Thursday, February 24, 2011

Kenny Dalglish To Give Joe Cole A Chance

Heralded by Jamie Carragher as "like a god" in Liverpool after his summer arrival, the England midfielder has spent much of the subsequent seven months in the wilderness. Many managers might have discarded a player signed by a predecessor, but not so Dalglish. His faith remains steadfast.

The Scot is likely to hand Cole a third chance to start his Liverpool career against Sparta Prague on Thursday, following a lengthy run-out as a substitute in the first leg. He can only hope it goes rather better than the two previous attempts: his first, his Premier League debut, was ruined by a red card; his second, marked by a first Premier League goal, against Bolton, came before he spent a month sidelined by a knee injury.

It is not Dalglish's style to be fazed should Cole stutter once more, though. The Scot is adamant that there is no pressure on the 29 year-old.

Cole will be granted the time to rediscover form and fitness. Nobody at Anfield, where the errors of the past have all been absolved, will rush to judgment.

"He is a talented footballer and we have got to make sure he is right and ready,'' said Dalglish. ''He did well against Sparta last week, so he is really progressing.

"He looks really sharp in training and he did all right in the game. There is no rush with Joe. We have got to be patient with him. We are not going to judge him at this particular time because he is still getting fit.

"He is positive. He is a good wee guy, lively and bubbly, and Steve Clarke coming in has helped him as well, because he has worked with him before.

"Joe is very good around the dressing room. He knows it takes time to adjust after being out for a while injured. It is not a tap you can turn on and off. Even hot water takes a while to come through. He is enthusiastic and talented. We will try our best to get that out of him."

Dalglish should stand a better chance than most. Where the man he replaced, Roy Hodgson, seemed torn between boosting Cole's fragile confidence or indulging his cheeky-chappie persona, Dalglish offers a degree of certainty.

Cole will be granted his chance tonight largely because Dalglish is unlikely to risk Steven Gerrard – still nursing an adductor injury – and Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll remain unavailable because of ineligibility and a thigh problem, respectively. Cole will certainly not be included on grounds of form, despite appearing for almost an hour in the first leg. He has just two goals in 20 underwhelming appearances. So far, this season holds few fond memories.

"It has not gone how I would have liked here, but that is life," said the former Chelsea midfielder. "You have to push through the difficult times. I have had plenty of good times and my share of difficult times in my career, and I will always come through.

"I'm determined to be a success here. I'm working hard every day. The main thing is the club – it's all about Liverpool. I am pleased the team's form has turned around and we are going in the right direction. We're going in the right direction, and if Liverpool can keep going there, I'd love to be part of it."

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