Sunday 27 February 2011

When Will West Ham's Fans Fully Appreciate Carlton Cole?

So why is it that West Ham fans refuse to acknowledge just how good Carlton Cole is? I've just checked out some stats and they make amazing reading given the commonly held view that Carlton can't hit a barn door from five paces and only looked half decent due to the brilliant one on one coaching of the mighty Gianfranco Zola.

How about these stats?

1. Cole has now scored 10 goals  in his last 15 games.
2. But a much more significant stat is that Cole has now STARTED 111 games for West Ham and has scored 42 goals.
3. That works out at one goal per 2.6 starts, or as near as damn it 1 goal per 2.5 starts.
3. Di Canio scored 51 goals from 137 starts, at a rate of one goal per 2.68 starts - inferior to Cole's you might notice.
4. Ashton got his 19 goals at a rate of 2.26, only marginally better than Cole's.
5. MacAvennie scored 60 from 169 starts, that's 1 goal per 2.81 starts, inferior to Cole's!
6. Cottee got his 160 goals at a rate of 1 per 2.21 games, not hugely better than Cole's!
7. Cole has suffered one major lean spell, when he scored twice in 33 games. And that was under Zola! Take away that barren patch and his record stands comparison with the West Ham gods!

And Cole, despite what his detractors claim, works his arse off for the team. Now, the Cole knockers should stuff those stats in their pipe and smoke on them.

And whilst inhaling the smoke, think. Remember, Cole has remained fantastically loyal to West Ham, never really complaining, even when obviously playing second fiddle to Ashton and being buggered about by Grant.

The team has never been set up around him, he was always had to fit himself into the team. He has never been loved, but he has never stopped striving. The guy deserves far more credit than he is given!

32 comments:

Hammersfan said...

Stani, how about tweeping this link to Carlton? Let him see that some of us appreciate him!

Deane said...

too right and hear hear and all those you're spot on type sayings

Hammersfan said...

You're back. Cut off the internet in your prime again?

Anonymous said...

you twap - I've told you once already - tweeps are peeps - ie people!

Stani Army said...

Well said HF...apart from the Zola bits. I'm sure you were going a bit off Carlton recently too, no? But you make some good points about his work rate and loyalty even in the face of harsh criticism and occasional booing.

I will also send him a post Dale did about him. It was a few seasons back. Dale was at the game and he came back and gave Carlton a right rogering (on his blog), and he got it so wrong that everyone to a man disagreed with him, can you believe?! He then had to post an apology to Carlton. Just goes to prove what Dale goes to the games for. I'm beginning to see why he's in favour of the Olympic stadium; so he can get his posh arse sat on a swanky new seat at a swanky new stadium. His Boleyn seat must be really tatty by now.

And it's tweeting Granddad, not "tweeping"! :)

I will send him it tomorrow. Am knackered fromm a marathon of sports highlights. Need to get some tweep...ahem

(I'm turning into a p*ss taker like you. Gotta stop hanging around this place)

Anonymous said...

what's the goals per games stats? I think goalsp er starts paint a false picture especially as some players score more when the ycome off the bench

Hammersfan said...

Carlton's number of subs appearances simply shows the extent that he has been messed around. If Di Canio had been used as a sub so often, he would have refused to play! How can you count sub's appearances? Cole only played 5 mins of yesterday's game!

Anonymous said...

Cole is an impact player. Play him in a whole game and he'll always hide and never win a header. Bring him on as a sub and he'll try, he'll win headers, he puts in the effort and usually score.

DUTCHAMMER said...

To get a true reflection compared to the others, you must find out how many of Coles goals have come when he started a game. You use his total goals but only his starting total. If you use his total figure he has played 153 games for us and scored 41 which is 1 goal every 3.73 games. Maybe thats why some don't appreciate him. You have to look at the total picture. However I have admitted when he is on form, he is unplayable at times, but unfortunately he isn't consistent enough.

John said...

You have to remember Cole is injury prone, which is why I think he is often used sparingly.

Anonymous said...

kevin in manchester

suprising stats but a real comparison would be the goals that Di Canio or Cole have scored in games that resulted in points. I don't know just asking ?

Also the assits and general contribution to team play and morale.. those one and a hlaf games when he doesn't score he often seems a spare part to me and also.. again just an impression.. he misses absolute sitters on a regular basis.. he's better than many give him credit for but perhaps not as good as you imagine.

Anonymous said...

Slightly misleading don't you think? these days strikers play up front on their own - previously it was more about partnerships which makes your stats look for what they are, anal and inaccurate - no doubt you'll be apologising for getting it wrong once again?

Unknown said...

Carlton Cole for England? To be honest, this win is only as good as the next one. If we stay up this win will be better than winning the cup, but if we go down... this will be just another win in a doomed season

Anonymous said...

How about a ratio of Goals / Chances , bet Cole would be worse than Gary Charles.
Leaving him on the bench is doing him good , he now has more hunger for goals.

Hammersfan said...

Just 5 of Carlton's goals were scored as a sub. That makes it one goal for every three games started. Take off that lean spell and for the rest of his career with West Ham, he averages 1 goal every 2.22 starts. Perhaps more significant is the fact that Carlton's total only includes one penalty, whereas Di Canio's total includes 11 penalties, (None of Cottee, Ashton nor MacAvennie scored from the spot!)

