Cole Stockton Generally?

[redrobo]

Having just returned to the UK after a cruise in the Adriatic I had hoped to read that Cole had got his act together and realized that on his current form the move he seeks could be in jeopardy come January due to his apparent lack of interest in playing to his full potential at the moment.

Cole has rightly deserved the fans adulation over the last couple of seasons but at the current time he should realize that loyalty from the fans has to be earned and on his current form such loyalty has to be justified which to date is open to question.

[Pandashrimp]

Think much of these recent comments are very fair. From comparisons of his performances against bullying centre backs last season to this, to body language , to fitness. On current form he should be nowhere near the team.

Literally everybody has lost from this situation. New clubs from poor bids resulting in not securing a new player. MFC as on one hand if we had accepted £100k we would have been a laughing stock yet now we are left with a player that looks and plays like he does not want to be there. Cole, as I am sure there will still be suitors in Jan and/or May..but he will be losing negotiating power for the large wage he so clearly wants.

Sad Sad situation.

Get Hunter fit asap and pray he and Kieran strike something up. Gab Sutton made a point on Twitter though, losing Cole will mean a change of style as we simply cannot lump it up there without him.

Then again.. who knows, a goal against Accy on Saturday might give Cole's head a wobble

[black morse]

I've just pulled this one up again as nothing seems to have change. I rarely comment on individuals as I see so few games I believe in leaving it to others to judge. However, in this case, I saw Cole come on as sub at Oxford and thought he was very lacklustre. Since then in game after game the comments from SVs
have been the same.

Whilst I understand Cole wanted away and I understand that he was p*****d off that the club wouldn't sell him (for much less than he was worth at that time) but I can't for the life of me understand his thinking now. If we had any alternative he would have been dropped by now. He has had plenty of time and opportunity to show that he is still able to bully the opposition defenders and get in amongst the goals again. If he continues like he is he'll either get dropped and then not be able to show other clubs that he still has what it takes or his performances will turn off any club that was interested before (if they aren't already turned off).

Nobody wins in the present situation but at least our club will survive (albeit in League 2 possibly) without Cole but Cole will find his career has nosedived and he's playing non league football.

[Little Shrimp]

I was happy giving Stockton a few weeks to get his head sorted and build a bit of match fitness back up, but it's getting ridiculous now. He just doesn't seem interested unless the ball's delivered perfectly onto his right foot so he can lazily swing a hopeful shot at goal.

I think you're right in that ultimately nobody wins here. Stockton's not got the luxury of having a crap season where he does nothing given his age and his previous track record before the past couple of seasons. How well he does this season is a determining factor in whether he's seen as a 'flash in the pan' at League One, or someone who can perform consistently at the level. He's out of contract next summer so 'bigger' clubs will be more willing to take a punt on him with decent wages if there's no big up-front fee. How good a move/wage he gets now is entirely on him - a good/bad season could be the difference between him ending up at an Ipswich etc or Fleetwood.

Personally, I think DA's given him a hugely generous amount of chances, and was pleased to see Watts come in on Saturday. In my eyes he's very low down the pecking order.

[Keith]

Nobody wins in the present situation but at least our club will survive (albeit in League 2 possibly) without Cole but Cole will find his career has nosedived and he's playing non league football.

I wonder if he's already had conversations about moving north of the border, for a second time playing in Scotland? Go through the motions with us, don't pick up any injuries, head off to St Mirren for free in the summer?

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

Nobody wins in the present situation but at least our club will survive (albeit in League 2 possibly) without Cole but Cole will find his career has nosedived and he's playing non league football.

I wonder if he's already had conversations about moving north of the border, for a second time playing in Scotland? Go through the motions with us, don't pick up any injuries, head off to St Mirren for free in the summer?

Something is going on behind the scenes, that much is obvious! Last season he was dynamic, a constant threat to the opposition! This season he is best described as someone who really can’t be arsed with making an effort! We keep persevering with him in the hope that he will resume normal service but to be honest he’s never been anywhere near and doesn’t appear interested! Total lack of respect for our club and the 2 year contract he was given. The young lads we have on loan are head and shoulders in front of him at the moment. He either needs to give his head a good wobble and sort himself out or sit the rest of the season out and ruin whatever he has left of his career.
It would be revealing to get him on one of the podcasts and put some pertinent questions to him about things from his perspective! Never going to happen like! He’s gone from most fans favourite ever player to rapidly becoming a figure of derision! Good luck Cole!

