Liverpool’s players and staff have had to band together to boost Joe Cole’s fragile confidence after the problems which have marred the start of his Anfield career, manager Roy Hodgson has revealed.
The England international arrived amid great fanfare in July - described by Jamie Carragher as a minor deity and heralded as the showpiece signing required to return Liverpool to greatness - but has endured nothing but disappointment and difficulty since his free transfer from Chelsea.
He missed a penalty in his second game at Anfield, his Premier League debut was cut short by a red card, resulting in a three-game suspension, and he has missed the last month with a hamstring injury sustained in the 1-0 win against Bolton in October. Even when he has played, Cole has admitted he has produced the worst spell of form in his career to date.
Hodgson maintains the 29 year-old, who will return to a weakened side for Thursday night’s Europa League tie at Steaua Bucharest, is still a “bubbly” figure, but acknowledges he has had to be handled with kid gloves to ensure his desperation to succeed does not become counter-productive. “Joe is not a naturally confident character,” said Hodgson. “He suffers when things are not going his way. Everyone at the club has worked hard to make sure he does not take it too hard and take too much on himself.
“He is quite happy to take responsibility, but sometimes players like that can take too much on themselves and push themselves even further down. Everyone at the club, in particular the senior players and his England colleagues here, have done a great job. The coaching staff has tried to encourage him, telling him it will come right. Hopefully that will start [on Thursday night].
“But he has a long time with us, a long contract and we know what he is capable of. The sooner he produces it, of course, the better for me, but there is no pressure on him in that respect.”
Cole’s chances of beginning his journey on the road to redemption here are diminished by Hodgson’s decision to travel to Romania without a host of senior internationals - injury victims Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger and the omitted Raul Meireles, Dirk Kuyt, Glen Johnson and Fernando Torres - but the Liverpool manager is confident his side still boast the leadership credentials required to secure the point that guarantees qualification.
“I have got Pepe [Reina],” said the 63 year-old of the goalkeeper who will captain. “He might be a bit far away from the action in goal, but to be fair if you take people like Carragher and Gerrard out of most teams, not many boast four or five leaders.”
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