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"Why Andy Cole???"

I have to admit that I am shocked to see Andy Cole decide to leave Manchester United, and I feel even worse to see that he's gone to Blackburn!!! There's a BIG differnce in comparrison between these 2 clubs. One's a world-wide success, with millions to spend and an overloaded trophy cabinet. While the other is a side that has won the Premiership before but nothing else since, has quite a bit of cash, a Brittish squad of resonable talent, and have returned to the Premiership as potentials to fall into the relegation zone.

Why would Cole leave a club destined for success, for one that can't even get anywhere near the final of the League Cup??? Was it for money?? - No, Blackburn aren't the richest. Was it because Fergie's leaving and he fears he may not like the new manager?? - Nah, it's way too soon for that! What about the offering of first-team football then?? After all, he can't get in the United 11 with van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer on form! - Yes, that must be why. Without regular first-team football he'll only get worse and lose his goal-scoring form, just like Dwight Yorke.

So Andy Cole is a player who will give up the chances of domestic and European glory, just to get regular first-team football, to re-discover his form and claim a place in England's 2002 World Cup squad. Can you blame him??? What's the point in staying at a club where it's obvious you won't be playing, left to 'rot in the reserves'?? How's Eriksson gunna notice what a great striker he is, if he only has the time to go and watch first-team matches? So maybe if he had decided to stay at the club he loved, then he would be decreasing his chances of making the England squad, week-in week-out. He is 30, and there won't be many more left before he retires after this one!

But what has he left behind at Old Trafford? The chance of more success, his good friends (especially Yorke), the possibility of EVEN MORE money, and being part of the world's biggest club! But he feels that England, his country, is more important to him than his club, and he wants to help them succeed!

But why would United decide to let him go??? Especially if they're looking to retain the European Cup and possibly more silverware in Fergie's last year! I think it's simply MAD to let him go!! He wasn't disruptive or anything, he was just un-happy because he wasn't being given the chances he deserved. In my opinion, he was the ideal partner for Ruud van Nistelrooy in the United attack. He has proven himself around the country, and leagues, as a goal-scorer, using his experience he could even teach van Nistelrooy a thing or two, and his love for the club and respect for the manager and his team-mates has always kept him as a hard working, determined player! He is someone United definitley need to succeed in Europe this season, and it was a big mistake letting him go!! Sir Alex can't keep relying on van Nistelrooy, Solskjaer and Yorke, also hoping they'll stay fit for the rest of the season! And the job of finding the ideal replacement will be almost impossible!!

I think that by selling a top player to a rival Premier league club is also a big mistake! With sides like Blackburn you never know quite what to expect, as anything can happen!! They may even thump you 5-0!!! I just hope that when United next meet Blackburn Cole doesn't do something that'll make Fergie regret his sale! This isn't the first time this season that Alex Ferguson has made a mistake in the transfer market (Stam, Blanc...)!! I hope Cole does make it to the World Cup though. Even though he hasn't shown goal-scoring form for England yet, i'm sure that if he finds his feet at Ewood Park, it'll also help him and England in South Korea and Japan!

Good luck Andy, or Andrew as you like to be called.

..... And as for Emile 'on the deck' Heskey (thats what they call him at Anfield these days!!!!) he's a big nancy boy really isn't he.

Yes he's big, yes he can keep the ball... but what else can he do?

He's the type of footballer that 'battles' for a win. At Leicester he was brilliant 'cus it was tough and gritty football, which I think suited him.

Liverpool are a different kettle of fish, their style of play is based on passing and counter attacking football (boring if you ask me). I just dont think he has the on the ball skills or even the acceleration/speed to fit in at Anfield.

Anelka (when he's fit and sharp) is a fantastic player to have alongside Owen (And Im not just saying that cus Im a gooner either).... If you were a defender, what would you find scarier: 1 fast deadly striker and a target man, or two fast deadly strikers?

What Im saying is that there are far better 'strikers' in the world then Andy Cole. If they had had some other 'better' striker in his place for the past couple of years ... say just for example Alan Shearer (if he wasnt so injured) he would/could have scored a hell of a lot more then Andy Cole.

Andy Cole is good, but the rest of the team made the goals easy for him. Alan could have scored all his, made his own and made many more.

Just be glad he's gone to Blackburn... and just wonder (and pray) that Man U will land a bigger fish.

My opinion of Andy Cole, is that his positioning, and general off the ball work is easily one of the best in europe. However, his finishing is more like 1st/2nd division standard.

He's great, and terrible, in different areas of his game. That's why his form can vary so much.

So what you're saying is Cole's always in the right place at the right time! It doesn't matter how strikers get goals, as big totals are more important to them! Midfielders are the ones looking for blinders!!

totally agree on heskey he runs down the field gets tired and then waits for someone to sneeze on him and he hits the ground faster than a pound of potatoes

Andy (or Andrew - as he should be called) is perhaps one of the over rated strikers in the Premiership! ... just like Emile 'On the Deck' Heskey (but thats another discussion waiting to explode).

... Back to Andrew Cole... Yes, I believe he's over rated, why? You ask... well simply because if you look at a video of all of his goals, most of 'em are simply 'tap ins'. Yes, I admit he's scored one or two corkers in his time, but any premiership stricker can do that (Note: Trevor Sinclair). If you stick a granny into Andrew Cole's position over the past couple of years, I bet she could have scored roughly the same amount to what Andrew Cole has did, simply because the rest of the team can create dead simple chances to score from!

The Joke is on Blackburn really.. spending all that cash on a dodgy striker. He'll be lucky to score more then 10 this season if you ask me. Im surprised... no Shocked even that Andrew Cole got into the England squad!!!!


Anyway, its about time Sir Alex Fergusson sold him, he was a waste of space at Man U. Let Dwight Yorke (who is a better player) be sold on next and get two fresh faced strikers in instead. Then Man U will be an even bigger force to be reckoned with.

yea i thought yorke would be the one to go as well. here's my theory anyway ferguson is trying to single handedly destroy man utd in his last year. he's sold the only decent defender apart from brown in stam and brought in a geriatric french man who's close to picking his pension up in footballing years. he's not putting beckham on decreasing the chance of him signing a new contract and now he's sold a good striker of ours. the only reason he wants to stop another year is so beckham doesn't get the contract and leaves on a free. fergies obviously got the i can make it i'll blooming well break it approach to management

I have to agree with you, Yorke should have been sold instead! He's barely played this season, and after looking so slow, it looks as if he hasn't even been picked for the reserve games either!! But he did play for the reserve/youth team, when they played Arsenal at Highbury in the Worthington Cup. And for some reason he played in midfield?? And the 2 strikers were youngsters! Nardiello and...can't remember. But it just goes to show that Yorke doesn't have that form he had in his first season at Old Trafford anymore! Andy Cole was probably his best friend, and now he's left Yorke we'll feel un-settled and want to leave too. But who'd want to buy a player that can't even get into his club's reserve team!! And would Fergie really let his £12.6m signing go for a cheap price??

He shouldn't have retired from international football. Even if travelling to Trinidad and Tobago did take hours, at least he had something to do, and he could get more match practice. They all used to worship him in the Carribean! And he only quit so he could focus on his Man United career - what career???

Have to admit not looking forward to the 19th Jan, what price Cole to score.

Must admit Im a bit shocked with the transfer aswell!! I thought it would be Yorke to leave instead of Cole!!