[fulwoodshrimp]

I really wonder what is going on in his head. He doesn’t look interested, he seems to have put on weight and he is making almost no contributions. Who does he think will come in for him in January given his lack of any goals and given his woeful goal scoring record before the last couple of seasons. It will be interesting to see who makes a move. Until then I think we should keep him on the bench and not rely on him and wash our hands of him at the earliest opportunity.

[Redalert1970]

GET RID SOON AS

[Sakhalin Shrimp]

I did hear some booing when he came on to replace Phillips in the Derby game, not something I like to hear against one of our players but maybe justified?

[Wild Bill]

Cole like any player is fed by confidence. He did well in our promotion season and was thrilled with a new contract last season. He started well and kept it up for a few months when he was an unknown quantity. His goal against Fleetwood showed a player top of his game. Slowly though he got found out and his form dipped but he still ended on a shed load of goals for the season. After Sunderland he looked for all intents and purposes like he had played his last game. Come the summer though the big move did not materialise and both board and manager stuck to their guns. He played games but no move materialised. By this point he was unfit and out of form. Sadly for Cole and us he can't just flick a switch and return to the player he was a year ago. Adams also refuses to put him on a pedestal and rightly so. Cole's only option is to fight back into the team. He needs at least 10 goals I'd say to keep with MFC or 15 to get a decent move elsewhere. The ball is all in his court

[Born again Bill]

Wonder whether Cole’s attitude and lack of quality this season has any effect on the others in the changing room . We had a similar thing happen at work with a bad apple who didn’t want to be there , he slowly brought the mood of the place down among the other staff until finally he left . Strangely the mood and productivity increased after he had gone, maybe January could be a time for a mutual parting !

[black morse]

Wonder whether Cole’s attitude and lack of quality this season has any effect on the others in the changing room . We had a similar thing happen at work with a bad apple who didn’t want to be there , he slowly brought the mood of the place down among the other staff until finally he left . Strangely the mood and productivity increased after he had gone, maybe January could be a time for a mutual parting !

It's possible but I think DA would have clamped down on it. Remember what he did to Kev.
I agree that a striker needs confidence but any footballer needs to be fit and from what I read on here it doesn't look as if he is. That is something he could sort out.

[Keith]

I hope his offer of a new contract has been withdrawn. That would be a question for the pod-cast to any board member!

[fulwoodshrimp]

It would be crazy for him to have a new contact with record wages for our club when he is offering so little on the pitch. I suspect some other interested clubs will be put off by his unprofessional attitude.

[Gone_Shrimping]

It's pretty clear his agent has fixed something up for him in January.

We will only receive a derisory fee because if he doesn't move then , we get Jack Sh*t for him in the Summer.

With his wages off the payroll it would enable Derek to look for a striker.

[BerlinWaller]

It would be crazy for him to have a new contact with record wages for our club when he is offering so little on the pitch. I suspect some other interested clubs will be put off by his unprofessional attitude.

And by the size of him, looks so unfit.

[Keith]

It's pretty clear his agent has fixed something up for him in January.

We will only receive a derisory fee because if he doesn't move then , we get Jack Sh*t for him in the Summer.

With his wages off the payroll it would enable Derek to look for a striker.

Perhaps, but probably not. To be fixed up in January, the club need to have accepted an offer. If we have, then would we be risking playing him?

I'd take a derisory offer in January, just to get rid of him. Hero to zero in a few months.

[CityShrimp]

I won’t bash him too much for his lack of goals but other forwards at the club have shown more willingness to run than Cole has, and the only reason he is getting any game time at all is literally the fact that we don’t have anyone else.

I’m really disappointed in Cole personally. It’s been pointed out that everyone loses in this situation but it didn’t have to be this way! If Cole applied himself then he’d maybe get an even better move in January or the summer (with two good seasons in league one) and of course that would help us too.

I was happy that the club didn’t sell him for peanuts and still think it was the correct decision at the time... but I’d now allow him to leave in January for nothing, having seen his attitude towards our club. At least that’ll free up a wage.

