You're The Manager: Joe Cole

[BrooklynRed]

OK, you're Roy Hodgson. You've just signed Joe Cole.

How do you use Cole and Gerrard?

For me, I put Cole in the hole in a 4-4-1-1 and allow him to roam out wide and inside and play SG as an attacking CM. Lucas, Kuyt and an LM (Riera?) start as well.

You?

[CJ]

perhaps cole on the left maxi on the right. Torres up front, Aqua in the hols and gerrard and lucan or masch or whoever in midfield?

with durk available to play on the right etc etc.

[Chrono]

Has to be central, playing him on the wing just does not utilise him properly at all. I'd move Gerrard back in to the middle and deploy him off the main striker in the same fashion you have said.

[lancinleeds]

-----------Aqua----Gerrard------------
-Kuyt------------------------Jovanovic
---------------Cole--------------------
--------------Torres-------------------

For me...Mascher in for Aqua if he stays

[CJ]

Has to be central, playing him on the wing just does not utilise him properly at all. I'd move Gerrard back in to the middle and deploy him off the main striker in the same fashion you have said.

i was going to say that but what do you do with aqua man.

so i thought that you have a few options with players able to play in a few positions.

also no one to play on the left i thought put cole there.

[JohnDoe]

Joe Cole on the right with Glen Johnson at right back would kill teams.

I then put Gerrard in the middle with a defensive midfielder who can string some passes together but generally keeps it simple, get Ashley Young on the left with a left back who can bomb forward, play Torres with another forward and watch the fireworks.

Easy this managerial lark.

[the rev leeroy brown]

throw cole in behind torres with ste moving back to centre mid like this:

ste - - - lucas - - aqua

-------cole--------

------torres - -----

thats cause i would play a 3 - 5 - 2

reina
carra / skittles / agger
johnson - - - - - babel
--ste / lucas / aqua---
------cole-------
----torres----

assuming mash leaves of course.

[CJ]

does no one have maxi in their teams?

[BrooklynRed]

does no one have maxi in their teams?

For me, he has lost a step and although Maradona played him out of position in the World Cup (and drove me insane), I like Kuyt better than Maxi, especially if we can get more creativity on the pitch with Aquilani/Gerrard/Cole at the same time; Dirk will provide cover and could thrive. That said, I wouldn't play Kuyt 90 min every match and would replace him here and there with Maxi based on match ups.

[CJ]

For me, he has lost a step and although Maradona played him out of position in the World Cup (and drove me insane), I like Kuyt better than Maxi, especially if we can get more creativity on the pitch with Aquilani/Gerrard/Cole at the same time; Dirk will provide cover and could thrive. That said, I wouldn't play Kuyt 90 min every match and would replace him here and there with Maxi based on match ups.

oky doky.

it looks liek we wither have lots of interchangable players or a squad with not many players who stand out in their positions?

[Galb]

does no one have maxi in their teams?

Nah. I think Maxi and Jovanovic will both be impact subs most of the time.

Assuming we hold onto our current players (which I think is a big assumption), front six of

Lucas-Mascherano

Gerrard-Aqua-Cole

Torres

The three to play a bit narrower and interchange with each other with the full backs bombing on to provide width and Lucas and Mascherano providing a solid platform in the middle.



If Mascherano goes as looks likely, Gerrard seems the obvious player to drop back with Dirk on the right.

But Im never convinced with Gerrard in the middle. I just dont think he controls games enough from there.

*ducks*

[barnes10]

-----------Aqua----Gerrard------------
-Kuyt------------------------Jovanovic
---------------Cole--------------------
--------------Torres-------------------

For me...Mascher in for Aqua if he stays

lucas in for one of AA or SG if injured with youth behind that, get rid of masher, sign a LB and a CB if Nick the Greek leaves.

If Real want Gerrard want gerrard that bad then I'm sure we'd take Xabi plus a bit of cash... Xabi in as the DM. sorted.

[hamshanks]

He's got to play in the middle, preferably off Torres - and I would imagine Cole would've asked for reassurances that that's where he'd play.
Looks like Mascherano is leaving so that means Gerrard slots back into central midfield (if he stays) with Lucas with Jovanovic and Aquilani completeing the midfield... not bad

[Fierce]

throw cole in behind torres with ste moving back to centre mid like this:

ste - - - lucas - - aqua

-------cole--------

------torres - -----

thats cause i would play a 3 - 5 - 2

reina
carra / skittles / agger
johnson - - - - - babel
--ste / lucas / aqua---
------cole-------
----torres----

assuming mash leaves of course.

Genius mate

[banditos]

-----------Aqua----Gerrard------------
-Kuyt------------------------Jovanovic
---------------Cole--------------------
--------------Torres-------------------

For me...Mascher in for Aqua if he stays

At home anyway.