Monday 11 April 2011

Is Carlton Cole Out Of Control?

First there was the outburst against Grant's tactics. Many felt Carlton was right to voice his frustration but it doesn't reflect well on Cole in the context of other incidents. Then there was the tweet revealing he had been dropped for the game against Liverpool, potentially giving the opposition vital information earlier than necessary. So far silly but not too bad. But yesterday there was another Tweet implying criticism of Grant's selection as Cole wrote, "I was so frustrated watching those 1st 2 goals go in against us! Even more so watching it from the bench!". Once again, in isolation, it's no big deal; his frustration is fair enough. In fact we would be moaning if he didn't care.

Then came the racist tweet and a whole series of tweets about his and team mate's diet and his social life. Details such as da Costa eating a steak the size of a fully grown bull and of Cole himself eating goat curry by the wheel barrow load hardly create an image of professional sportsmen. Maybe, just maybe, it is this lack of professionalism off the pitch that leads to pathetic, listless performances on it. Time and again we complain that the opposition players look fitter than ours. Well maybe, just maybe, it isn't just an impression. Maybe, just maybe, our players are abusing their bodies to such an extent with their "diet" that competing at Premiership level is physically beyond them.

I've read a Cole tweet about "crashing" for the night at Mark Noble's - in mid week. Maybe, just maybe, Noble is at it too, explaining why he looks slow and laboured once the game has ticked past the 60th minute. More seriously still, The Boleyn Inheritance carried a story about the police wanting to interview Cole after a girl alleged she was assaulted in Cole's hotel room after one of his "infamous parties". There is no suggestion that Cole was personally involved, but it is again worrying that he and a group of others had "crashed" in a hotel room after a night on the town, if the report is true. Is this the right way for a professional sportsman to conduct himself? Those of us with long memories may quote that infamous night on the town in Blackpool featuring Bobby Moore and Clyde Best to suggest this sort of thing has always happened, but the game has changed. The players of the 70s would be knackered after 30 mins in the modern Prem!

If we were sitting in mid table, this wouldn't matter perhaps. But we are not. We are staring down the barrel of relegation and yet I am struck by how great a time Cole is having regardless. After the Man Utd defeat, I was miserable for the rest of the weekend. Not Cole it seems; he allegedly books £250 hotel rooms for a party of friends to crash in, suggesting that, off the pitch, he doesn't give a flying fcuk.

Is Cole out of control? He is still tweeting away, despite the trouble he has got himself into, even writing, "Dont wanna say too much on ere cos i might offend some people! Oh yeah and i gotta cut out the jokes as well!" (sic) by way of cocking a snook at the FA for charging him over his infamous Ghana tweet. I suspect he needs a word in his shell like and that the entire squad need to hear a few home truths.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's no harm in any footballer tweeting their thoughts, it's not often they have thoughts of their own. What surprises me is the amount of footballers that can use a computer!!

Anonymous said...

Yeah they really aren't hurting anybody. You can't expect them to not be human just because they're footballlers.

Hammersfan said...

Do you think Olympic atheletes behave like this in mid tournament?

Stani Army said...

Na HF, you're creating something that's not there.

Of course Carlton cares. His tweets, his effort on the field will tell you this. His frustration at being dropped by a clueless manager will tell you this.

As for what he does between games; well you was sunning yourself out on the beach wasn't you? You reckon Cole would say you don't care?....and he doesn't even support us.

Nothing in it.

And I do hope that you realise that him crashing at Noble's was a joke so that he could post that pic of Noble (some guy) in bed with that animal right?

Hammersfan said...

And the partying and poor eating habits?

Hammersfan said...

By the way Stani, what do you think of that pic? in The Merchant of Venice, Portia mocks Morocco with the joke that he is as "fair" as any of the other suitors, in response to Morocco saying, "Mislike me not for my complexion". Was that Brown's bid for the BNP vote - immigrants allowed if they have fair skin?

Stani Army said...

...partying and poor eating habits? Yeh, Cole said you do that too...

As for a pic, what a blunder!? Although many immigrants coming over are fair skinned.

Didn't read The Merchant of Venice at school. May York notes it.

B4V4R14N_H4MM3R said...

In my books Coley was our best player against Bolton. He showed his passion and commitment on the field.
Of course he is a professional football player but that doesn't mean he has no other interests and isn't allowed to follow them. As long as he doesn't do the Mc Benni or gets in trouble Barton like.

John said...

What you say HF merely backs up what I have been told happens when the squad goes to Newmarket race days and evenings and nights at the girlie club under the pretext of team bonding. What a bl--dy shambles.Grant like Zola is scared of upsetting them, and once they know this you may as well quit.

Hammersfan said...

York Notes won't tell it as it is mate. It's a bit of a problem when the greatest writer in the English Language is an appalling racist.

Stani Army said...

Hahahaa, was he? I never noticed. Should have paid more attention...I was top set though!

Watched a documentary a while back where they said that they had evidence that he was a pot smoker. Is that how you get your inspiration HF :)

Anonymous said...

and you didn't think it was worth carrying tweets any more!?!?! - swallow your pride and get Stani to fix it for you.

Hammersfan said...

Pot? Keep up mate, it was crack! They found the pipe in his back garden in Stratford. MOV is incredibly racist. Shylock conforms to all the stereotypes and is obliged to convert to Christianity to avoid execution. Morocco, the "Moor", is lampooned as sexually boastful. Germans are drunkards, Italians boast about the size of their cocks, Frenchmen are gay and Spaniards are arrogant and obsessed with silver. Turn to Othello and you have a white girl murdered by her back husband, who foams at the mouth in an epileptic fit.

Lewis said...

Well said mate that bang on I mean for fcuk sake I'm all for having a laugh but do it when were guaranteed premiership status. Maybe if he put half as much of an effort on the pitch as he does trying to look like a jack the lad on twitter we wouldn't be in this fcuking mess. West Ham have been a joke for the past two years and I'm fcuking sick of it

Anonymous said...

HF can you show me a Hammer plyer that cares more about the team than any other. Cole could have left in january if he really wanted to. I think far too much goes into what cole says. Hes having a goof, keeping spirits alive, read his tweets for Aprill 11th. All i know is Parker, upson, or whoever you want to list dont SHOW the love for west ham like coley does.

Hammersfan said...

0255, I'm sure Cole is a very committed guy in his way but I'm not sure he has the full kit upstairs. If I was Grant, or Sullivan, I would be reading his tweets with concern; but a much bigger worry is his social life. I know he looks like a supreme athlete when stripped down for charity pics, but a party lifestyle and over eating will take the edge off his physical performance on the pitch. And it's not just Cole who is involved in this.

2:55 said...

Are you upset cause were losing? Because we all know Rooney was caught smoking and drinking mid season. And many more players as well. 20 something year olds can party and still be in form. Yeah it's not sharp but these are young kids with millions. You can't blame form of Cole for losses that's something you look at as a team. Its not like he benni mc out there eating away

Hammersfan said...

Didn't Rooney lose his form rather badly? Maybe Fergie has got him sorted out again. You don't hear about Giggs or Scholes going out on the lash do you? Look how long their careers have lasted.