Forget Chamakh, doesn’t Carlton Cole seem a better option?
Today I am featuring a guest post from the excellent Arsenal Blog Gunners Today. Here it is:
Forget Chamakh, doesn’t Carlton Cole seem a better option?
This is only suggested as an idea and I want to know what Gooners make of Carlton Cole. In my own match preview of the game vs the Hammers game, I identified Cole as a serious threat, one that needed to be taken seriously. Note, I didn’t think of him as a January target. I have to thank ex-Gooner Alan Smith for that.
At one point during that match, he mentioned Carlton Cole as a player that Arsenal could sign in the January window. I found the suggestion at the time, unnecessary as we had Van Persie firing and Bendtner was fit, not forgeting Eduardo and Vela. Besides we were winning the game before the unexpected collapse. And we know which Hammers’ player influenced that most.
In 13 starts, Cole has scored 7 times and provided an assist. Now I know that is nowhere near as impressive as the 13 goals and 5 assists from Drogba or even the 7 goals and 7 assists from Van Persie’s 11 starts. Context is important however. The Hammers have struggled to find any sort of good form going and are 17th in the table. At one point, if Cole didn’t score, no one scored for the Hammers.
Besides goals, Cole has led the line well in the 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 formations that I’ve seen Zola use. So we’d be buying a player used to playing up front on his own in the Premiership. At 26 he is no youngster either and if footballers peak around 27, 28 we’d get the best of Cole’s potential.
Of course as he is English, he will naturally be a more expensive option than someone from overseas. However, unlike say Chamakh, you wouldn’t have him miss a month every two years due to the ACN. He isn’t cup tied for the Champions League either.
This suggestion isn’t to put down Eduardo’s ability to lead the line. Saying that, history has shown that Eduardo has done well with another striker in tandem. Wenger’s reluctance to play Bendntner more centrally is baffling as I saw him lead the line well against Man Utd when Nasri got the two goals.
So if Arsene continues to play the Danish striker on the wing or as a support act to a central forward, I see Cole as an ideal signing. He has the physical and technical attributes and what with the small matter of the World Cup, he would be itching to sign for a club that would help him with his international dreams.
The only negative I see is this. Scoring goals for a team that is languishing at the foot of the table is one thing but being a striker where you are expected to score every game is another. Could Cole maximise the mental attributes to play at the higher level ? I would like to think so.
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When i first read this i thought “Isn’t he out injured?”. But it has just been announced today that he should be back before Xmas.
But i can imagine what a partnership of Van Persie and Cole would be like next season! Awesome!
totally agree, it’s what everyone is crying out for. looking at last nights sad affair it really does show up just how poor we are in the final third without RVP, and will Bendtner ever truly be a good finisher???
hi
chamakh would not miss for the ACN as morocco didn’t qualify.
but yes, now i come to think of it, cole is very powerful in the air, perhaps even more so than bendtner. he would be excellent at winning the ball for our other forwards/midfielders to play.
and not to forget that his goals are more meaning full than van persie or drogba’s.
this is because at west ham, he has players like scott parker supplying balls whereas van persie rely on fabregas, nasri, arshavin, rosicky and drogba relies on lampard, ballack, anelka, joe cole.
in my opinion, if cole was given the same quality service as v.persie and drog, he would be more prolific
Well if there is any truth in the Bolatelli rumours that should be who we get. Because he will be world class.
zak i would have scott parker in our midfield one of the few hammers that could make our squad.
At last someone has signeled the right player if only Arsen Wenger took advice form the fans fellow professionals i would love to see some power in our team 2 players needed Carlton Cole,Ya Ya Torre,out must go Eboue,Rosicy,Sendoros where was he last night?
Carlton Cole is a forward we need at the moment, he is a big fella who doesnt mind using his weight as an advantage. At the moment he is the one man single handedly keeping West Ham noses above the regulation places. He will also give us an option where we may actually be able to score from a set piece more often. He may fall short of his finishing ability but he brings more pro’s than con’s in my eyes.
valid point. this has got me thinking, cole would do a job. the type of player that gives teams something to think about, you cant let cole out of your sight, he can be quiet all game and then bang 1-2 in the back of the net with only 10 mins to go, and then after the game your be thinking, im sure Cole didnt even turn up today.
i’m not saying he is the best, but he can do a job. If Van P is playing a game upfront with Ed or Bent, you could bring him on for Ed or Bent with 30-25 mins to go and the sheer power he would add up front at that point in the game would be a problem.
