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Joe Cole Is A 'Valuable Asset' For Liverpool - Kenny Dalglish
Form is temporary, but his class is permanent, says boss
18-Feb-2011 6:55:00 AM
By Adithya Ananth
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insists that the club view Joe Cole as a "valuable asset" despite the midfielder having had a torrid season on Merseyside.
The 29-year-old joined the ranks at Anfield after making a Bosman transfer to the Reds last summer, but his first game for the club - against Arsenal - saw him being sent off for the first time in his career.
And having been haunted by indifferent form and injuries in recent times, Cole has found it difficult to create the kind of impact he would have liked.
But having seen the former West Ham United man in action after he came on as a replacement for the injured Fabio Aurelio in the game against Sparta Prague, the gaffer believes that the midfielder has a lot more to offer the club.
"It was Joe's first run-out since I came, and it was a great start for him, just to get out on the pitch and get an hour," Dalglish said, according to The Mirror.
"He's a valuable asset for us, but obviously we can't expect him to fire immediately. We want to give him time, we want him to get himself up to speed without any pressure, and then see if he can do something for us.
"It is that old saying, form is temporary, class is permanent. We know what he can do for us, but we don't want to put the pressure on him to deliver too early."
The game in itself proved to be a dull goalless draw, with the Reds appearing content to settle for a stalemate.
Dalglish said: "It was a difficult game for us, we would rather have been more offensive than what we were but circumstances dictated the way we played, because of the players available.
"It wasn't the worst result, not the best by any means, but not the worst result. The game served its purpose, because we had the chance to give some players a start, like Sotirios Kyrgriakos, David Ngog and Danny Wilson, and we got Joe Cole on as well, so it was a benefit - and we believe that the second leg next week will be a very different game."
The Scot also maintained that irrespective of the result, the game against Sparta Prague will always be a special memory. It was the first European outing for Dalglish as Liverpool boss, as the club had been banned from participating in continental competitions throughout the course of his first stint as the gaffer.
"It is special for me, very special," said Dalglish. "It is a club with fantastic history and pride, and your first opportunity to take the club you served as a player and manager into Europe is an important moment, and something that I will look back on with fond memories."
The 29-year-old joined the ranks at Anfield after making a Bosman transfer to the Reds last summer, but his first game for the club - against Arsenal - saw him being sent off for the first time in his career.
And having been haunted by indifferent form and injuries in recent times, Cole has found it difficult to create the kind of impact he would have liked.
But having seen the former West Ham United man in action after he came on as a replacement for the injured Fabio Aurelio in the game against Sparta Prague, the gaffer believes that the midfielder has a lot more to offer the club.
"It was Joe's first run-out since I came, and it was a great start for him, just to get out on the pitch and get an hour," Dalglish said, according to The Mirror.
"He's a valuable asset for us, but obviously we can't expect him to fire immediately. We want to give him time, we want him to get himself up to speed without any pressure, and then see if he can do something for us.
"It is that old saying, form is temporary, class is permanent. We know what he can do for us, but we don't want to put the pressure on him to deliver too early."
The game in itself proved to be a dull goalless draw, with the Reds appearing content to settle for a stalemate.
Dalglish said: "It was a difficult game for us, we would rather have been more offensive than what we were but circumstances dictated the way we played, because of the players available.
"It wasn't the worst result, not the best by any means, but not the worst result. The game served its purpose, because we had the chance to give some players a start, like Sotirios Kyrgriakos, David Ngog and Danny Wilson, and we got Joe Cole on as well, so it was a benefit - and we believe that the second leg next week will be a very different game."
The Scot also maintained that irrespective of the result, the game against Sparta Prague will always be a special memory. It was the first European outing for Dalglish as Liverpool boss, as the club had been banned from participating in continental competitions throughout the course of his first stint as the gaffer.
"It is special for me, very special," said Dalglish. "It is a club with fantastic history and pride, and your first opportunity to take the club you served as a player and manager into Europe is an important moment, and something that I will look back on with fond memories."
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