No room for slip up against old boys (ESPN article)

by Dave Usher for ESPN

Since their return to the Premier League, West Ham United has become something of a retirement home for Liverpool's unwanted misfits. He may not be their favourite opposing manager, but perhaps Liverpudlians ought to be a little more appreciative of Sam Allardyce when he takes his place on the Anfield touchline this Saturday. I mean, it's not as though there was anybody else hammering down Brendan Rodgers' door to take Joe Cole, Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing off his hands.

Taking over three huge contracts that Liverpool were desperate to offload was a generous enough gesture from 'Big Sam', but handing over well in excess of 20 million pounds on top was almost 'Chelsea-like' in terms of its generosity. He may have rubbed Kopites up the wrong way in the past, but the man is clearly trying to make amends now!

None of the expensive trio ever lived up to their billing, salaries or indeed transfer fees following their moves to Anfield. Cole didn't even command a transfer fee, but even 'nothing' appeared to be too much considering the complete lack of impact he made in his time on Merseyside. It began badly with a harsh sending off against Arsenal on his Liverpool debut, and things didn't get any better for the former Chelsea man after that. I don't think I've ever seen a player's performance levels drop off a cliff in such a sudden and dramatic manner as Cole's did when he left Chelsea to join the Reds. It was as though he turned into an old man overnight.

At Chelsea he always looked to be a quality player and he was regularly a thorn in Liverpool's side. Chelsea fans loved him and were sorry to see him depart, so hopes were understandably high when he arrived at Anfield in 2010 on a five year, extremely lucrative 'Bosman' transfer. Yet it quickly became apparent that Cole did not come 'as advertised'. He couldn't run, for one thing, which is something of a problem when you have been earmarked to play in a wide attacking role. For the most part Cole was utterly abysmal in a red shirt. Ironically, one of the few highlights came when he scored in a 3-2 win at the Boleyn Ground last season. A few weeks later he had returned to the Hammers on a free transfer. West Ham and Chelsea fans love him. Liverpool fans? Not so much.

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