Player Focus: Cole & Baines' Contrasting Styles Causing Hodgson Headache
If England were a club team, it’s a safe bet that they wouldn’t have
both Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines. Anybody with the capacity to
transfer players looking at the England squad would sell one or the other,
reasoning that Kieran Gibbs is more than adequate back-up, and look to
use any money raised to sign another centre-back, a goalkeeper, or
perhaps a genuine holding midfielder. As it is, England are stuck with
a glut of high-class left-backs and, although Cole’s injury means
Baines will retain his place for Tuesday’s game against Poland, Roy
Hodgson will have a major decision to make before next summer’s World
Cup (if England get there).
This season Cole has made 1.9 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game,
effecting 0.8 clearances. Baines has made 3.0 tackles and 1.3
interceptions per game, effecting 3 clearances. That, frankly, says
little, other than hinting at their respective styles. Baines is more
energetic and more combative, his style based on him getting forward,
whereas Cole is more reserved, sitting deeper and filling space. In
part that is to do with how their clubs set up, but it’s also down to
personal characteristics.
Cole is one of the most natural defenders at full-back the English
game has ever known. His performance in marking Cristiano Ronaldo when
England lost on penalties to Portugal at Euro 2004 remains the
template for how to play the role. Defending, though, is a trait that
remains elusive to statistics: often it consists of closing down
space, of forcing errors, of being close enough to a forward that he
doesn’t receive the ball. None of that is particularly easy to detail
in statistics.
When Cole left Arsenal for Chelsea in 2006, he became a more defensive
player. Jose Mourinho, he said, almost forbade him to cross the
halfway line. Under subsequent managers, he regained some of his
adventure. Perhaps Mourinho, having returned, would have insisted he
curtail his forward runs again but age, anyway, seemed to be
encouraging caution, as can be seen in his diminishing crosses per
game. In 2010-11, Cole averaged 2.7 cross attempts per game, in 2011-12 2.4 per game,
in 2012-13 1.7 per game and only 0.9 per game this season.
Baines is four years younger and understandably more energetic. His
number of crosses are down this season as well – 4.5 per game as
opposed to between 5.5 and 6.3 per game in the last three seasons –
although whether that is down to small sample size or a different
tactical approach from Roberto Martinez is difficult to say. Either
way, he crosses the ball far more than Cole and, with his dead-ball
ability, can realistically be said to offer a greater attacking threat
than the Chelsea man, as is made clear by the fact that, last season,
he made 3.1 key passes per game while Cole made just 0.6.
The question then becomes whether the balance of the side is better
served by sacrificing a little defensive solidity for greater
attacking flair – and to an extent that depends on who operates at
right-back. With Glen Johnson or Kyle Walker, Hodgson is more likely
to look for greater solidity on the left; with Chris Smalling or Phil
Jones, he is more likely to be inclined to attack – and whether the
left-sided forward prefers to have help on the overlap or the security
of a defensive platform.
“It's a tough one for the manager because, if you were in his shoes,
you've got such a great player already in Ash and, if it's not broke,
you don't fix it," Baines said. "I just hope he feels he's got two
guys that he can depend on. Ash has this wealth of experience [105
caps to Baines’ 20] I could never match. That adds weight to his case
but hopefully the manager has confidence in me. I feel I've pushed
[Cole] hard. I've no idea if, in the manager's mind, it's really close
or if he always knows which he prefers, which has been Ash, and if
that's always going to be the case when he's fit.”
For now Hodgson doesn’t have to make a decision. He looks to get
through on Tuesday night and then can pick both Baines and Cole in his
squad for Brazil. Come next June, it might simply come down to which
of them is in better form.
When both are fully fit, should it be Cole or Baines at left-back for England? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
