Roy Hodgson’s soul-sapping start to life as Crystal Palace’s new manager has plumbed a new depth today with news that, having lost their sole remaining striker to injury, the club are mulling over the prospect of signing Carlton Cole.
Having lost Christian Benteke to a knee ligament injury last week, Hodgson currently doesn’t have a single recognised senior striker at his disposal – with Connor Wickham already ruled out until January and, well… that’s it really.
Christ. It’s little wonder we’re six games in and Palace still don’t have a league goal to their name yet so far this season.
Anyway, the Mirror are reporting that, so pitifully desperate are they for a forward, that Palace have “stepped up their attempts” to sign Cole, 33, who is a free agent since being sacked by Indonesian club Persib Bandung for playing very badly.
Cole signed for Persib in March and then failed to score a single goal before being released in August, five months into a ten-month contract.
You have to wonder quite what impact Hodgson is expecting him to have.
Surely Palace, who face Manchester United and then Chelsea in their next two fixtures, have got a striker in the youth team that could be given a crack up top for a month or two?
Bleak.