Or start him to wear down defence, and then sub him for the road runner or Ed. he would look quite good at arsenal, and may be the break Cole has be looking for, some one like cole would also be very loyal too, he would want to stake his claim at arsenal and play his best all the time, thats a proper Londoner, Wenger would not have to worry about Real M, Barca, Man U (maybe lol Fergie know’s a good deal when he see’s one) trying to pull him away with lots of cash.
And to top it off….. Cole can do a lil right wing work if asked…. if the price is less than £11m then hell yeah, get him in along with ya ya & chkman.
definitely the best option by far; with that said i think we are dreaming. west ham are in trouble these days and if they’re going to sell they’re going to make sure they get the most from their assets. plus we all know wenger says striker and means tricky, promising, injury prone winger.
Chamakh is a slighly better player than C. Cole but the fact he is english will no doubt help us with the ref’s so that compensates. West Ham also want to off load Rob Green to make some revenue and drop the wage bill. Then bring in a talented youngster! Vito Mannone is talented! Would a swap be on with a few extra pound going there way???
Loving the positive discussion here guys.
Tom, I definitely agree with you that Carlton offers more pro’s than con’s.
Carlton has that presence about him but he has scored good goals, one stunning strike vs Spurs.
Sparta Marcus,
Love the idea of C Cole battering defences or softening them up for the substitutes. That’s gotta be an idea borrowed from rugby perhaps?
Steve,
West Ham are in financial trouble so while I see your point, I don’t think they could be too picky about their valuation. Besides who else would buy him? Chelsea wouldn’t, City have you know who, Pool have money problems and Utd have Owen and Co. Would he go anywhere else? Unlikely. Abroad? Definitely not.
Robert McMahon, I deliberately promoted Carlton for the English reason as well. Seriously, who knows maybe our luck will change on the referee situation.
LUIS FABIANO
I’ve been telling the boys at the pub that we should sign Cole since the summer!! I’m glad that others are finally seeing the light. We need a physical forward that plays well with his back to goal…imagine the distribution he could play to our outside forwards in a 4-3-3, the headers he could play from Sagna’s crosses, and the through balls he could run on to from Fab! I totally hope this dream comes true…please wenger!
I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t wait to see Bendtner lead the line once he comes back from injury. He’s going to have to because we haven’t got any other centre-forwards. Yip!
Well, if he returns from injury soon, it might be the case. But I think we might still need another striker, preferably central like Carlton as none of our existing strikers have good fitness records. Saying that, Cole has had a few setbacks himself hasn’t he?!
Winning The Premiership this year would mean we get an uncharacteristic bullish run this December and January. That would mean that we must immediately resolve our striking and back problems. I think it’s time Wenger did another Henry (He brought Thierry upfront when Anelka left and it must have been one of the most brilliant decisions in his gunners helmship)The guy that can have the answer could be Walcott or maybe Nasri and he can be paired up with Asharvin and Vela getting more play time and Eduardo can move to the flanks together with Rosiscky. In the central Mid, Fab, Denilson, Ramsey, Willshare for the moment can do. The back line i suspect Gallas and Sagna need some rest time to return to full fitness for the moment. Silvestre should get a role in the next 2-3 games. I think we have a Simpson out on loan who doing well in the Championship. A recall and trials in the senior team may reveal some good opportunity.
Come January i think we should Offload Eduardo and Bendtner and replace them with 2 no nonsense attackers. I vouch for Nistelroy and(or)Diego Forlan to be one of the two. Cole may fit the picture. Mutuidi can do the central Back and Song role.
Looks like I spoke too soon, Cole is injured until at least the new year. Another injury prone player to us? Perhaps not…
No he will be fine by January. At least Cole is a big strong lad that won’t fall apart every time he plays 15 minutes of football like Walcott!
I say get him. Even if it’s too late to save this season he will still be in his prime for the next few years. He is exactly what Arsenal need right now.
Carlton is the man… He is the type of forward who commands usually 2 defenders on him because he is that strong.. imagine if u can create more space for eduardo and arshavin because cole is attracting more attention..
The only difference i thought chelsea had over us was drogba.. his strength and skill. without him im sure it would have been a very different result.
Everyone is saying how good chelsea is at the moment..
I DONT AGREE…
they barely managed to beat man u (considering their defence is now questionable) ..that game could of gone either way i thought ..which tells me chelsea are not quite the team people think they are..
If we had at least Bentdner or somebody even stronger like carlton cole we would of scored.. players like RVP, arsh, eduardo are just not up to the physical challenges..
GOONERS WAKE UP OUT THERE !!
Man u have rooney
chelsea have drogba
who do we really have up forward who commands that sort of respect??