Right heres Joe cole. When he was 14 years old he used to go down and train with the West Ham first team. They used to stand there with their mouths open in utter astonishment at this player, for the raw talent he had. Under Raneiri Joe Cole struggled, but over the past two seasons he has blossomed into one of the best players in premiership, with every department of his game exceptionally good.
Basic settings: Age - 23
Favoured foot - right
Injury - A
Style of dribble - 2
Free kick type - 1
Penalty - 1
Goal celebration 1 - 61
2 - 10
Face: Skin colour 1
Head height +5
Head width +3
Type 89/100
Colour 1 - 1
Colour 2 - light blue 2
Hairstyle: Type - Special 112
Colour - 9
Facial hair: Type - 92
Colour - 8
Boots: Nike Air Legend SG - White/red
Physique: Height 175cm
Weight 75kg
Neck length -1
Neck width 0
Shoulder height -1
Shoulder width -6
Chest measurement -2
Waist circumference -2
Arm circumference -3
Leg circumference -1
Calf circumference 0
Leg length +3
Accessories: Tucked in shirt
Always short sleeves
Tape
White wristband/right wrist
Blue friendship bracelet/right wrist
Attack -
80
Defence - 60
Balance - 79
Stamina -
82
Top speed -
81
Acceleration -
85
Response -
83
Agility - 8
1
Dribble accuracy -
95
Dribble speed -
80
Short pass accuracy -
83
Short pass speed -
85
Long pass accuracy -
85
Long pass speed -
86
Shot accuracy -
84
Shot power -
85
Shot technique -
87
Free kick - 78
Curling -
84
Header - 63
Jump - 70
Technique -
94
Aggression - 78
Mentality - 78
Keeper skills - 50
Teamwork -
83
Consistency -
7
Condition -
7
Weak foot accuracy - 6
Weak foot frequency - 4
*Dribble, tactical dribble, passing, side, centre, 1-touch pass, outside.
(The centre star is optional really. I like to have it because Joe Cole really can play either wide or central, and I would say he probably prefers centraly. By having this star it will just make Joe drift inside every so often.)
Right, like I said, Joe Cole really is one of the greatest talents in the premiership. Heres why.
First of all his general technique. Good with both feet, the outside of his foot, a whole bag of tricks, and a fantastic first touch. Many people hail him as Brazilian born! He is just so comfortable on the ball. He accurately weaves his way around the pitch, and is a handful for any defender. His perfectly weighted first touch is a great gift, and one which he uses in different ways. If he is around the box his first touch is generally a gentle cushioned one with the instep of his boot to drift the ball into space, opening up a shot. He is aware of defenders positioning, and makes sure his first touch gives him an advantage on them. His stepovers are extremely good. He knows when to use them, and is very profficient at them, making sure he keeps his body perfectly over the ball. All these factors contribute towards a technique value of 94.
One of the most improved things is his strength. He has developed a battling instinct over the last two seasons, and is now better at standing up to defenders. Couple this with a Dribble accuracy of 95, and a tactical dribble star, his hold up play is great ingame just like in real life. He can hold up the ball waiting for an overlap from the full back, or pick out a pass into midfield. As well as improved strength, he has got so much better at defending. 3 seasons ago, and in the opening of last season, he was so attacking minded. He didnt have a care in the world. He hardly ever tracked back, and provided no protection to the full back position. Not now though. Against Bayern Muncih away last season, he made more tackles than any one else, won the ball when it looked like he couldnt and was generally all over the place. I may be describing him as a centre back, but im trying to emphasis how much he has improved defensivley! With a defence stat of 60 and an aggression stat of 78, you now find Joe tracking back and helping the full back.
Solo and teamplay, Joe can do both. With his high technique and dribble accuracy he can fool defenders. He has good pace aswell with dribble speed of 80, but he doesnt beat his man with pace. His feints, drop shoulders, and stepovers confuse defenders, and give Joe a way through. But the thing that sets Joe apart is that he knows when to dribble and when to pass. With both dribbling and passing stars and a teamwork value of 83, his awareness of team mates positioning and movement is very good. His passing stats are also great and highlight especially his ability to play really well weighted lofted balls. Take his ball for Gudjohnsens 1st against Blackburn last season, or his cross for Crespo's winner against Fulham this season. The Crespo goal also illuminates another of his great abilities; curling the ball. The presision and curl of that ball was reminiscent of Beckham. Take his goal against Colchester in F.A cup for example. Great curl. People may also not realise that the curling stat affects the ability to dip the ball, something Joe is also good at, as that goal showcases.
The final point I want to raise is Joes shooting. Again very, very good. Good with both feet, he knows what kind of shot to use in different situations. Curled and dipped from distance like the Colchester one. Drilled low and hard like the Newcastle one. Placed with the instep like the Real Betis and Arsenal ones. He can pull of shots under pressure from defenders, hence his shot technique of 87. He is very accurate, and can generate good power if he needs to. Again the curling stat has an impact in shooting, and Joe is fantastic at using that.
Joe has managed to implement all these things into his game extremely well. He knows when and how to use each aspect, and better yet, he can do it on a regular basis.
