Problems.
Jay-Z dealt with his by emphasising the positive. He’s a glass half-full kind of guy.
Notorious B.I.G. was more downbeat, seeing the kind of causal link between the accumulation of capital and the emergence of personal challenges with which Rosie Redknapp, also sadly now departed, may have empathised.
Brendan Rodgers might fall somewhere between the two giants of rap (and canine tax administration).
He’s inherited one major problem – Liverpool Football Club. It is, all things considered, a good one to have.
He’s also taken on dozens more, many of which can be boiled down to single words. Codenames, if you will.
Project Carroll. Operation Aquilani Freedom. The Sterling Airlift.
Almost every member of the squad, for good or ill, needs work. Some to develop their existing game, some to realise their full potential, some to be persuaded Craven Cottage is lovely at this time of year.
It makes sense, then, that Rodgers should seek to limit the number of tasks he’s taking on as he seeks to impose his will on the club.
While I’m firmly in the camp that believes Andy Carroll could play a role in a possession-based, short-passing system, there’s also a clear logic to allowing him to leave for the right price, swerving all that extra work and reinvesting the cash.
Similarly, while the romantic in me would love to see Alberto Aquilani sweeping across the greensward next season, from a pragmatic point of view he should surely be moved on.
Aquilani’s hefty salary and reluctance or inability to settle at the club for even a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience suggest an attempt to accommodate him could be more trouble than it’s worth.
The Italian’s occasional langour in possession would represent another challenge, another line on the Rodgers to-do list, another potential barrier to a strong start to the season.
All of which brings us to Joe Cole, another player on big money who’s never properly made their home at Anfield.
Trumpeted in some quarters as the key to help rinse away all the Benitezy pragmatism which led to two Champions League finals and a highest-ever league points tally, he never came close to living up to his billing.
At times visibly unfit, lacking positional discipline and with little to offer in a system based on banks of four, Cole came to be the very definition of a misfit.
It wasn’t all the former Chelsea man’s fault – far from it. He did seem keen to make a go of things. Being publicly disowned by your new manager can hardly be a confidence booster, whether you’re at Liverpool, Halmstads, Orebro, Malmo, Neuchatel Xamax or the Swiss national team.
Nor was Cole by any means ideally suited to slotting into a disintegrating setup where many of the players around him were lacking in confidence, attitude or basic ability.
At times Cole’s displays felt symbolic. That our marquee signing played more like Mark E Smith was a fair enough reflection of the state of the club. That he was still palpably more successful than some other recruits that summer was more damning still.
This season, a fresh start for the club may offer a shot at redemption. With an apparent lack of interest from elsewhere, at least while Harry Redknapp’s out of a job, Cole and Liverpool may be stuck with each other.
While this state of affairs may suit the former more than the latter, it’s also fair to say Cole’s style of play is better suited to Liverpool’s new manager than to either of the previous two.
Blessed with outstanding natural talent, an 18-year-old Cole might have become genuinely world-class under the guidance of a progressive coach. A move to Chelsea came too late, though there were some excellent displays at Stamford Bridge and for England which kept alive the hope that one day Cole might scale the game’s highest peaks.
The time for that may now have gone, but an encouraging season for Lille should not be discounted too lightly.
A major question is where exactly Cole might fit in a Rodgers-style 4-3-3. Lacking the pace to perform in either wide forward role and the combativeness to be one of the two foundation midfielders, the most likely role would be as the furthest forward of the midfield trio.
Operating behind the striker and linking the play, Cole would be encouraged to deploy his subtle gifts and move the ball quickly. Of all the spaces in the system this may be offered the greatest licence to indulge in a riskier, more imaginative pass.
While he would not represent the direct goal threat Rodgers may wish to see from that area of the pitch, he could work well in certain games behind a striker offering the kind of pace and movement which might speed up Cole’s decision-making.
His European experience and relatively decent performances in the 2010 Europa League suggest he could be a useful part of a shadow squad for that competition – albeit a very well-paid one.
All of this could be rendered moot by the swish of a pen and the rustling of notes at QPR, of course, Cole must at least be of passing interest to the likes of Besiktas, currently more active in the transfer market than a temporary tattooist.
Yet should he stay at Anfield there are few fans who’d grumble. A couple of sublime touches against Toronto suggested some magic lingers.
