Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish insists he is determined to give Joe Cole all the time he needs to become an Anfield success story.
The Reds won the battle to land Cole on a free transfer in the summer following his exit from Chelsea.
But since his nightmare debut which saw him receive a red card, Cole has failed to make the expected impact, with a series of injuries also hampering his progress.
Cole made his first appearance under Dalglish during the Reds' goalless draw with Sparta Prague in the Europa League and the Liverpool boss insists the England man is very much in his plans.
"We have got to be patient with Joe. That his first run out since I came here," said Dalglish.
"That is a great start for him, to get himself on the pitch and get an hour won't do him any harm.
"Joe is a valuable asset for us. Obviously he is not going to pick his form up immediately, if he does it will be a real bonus for us.
"But we are not going to put him under pressure and expect him to be the Joe Cole who came to Liverpool in the summer.
"We want to give him a bit of time and make sure he gets there. Form is temporary, class is permanent and that is where we stand with Joe.
"We'll give him a bit of time to get up to speed and then we'll judge him. Joe needs his injury rebuilding so we'll get that right first."
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