Cole arrival lifts Liverpool gloom

The arrival of Joe Cole at Liverpool has sent the Anfield fans into raptures and already the doom and gloom has started to lift.

But new boss Roy Hodgson will need more than Cole to lift the ailing club’s fortunes in the season ahead. The 28-year-old does look a perfect fit for the side though, especially after Yossi Benayoun left Merseyside. He is the perfect replacement for the Israeli and will prove to be a huge hit with the fans on the Kop.

Cole left Chelsea at the end of last season after failing to agree a new contract with the club and has now signed a lucrative four-year deal at Anfield.

His arrival has been met by delirium on Merseyside and if Hodgson can now persuade Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to stay put he will surely be given the freedom on the city. But the depth of his squad still looks perilously thin. In truth Liverpool’s starting XI is as good as any in the Premier League and they showed that two seasons ago when they went so close to the title. Their efforts came off the rails last term but, if you look at the first team Hodgson can put out, they should be challenging for honours.

With Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Steven Gerrrad, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt and now Cole, Liverpool have a strong starting XI, but when injuries and suspensions bite they look vulnerable. Hodgson is desperately short of cover and he has some serious work to do in the next month or so.