not West Ham should continue to preserve with our old buddy Carlton Cole, or make more use of the new signings up front.
Rumour had it that during this transfer window Cole could have been off to Bournemouth or Ipswich Town, but we’ve managed to keep hold of our loyal striker. We’ve had an interesting relationship with him; he took a pay cut to stay with us, he helped us get promoted, we let him go as a free agent, and then within months we had both come running back to each other. He’s a good player to have as an option, but should he be a first-choice starter over some of our exciting new attacking players?
The man certainly does have his critics, and I feel for him given the shocking amount of abuse he gets after games. The anger stems from the fact that Cole is a player who has struggled to put the ball in the back of the net in the Premier League for West Ham, which is a bit of a problem for a striker. He’s also not the fastest player to the ball at times. Sometimes his ball control is questionable. He has long borne the brunt of supporters’ blame and anger for his lack of goals, but it’s important to remember he did finish this last season just one goal behind Kevin Nolan in the race for top scorer – and this tally included goals against Manchester United and Arsenal.
There is an argument that the reason he has struggled to score stems from him not being a victor in the one up-front system. It doesn’t favour him at all; he isn’t a lone striker, and of the three games this season in which he’s been able to play in a system with two strikers, he’s scored a goal in one of them. On the other hand, one of those games was the Southampton game, in which he was barely present—and he certainly didn’t score.
For me, I can’t imagine why we’re expecting something from Carlton Cole that he may not excel at delivering. He was great against Crystal Palace, but it was the sort of team where his physicality was an advantage. Against Southampton, their tight marking took him (and Mauro Zarate) out of the game. In situations like that, I don’t think Sam Allardyce is doing him any favours for having him on the pitch over bringing on someone trickier, more lithe, and with more breakaway pace.
By all means, use him as an impact sub in games where having a tall strong striker to hold the ball up is part of the game plan; but starting him and then keeping him on for 79 minutes in a game where he (statistically) didn’t create chances isn’t a good idea for the player. It’s not doing him any favours to keep him on in situations like that, and it’s not helpful to his relationship with his critics.
I don’t think Carlton’s days with West Ham are at an end, or that a player who’s scored in a third of the games he’s played in this season (yes, I know, work with me here) deserves to be unceremoniously dumped – but I do think there are better ways to get the best from Carlton Cole, and one of those may be to bring him out later on, in the games that actually suit his style of playing.
Feel free to let us know your thoughts on Carlton below, or come chat to me on twitter – but just make sure you send your abuse to me on @makingthemarrow – and not to Carlton.
He should have been out of the club years ago. Bournemouth and Ipswich interested in him – says it all. I’m fed reading about “loyalty” ; Cole is loyal because we’re the only idiots who would employ a second rate striker and pay him decent money.He is rubbish and the sooner he and Vaz Te leave the club the better.Only at West Ham do we hold onto crap where other clubs would show them the door – getting rid of Cole then resigning him is one of the most ridiculous decisions ever made by a football club.
Carlton isn’t a great striker. Hasn’t been a great striker. Won’t be a great striker. But West Ham, or should I say Allardyce seems to be unable to get the bedt out of any player. Vaz Te, Baldock, Maynard, Maiga….shall I go on? Allardyce has the team set up Plan A style. Lone striker, wingers, high balls into box. Lone striker heads to Nolan who scores! Cole can’t play that game. Not only that, he is limited. He’ll never score 10 in a season again in the top flight. On that basis alone he’s finished in the Premier. Barring significant injuries, he won’t see much playing time this season. And then he’ll move on. I’m sad for him, and West Ham, that he never reached the heights he would have liked.
Out of the strikers you mentioned how many play in the Premier League? They were tried, found not good enough, and sent back to their level.
So Tav. Too many mistakes?? Or failure to get the best from them? Not good either way mate!!
Don’t agree with you at all, Kenny ! Carlton’s failings are a direct result of being asked to play as a lone striker – & I can’t think of anyone at the club who would do any better in this siyuation.
