Carlton Cole

[baritalia]

Football is a team game and Carlton is a team player. He has all the human qualities you'd hope for in a mate. Always gives his best. It would be a sad day for West Ham if he left.

I totally agree with you. But with the following:
- backing from owners
- Sam as manager
- rock solid unit of defenders and defensively orientated midfielders
- good wingers
- great captain
- strong bench
- promising youngsters

don't you want to know where is our limit if we had a 25 goals a season striker?

I certainly do.

[Nolan4]

They have done countless times before.

Agreed.

They wrote three times in summer that we were signing Olsson from West Brom after Euro 2012. I thought it was true and watched him personally at Euro but then realized it was only rumour. BBC is much more trustworthy than SSN.

[baritalia]

Doesn't make any sense to me, loyal player not on a massive wage who as recently this week been praised by Sam kicked out by the club, b*llocks I think (and hope)

Thing like this doubles his price on the market.

It is becoming quite clear he won't be getting a new contract, but I really hope we at least keep him until the end of the season so he can have the immense send off he deserves from the fans after we have sent Reading down on the final day

It's a perfect opportunity for the owners. Let's admit it, Cole was woeful up until Carroll's injury (up until game against Chelsea). From then on, he is fit, scores here and there, can last 90 minutes, plays very nicely with both head and feet.

He is 29 and in last 6 months of his contract. This is the last time we can get any money for him. Don't get me wrong, I f*cking love Carlton Cole but from business perspective it makes perfect sense.

[Bobby Orangeboom]

Sky Sports would not put up an article about a possible transfers if they didn't hear it from a legitimate source. If it's speculation/other paper talk it's labeled 'rumour'.

[prophet:marginal]

Don't you want to know where is our limit if we had a 25 goals a season striker?

I certainly do.

Yes, we can all day-dream about signing Van Persie, or indeed the kind of money in the club that can sustain both his transfer fee and his wages, but, sooner or later most snap out of the reverie and remember that since the Prem began, no such player has been on our books.

Van Persie - or his like - cost >£20M in the last 18 months of his contract.

[fireman]

Like Ian Dowie CC is committed to the club and the sort of fella you wouldn't mind having a pint with. Unfortunately, also like Dowie, he is terribly inconsistent and will never score enough goals.

As I do not pay through the nose to watch nice blokes playing for West Ham if he has to go then so be it!!

[1966]

I'd settle for an entire forward line that could net 25 a season between them!

My main beef is the way in which decent and honest players and managers are often treated on their way out. If that happened with a man of Carlton's good character then it would be shameful.

[DaveWHU1964]

don't you want to know where is our limit if we had a 25 goals a season striker?

I certainly do.

OK. Who is he? If he scores 25 a year then how come he'd come to us when countless Champions League will also be in in for such a prolific striker. Such players don't grow on trees so presumably he'll cost £20 million plus. Have we got that? I can't think of any realistic positive answers to those questions.

Not digging you out on this Baritalia, but it's just that this sort of comment is made so often on here. As much as I love Carlton, I'd be doing cartwheels if we got the mythical 25 goals a year man, but it isn't going to happen. They end up Chelsea and City for £25-30 million. That's football in 2013 and we all need to get real about it.

[dplus91]

Ah yes the (almost) mythical 25 goals a season striker.

Even £30m strikers rarely get that many. Michu might well get that this season but that kind of amazing signing happens about once a decade in the top league.

Cole has never been and never will be anywhere near that. And he wouldn't get into any of the top 4. But he's good enough for us at the present time, certainly as an option in the squad.

Though I qualify that slightly because I don't know how much he earns now or wants for extending.

[Trevor Montana]

Like Ian Dowie CC is committed to the club and the sort of fella you wouldn't mind having a pint with. Unfortunately, also like Dowie, he is terribly inconsistent and will never score enough goals.

As I do not pay through the nose to watch nice blokes playing for West Ham if he has to go then so be it!!

How is Carlton anything like Iain Dowie? He can actually play football...

[bubblemen]

GUTTED !!! But we must build for the future and I would love a 25 goal a season striker at West Ham and Cole aint that. I love the fact he gives his all, but as with Carroll, not enough goals.

[VikeltAussie]

We. Are. Not. Getting. A. 25. Goal. Striker.

Ever.

[baritalia]

We. Are. Not. Getting. A. 25. Goal. Striker.

Ever.

DemBa.

[VikeltAussie]

DemBa.

The minute we get a striker who even hints at getting 25 goals they'll be gone.
I think Demba proves that don't you? In saying that he hasn't had a 25 goal season in the prem yet..

[Ticket 2 Ryde]

DemBa.

Mercenary!

[westlondonhammer]

DemBa.

...has never scored 25 goals in a season

The aussie is right

[richiepap]

Pains me to say it, because I love Carlton, but I agree with baritalia.

It's one of those situations where you really don't want to do it, but you think it's for the best, and you just want the decision to be made. Kind of just close your eyes a bit, look away....and then let go. It's done now!

I love CC's attitude. Truly. And he can do some great stuff on the pitch, really really great, leaving you thinking 'Wow, nice'. And then immediately, and I mean immediately, as in the very next thing he does, as in he hasn't even passed the ball yet from the previous great thing he's just done, go and do something that leaves you thinking 'Oh FFS, Carlton. Jesus'.

Let's just get it over and done with.

[Ozza]

Thing like this doubles his price .

To what exactly?

[DustyHammer]

Okay here's a question,

Would you prefer a foreign mercenary who scores 5 more goals than Carlton does in a season but dives about, and causes as much controversy and general embarrassment as Suarez.

Or have Carlton not scoring as many but enough to keep us mid table and maintaining a brilliant relationship with the fans who love him as a cult hero?

In this instance (which is relatively common), in terms of pure enjoyment, I think I would rather watch CC and finish 12th than watch a mercenary who I feel no real affinity for and finish 11th.

[richiepap]

The first one.

5 more goals, man!

I'd love to be embarrassed by having Suarez in my team. For example the amount of grief he got for handballing on the line during the World Cup, I think he did exactly the right thing.