I don't understand the two striker v one striker argument. That actually makes it harder for the target man to score as others are played in by him. I don't have the assists data but 34 of Carlton's goals were netted in wins or draws, which is a very high percentage and shows that he has won a lot of points for the club. Remember, until very recently, he has only scored a maximum of one goal in any game, making his points contribution all the more significant. A hat trick is great, but 3 goals scored in a 5-0 win is less valuable to the team than three goals scored in three different games, all of which resulted in the team winning by a one goal margin - a Cole speciality!

Stani Army said...

Check this out HF:

http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/02/28/twitter-widget/

Hammersfan said...

What do they say about emulation being the highest form of flattery? He will start having sex with women next and give up eating pork! He will remain a total Tory you know what however!

Stani Army said...

Hahahahaa!

What p*sses me off is there was no mention of us. For all that trouble I brought his blog, this is how he repays me?!?!

...and he's kept the pink theme LOL!

isaac said...

If he was'nt so inconsistent then he would get the credit he craves...one or two good games followed by lack lustre strolling around the centre circle for the next four is'nt going to endear him to the fans...We all sing Spandaus Gold to him from time to time and he is appreciated but he only got to be first choice stiker because Deano went lame and Bellend believed his own hype...CC a good player but not,for me, an out and out premiership first choice stiker.
He finds it difficult to work in tandem and likes, by his own admission, to play as a lone striker but he has'nt got enough in his locker to fulfill this roll and keep a club in the goal tally they recquire. If only our midfield would chip in with a few more goals then that could solve a problem...He gets credit but lets not go overboard here...last season his biggest competition for places came from Sears,Mido and Benni Mac..

Hammersfan said...

Being a bit unfair on Franco there mate.

Stani Army said...

Isaac,
To be fair mate, this strolling perception was only present when the tactics and formation were a joke i.e one up front. He was getting no support on his own trying to win every ball hit up to him and knocking them down for no one to run onto them.

The Liverpool game away was prime example. Cole's outburst against Grant followed and rightly so.

T.I.S said...

Well from his twitter comments he sounds like a fan of West Ham and that's refreshing. I hope he starts against Stoke alongside Ba and show Stoke what they could've had (hopefully not getting injured).

Stani Army said...

Thats right TIS. Grant should use that as a motivating factor for Ba.

isaac said...

Reading back it seems a tad harsh but I just point out that along with his team mates there have been too many lack lustre performances which is why we are in the quandry we are...He is an asset but after last season and this season CC along with 'almost' every other WHU player will have to go a long way before any credit is coming from this quarter...ableit we are on the right road after the second half at WBA and last weeks results...I am being harsh but have had my lads and my own nose rubbed in it for far too often this season...not laying the blame at CC's door by no means, it is a team game and orchestrated by management but collectively they must redeem some pride,passsion and focus...I'm always 100% behind WHU but some of this lot, and we all know the usual suspects, have left a bad taste in my mouth.
CC's tweets are refreshing as you can gleen that he is passionate it just sometimes does'nt seem to transfer onto the pitch....He is an asset but as I repeat to solely rely on him for goals is folly.

Headmaster said...

Just goes to prove the old saying about lies, damn lies and statistics for me, HF.
Having watched the guy every home game, live, I have got no regard for his talent whatsoever. Happy with him coming off the bench with 10 or 15 minutes to go but if we are reduced to starting him again this season, it will go to show that either Piq, Ba and/or Keane are injured.

Hammersfan said...

Harsh mate. He lost form for a while but I have been impressed in recent weeks.

Anonymous said...

If you often play one striker with a midfield who don't score, of course goal average comparisons with TC and FM will be favourable, as they both played together.

It would therefore be fair to suggest that perhaps CC's averages should be twice theirs.

Hammersfan said...

What total bollocks 2245. In 85-86, Cottee and MacAvennie scored 46 goals between them! Are you seriously proposing that any one striker could account for that number of goals on his own? How many modern strikers score 20 Premiership goals in a season, never mind 26? And as for 46! You are a fool sir!

Your argument is utterly and completely fallacious. As a defending team, playing against a strike pair, you have two players to worry about; when there is a lone striker, it should be so much easier to negate him. The probllem comes when there is one lone striker and two or three wide players / goal scoring midfielders who can hurt you. So Rooney, Giggs, Ronaldo and Scholes, for example, was a nightmare to play against, or Berbatov, Rooney from wide, Nani and Giggs, or Van Persie, Walcott, Nasri and uncle Tom Cobbley et all in the Arsenal midfield. Or Drogba, Duff, Lampard and Robben.

What chance does a lone striker stand when the midfield - Parker, Noble, Behrami and Boa for example - don't get into the box themselves and don't get down the flanks to deliver crosses? Poor Cole has spent the best part of two seasons stood up on his own like a Totem pole without even any indians to dance around him!

Travelling Hammer said...

And what about his insight into Gaddafi . . . .a footballer who watches the news . . . Respect!

Anonymous said...

League assists by season (minutes played in brackets)

06/07 1 (541)
07/08 9 (1892)
08/09 5 (2235)
09/10 4 (2288)
10/11 1 (1547)

Anonymous said...

I don't know about this.... is there anyone else daft enough to support your claim that we should appreciate CC more than PDC, FM and TC?

Come on lads anyone on here think that CC is better?

DA's 2.26 compared to CC's 2.6 is not a "marginally better" If your employer decreased your wages by 15% you'd soon complain about it!

Hammersfan said...

I didn't say Cole was better, just that his record is comparable. David Cross wasn't as good as Di Canio, nor was Hartson, but they were both important players for us.