What a shame.

[red shrimp]

I honestly feel like he is taking the p*ss out of us this season with the performances he is putting in. He might have an issue with the club, but it's not the fans fault, we have backed him massively and idolized him last season , it is a joke what he has become. I want him out asap, as his poor attitude will no doubt have a negative affect on the dressing room and that is not what we need in a tough relegation battle, we need the squad to all be pulling in the same direction, but he clearly isn't . The way he strutted off the pitch on Friday was disgusting, to not even look over at the fans who pay his wages is unforgivable! He deserves all the stick he gets tbh. I'm done defending him.

[Keith]

I honestly feel like he is taking the p*ss out of us this season with the performances he is putting in. He might have an issue with the club, but it's not the fans fault, we have backed him massively and idolized him last season , it is a joke what he has become. I want him out asap, as his poor attitude will no doubt have a negative affect on the dressing room and that is not what we need in a tough relegation battle, we need the squad to all be pulling in the same direction, but he clearly isn't . The way he strutted off the pitch on Friday was disgusting, to not even look over at the fans who pay his wages is unforgivable! He deserves all the stick he gets tbh. I'm done defending him.

It hasn't helped us, that we're playing with ten men in so many games. Yesterday, v Plymouth, while most of the team were really putting in a shift, Stockton barely broke in to a jog. On one occasion, with either Crowley or Weir driving forwards, looking for a pass, Stockton stood on the far corner of the penalty area, with a defender next to him and remained there, practically static, while the attack broke down. No movement to try and lose his marker, no attacking the box. According to the stats, one aerial battle won, 24 touches (lowest of all players) Donald Love had as many shots as Stockton.

Given he's been like this for most of the season, and clearly can't wait to go, perhaps we should drop him and play Niasse for the rest of the season, to assess whether he is worth a contract for next season?

As for Stockton, a lower League One side (Burton? Port Vale?) may take a punt on him next season, but it is strange how this time last year, we were talking about him being a possible big money transfer, maybe even in to the Championship. Now, I think League Two is probably his level, he may even drop in to the National League. Certainly, any club looking to sign him will be taking his attitude in to account, and see how he's a champion sulker. The way he's disappeared from games, he's a champion at 'hide & seek' too, as we've rarely found him on the pitch.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Just watched the highlights and it was a huge moment when Cole had that chance in the 2nd half.

Last season he would have fizzed that past the keeper into the net. This season he shanked it to give the keeper an easy stop.

If that had gone in it's 2-0 and maybe we could have held out or snatched another.

[Keith]

Just watched the highlights and it was a huge moment when Cole had that chance in the 2nd half.

Last season he would have fizzed that past the keeper into the net. This season he shanked it to give the keeper an easy stop.

If that had gone in it's 2-0 and maybe we could have held out or snatched another.

"A slightly tame effort" says the commentator. If we'd gone 2-0 it would have been huge.

[BerlinWaller]

He cocked up the break that was given offside wrongly as well for me. His run was so poorly timed that he just ran in to an empty half and out of the game. If he had timed it properly he would have been in our half when the ball was played.

Was a decent showing from Cole but he is too easy to play against. Plymouth pushed right up knowing that he has zero interest in running in behind a defence. He won a few headers and brought the ball down but it never sticks. Such a sad decline from last seasons heights.

[redrobo]

Plymouth fans are suggesting on their forum that Cole was responsible with a reckless tackle for the injury to Mumba that saw him carried off. It's doubtful if he will play again this season.

Their is also a suggestion that Cole made an inappropriate comment to the player as he lay injured on the ground.

Cole is NOT that type of player to go into a challenge recklessly......unlike their player Crosgrove who should have been booked for an earlier challenge which followed on from a similar reckless challenge v Bolton at Wembley.

Don't be surprised if Cole is still with us next season in EFL2.....

[Keith]

Don't be surprised if Cole is still with us next season in EFL2.....

We'd have to offer him a new contract first! Would we bother after this season? If a player does not want to play for us, let them go. If he wants a new one with us because offers elsewhere have dried up, he's not exactly showing any desire.

Remember him for one brilliant season and say goodbye.