With Andy Carroll on loan from Liverpool with the option of a permanent move Cole has currently been frozen out of the squad. He is also yet to be offered a new contract with his current one expiring at the end of the season. So what has he got going for him that could provide him with a new contract.
Well last season he finished the clubs top scorer with 17 goals. This goal tally helped us get promoted back into the Premiership after a frustrating time in the Championsip. West Ham went into the Championship expecting to win automatic promotion easily and without new signings this wouldn’t have been possible. Although Carlton’s goal tally was pretty high for that season we must remember it was in the 2nd tier of English football. However he did score the crucial goal that got us promoted in the play offs against Blackpool.
Another factor that could help him gain a new contract is his loyalty. There is no question that Cole’s heart is in the right place as he turnt down moves that were offered to him last season to stay with us. It was said however that the club wanted to get rid of him because of his high wages. Two well known clubs taht came in for him were Galatasary and Stoke. A next point that showed his loyalty was that the club confirmed that Carlton took a 50 per cent wage cut to stay with us in the Championship. This says a lot about the type of person he is because it means that he does really love the club as he was prepared to take a wage cut. It also showed he believed that the club could get promoted at the first time of asking, and belief is a good thing to have at a club.
So far so good it sounds, however Carlton Cole has not made an impact this season, not scoring any goals. This could possibly be because he has not played as amny games as he would have liked this season because West Ham have bought in the most expensive English player in Andy Carroll. Now both strikers do both have to prove themselves this season as they both need to score goals, with both experiencing Premier Legaue goal droughts.The competition for Cole should be a good thing though, pushing him to work harder and making push more for a first team place.
Do I think that Carlton will be offerred a new contract come the end of the season. Possibly but it really does depend on how he does come Christmas. If he is still failing to make an impact then the club might choose to sell him come January to make what little money they still can. If he survives this Januray period then I believe he will be offered a contract as he has been a good servant to the club.