The thought of Joe Cole managing is intriguing. At West Ham he was a prodigy who lacked the end product and awareness to go with his imagination on the ball. He was a success at Chelsea, adding substance and oomph to his game under José Mourinho, but it was often hard not to wonder whether English football truly knew what to do with him. There was a sense he had more to give, if only he had received a touch more guidance in his youth and more freedom to express himself when he was older.
One criticism was that Cole did not have enough tactical intelligence to play as a No 10. At West Ham no trick was beyond his capabilities but he never scored more than five goals a season. At international level he was often stuck on the left and played in conservative England sides. The highlight of his England career was a spectacular volley against Sweden at the 2006 World Cup; it never got much better than that.
In the end, with injuries lowering his effectiveness, the impression was of a player who fell victim to early hype. If you subscribe to the view that Cole was simply too mercurial a talent, it is hard to picture him as a manager. Former teammates such as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are more obviously managerial material – midfield generals and dressing-room leaders. How could anyone ever trust a maverick like Cole with a big job?
Yet that thinking is tired. It is fascinating to speculate about how a Joe Cole team would play – would he follow the Pep Guardiola blueprint or draw on his memory of Mourinho’s pragmatism? – and how the 38-year-old would handle a gifted young forward in need of guidance. He is a football obsessive who watches games on television “with my coach’s head on” and is plotting his next move after finishing a role in Chelsea’s academy. Like everyone else, his plans are on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Just before lockdown I stepped down from my role at Chelsea,” Cole says. “I had a great time there and learned so much. It was really important in my development but I was planning on doing study visits around the world with different managers and study visits within the FA. That all got put to bed because of covid but I’ll pick that up when I can and it’s back to normal.
“I loved it there. I’m sure one day I’ll return in some capacity but at the moment, for my development as a coach, I felt going round and going to look and listen and keep my ears and eyes open was the best thing for me. I don’t want to say any clubs because I don’t know if certain managers will be in charge when I ask to go back again. But I was working with the FA and I was looking to get with the younger age groups within the FA and see how that works.”
Cole has had his eye on Chelsea, who host Manchester City on Thursday, and has enjoyed watching them progress in their first season under Lampard. He played with Lampard for years and trusts that a man he describes as a winner is capable of meeting expectations at Stamford Bridge.
“I think Frank has done fantastic, and his staff, and the club, because the decision to get Frank was a brave one,” Cole says. “The expectations will have risen and Frank’s got an opportunity of getting a trophy, the FA Cup, which is massively important for a club like Chelsea, and getting in the top four. It’s been a terrific season considering the circumstances.”
Cole is excited about how Timo Werner, the RB Leipzig forward, will fit in at Chelsea next season. “A great player,” he says. “I’ve been watching him closely and he’s got great movement. He fits into the ethos of Frank’s side. A bit of Jamie Vardy about him, in the sense he plays off the shoulder, he’s got perpetual movement, he runs. Maybe Antoine Griezmann, a little bit of that. He’s a nine in the sense he’s always threatening in behind and he keeps moving, and he’s a very good finisher.”
Like Chelsea, Cole is planning for the future, especially when it comes to the modern style of coaching. “The fundamentals will always stay the same but everything else from the outside of it has changed drastically. Credit to people who have put these systems in play. I think coaching in this country in general has got better and better. The greats will always be the greats and that is the same with footballers but I feel football has moved on and improved.
“Like every industry where so much money is thrown at it, everything’s looking for the marginal gains. The way we looked after these lads in the academy was unbelievable. It blew my mind. It really opened my eyes up to the evolution of football and all the different ways of playing – but the different ways of teaching as well because a lot of coaching is actually teaching.
“You use the fundamentals and techniques that all the great teachers do. I learned so much from the people in the academy building over there. It’s no accident Chelsea are producing a stream of great players and there’s more to come underneath it.”
One day, perhaps, they will be managed by Cole.
The Guardian Sport