For gods sack can we get behind our team- yes the manager is shit and clueless but it is what it is- Carlton works his socks off in a formation that does not suit- he is not prolific but then who has been? he does not need to score 20 goals a season if he helps all round and makes chances for others- the problem is that he has had to work alone and only have Nolan (not a striker or midfielder) to work with- if we continue to play and pretend Carrol is playing instead of who actually is playing then we won’t make any headway. The Board have backed us this season and i suspect fat boy has 3 more games to prove himself- if not then a manager that understand the players strengths and adjust the game plan accordingly will see better results and a better performing Cole (remember Zola!)- the good news is that at least we have options now.
Man U have spent 149 million. Valencia cost was 15 or was 12 million? Cresswell, 2 million, there are 4 other undisclosed transfer amounts & 3 players on loan. That’s hardly a big spend. I would rate Carlton Cole over all of these players. Even Torres has trouble scoring in this league, it’s that tough. If Valencia is that good then why wasn’t he snapped up by one the other Prem clubs? and why is Sam reluctant to start him? Zarate, so far has a strike rate of 1 goal in 3 games. Carlton has the same. Until these new strikers start scoring, then Carlton Cole IS our main striker. He is a strong fearsome opponent for any defender to have to face. I’ve stood on the terraces and watched Geoff Hurst crack in goals with seeming ease, but the game has changed since those days. I can’t believe you are even opening a debate about this over Cole Emily. Until these new strikers find their touch he is our main man AND he is a better player than Andy Carroll who I think should be put on the market as soon as he is fit & sold off in January. I mean how many millions more do West ham have to spend on ACs wages before the penny drops & West Ham shunt him out!
I’ve never read a more truthful comment on Carlton Cole & West Hams view on AC, and also with the above article, It’s hard to slate Cole for his Southampton performance as every single one of them on the pitch that day was way off their game and this is a team game, he had no service, one chance which maybe he could’ve dived at to get something on but that was it, as mentioned earlier Southamptons tight marking shut him out the game, I feel it would’ve been better to start Valencia/ Sakho but when you consider Valencia who is supposedly not fit played 120 mins against Sheffield United, and Sakho had a niggling back injury there wasn’t really much he could do against a Southampton side that outplayed us. To take 3 points from Spurs, Palace and Southampton isn’t bad at all when you consider we should’ve definitely ended up with at least a point against Spurs if not all 3, The lineup for the Hull game is where Sam needs to answer these questions with supposedly everyone back fit bar Carroll, I’d start
Adrian
Jenkinon,Collins,Tomkins,Cresswell
Noble, Kouyate
Jarvis, Zarate, Downing
Valencia
Bringing on Song, Sakho, Nolan
Carltons days are over we must move on but BS is the only person who thinks his time is still to come maybe it’s time for both to move on
Carlton Cole or any other striker playing up front, alone, with no support and against two defenders is simply there for nuisance value. Any manager persisting with long balls to an isolated forward is deluded if he thinks it will win possession in forward areas. Cole is very average, agreed, but even the worlds best would struggle big time in our medieval system of play. Cole looked much better against Palace with Zarate close by, but getting 50 yard balls hit at neck height…come on what do we really expect any player to do ??? The Allardyce system has actually made Cole look far worse than he actually is. Any fair minded fan should be able to see that.
With our next opponent, I think Hull’s main strength is in their midfield. This needs to be combated, so v Hull it would have to be a 3-5-2 formation, or 4-5-1 but that would be a return to the lone striker and the big hoof forward to him, which hasn’t been working. No, 2 strikers is working OK, so with a 5 man midfield, you’d have to pick your 3 best & strongest defenders. Who could argue with Cress, Tommo & Collins? Zarate is small, nifty, tricky & full of ideas & with a big strong Carlton, these 2 are working fine. Nothing confuses an opponent like the unknown & Amalfitano hasn’t been seen in the Prem for a while so he’d be harder for Bruce to plan against. Morrison has got to come good again sometime, so he’d should be given a start, and Stewart has been doing OK, so along with Mark & Kouyate this team virtually picks itself. Now lift em’ Sam!
Adrián
Cresswell, Tomkins, Collins
Kouyaté, Morrison, Noble, Amalfitano, Downing
Zarate, Cole
Subs; Jääskeläinen, Reid, Demel, Jarvis, Poyet, Song, Valencia,