With Rodgers directing him and Liverpool playing to his strengths, Cole might at least become a problem halved. And that might be enough for now.
Follow Steve on Twitter @steve_graves
Interesting one this. Surprised to see a couple of occasions vs Toronto where he dropped his shoulder and actually went past the man, something he was absolutely incapable of in his first season here where it tended to result in him losing possession and putting his hands on his knees whilst he gasped for breath!
Tend to think if he can get and stay fit, he could be a useful member of the bench mob for next season, with enough about him to offer a last 20 minute option (particularly at home) when we’ve got loads of the ball but are lacking penetration.
Not good enough to start, but I can see a place in the squad for him next year.
His wages are way to high to be only a squad player and he has shown nothing to make me think that he would be anything but a squad player.
I seem to remember cole having his best game for us on his league debut against arsenal in which he played just behind the striker. despite getting himself sent off it all looked very promising. he could has you suggest play a part in the europa league campaign, but with gerrard hendo adam shelvey aquilani and possibly joe allen all able to play at the head of a midfield 3 then it looks likely joe will be shipped out if we can find any takers. wouldnt be much of a loss, apart from one sublime cross against toronto he was totally ineffective and looked overweight.
I agree with all your points Pete.
Cole is way too much a drain on resources to be a bits and pieces Europa man.Winning the frickin thing wouldn’t cover his wages !…Needs to be shunted off the payroll ASAP
its really Ice T’s 99 problems not jay z’s…
as for joe cole.. he’s a bit expensive to be sub, not good enough to be in starting 11. pity tho.
What nice problem. At 100k/week its the kind of problem that doesn’t go away without rectal ointment. Why play him at all. He played 20 games for 2 goals while blocking up space that could have been used to blood players like Suso/Sterling/Shelvey. What is our net gain there. His only role is a dressing room thermometer/billy goat. To tell the manager what is going on in the dressing room. What really gets to me is he was proud of his one achievement when on loan at Lille. He was quoted as saying ‘ he sold Chelsea to Eden Hazard.’ Have we ever had a player who has not sold LFC to the world but Chelsea. I am deeply concerned that ppl cant get over the Joe cole hype when he was 18. He is 30 years old, get over it. He is done. He just wants a retirement ticket and a fat check. He will run around like a chicken , stand around with hands on hips but do jack all really. Just waive him on or something. Why do we owe JC any debt of gratitude. What has he ever done for LFC. We moved on Maxi and Kuyt who bled LFC. Why bleed money for a Chav at heart.
BTW, Aqua was moved on only so that JC could park his fat arse next to Gerrard and Carragher. And his missus could speak English when the wives went out to Dinner. Take Carra the mutt with you Joe….A pair of done horses if there was ever any doubt. The trouble is most of our high earners make no contribution. Carra, Joe, Aqua, Carroll, ….Carra is Captain of B team. Joe cole …main cheerleader for Chelsea on Exiles/Retirement squad…I thought we shunted our used players to Chelsea. When did we start taking on their players.
Carra the Mutt??? My God Almighty!
Aplogies for calling Carra a mutt. But, Tell you why? You know some people who claim never to hide behind sentimentality. Who are brave and hard nosed? Well Carra was one of those. But funny how his whole existence in the club is centred on sentimentality or lack of balls of other people. Carra takes no prisoners when he is on tv. Why should LFC not take the same line with him. Is he worth 125k/week on current form. What is the morality behind signing a contract extension on the last day of the dying regime. I am calling Carra out. On footballing grounds , Carra is a screamer and shouter. We are shouting that our defence drops behind 30 yards for his lack of speed, who is listening.
Agree wholeheartedly with SSR. Cole has had more than enough chances to fulfill others expectations. The days of a pie, a few pints and fags are over. Blessed with the skills he obviously had, he has chosen to take the lazy route through his career, say what you like about Dempsey, when you grow up living in a trailer park in Texas, you cherish your gifts and look after them. LFC have a host of young athletes chomping at the bit, ready to give all, time to get rid of the flotsam. As for Carra, he knows exactly what his role is to be, captain and overseer of an exciting young Europa squad, maybe another trophy, then a statue at the top of Marsh lane. But no more bleeding contracts!