Liverpool FC: Joe Cole Is the Epitome of Roy Hodgson's Reign as Manager

This article may be a tad late, but with Joe Cole's departure imminent, I feel it's better late than never. Joe Cole was definitely seen as Liverpool's 2010 marquee signing, with most fans, including myself, looking forward to his Liverpool career.

Steven Gerrard stated that Joe Cole was better than Lionel Messi; a statement that is now laughable. However, the quote was somewhat justified at the time. When signed, Joe Cole was at the peak of his career in terms of fitness, at age 28. He had also just been signed from Chelsea and, in my opinion, most Chelsea players are quite talented.

So, he came. He started his first match and though things seemed promising for 45 minutes, a red card and a three-match ban followed by a missed penalty upon his arrival dented his credibility.

Things never really looked up, with Cole only showing flashes of brilliance rather than producing constant displays of brilliance.

The thing with Joe Cole is that he relies on his ability to beat defenders to impress. So when his confidence is low, and he chooses not to take on players, he performs poorly. Luis Suarez would be a good player, not a great one, if he was not full of confidence.

But Joe Cole was not the only player lacking belief in the Liverpool squad under Roy Hodgson. Countless names were under-performing and the consequence of the moral deficit resulted in poor results. Fans, too, were questioning the ability of their beloved team.

Like the whole Liverpool team, Joe Cole was prone to performance bipolarism. What I mean is, he'd play a relatively good match one week, but then follow it up with a hugely disappointing performance the next.

This trend became a common theme for the Reds and Joe Cole, with results like a 2-0 win against Chelsea followed by a draw against Wigan.

However, the difference between Liverpool as a team and Joe Cole as an individual is simple: A team can lock together in harsh times. A lone player can't.

And so Liverpool fans have witnessed a juxtaposition. A once standout performer slowly fades into the distance while his teammates revolutionise.

It's a sad state of affairs to see such a promising player fall back and have to endure constant criticism, but Liverpool fans must remember that Liverpool climbed out of horrible times and Joe Cole can do the same.

To conclude, I'd like to point out that Liverpool's anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a song that unites everyone in the Liverpool community. It gives fans the message that no matter how harsh times are, keep trying, and things will come right. Liverpool fans witnessed such a feat with Liverpool's turnaround.

And also, a message from every fan that wishes Joe Cole to accomplish what Liverpool have and turn fortunes around:

Good luck, Joe Cole, with whatever the future holds.