Cole or baines

[not on facebook]

Its all i have heard via the radio today

One is better at deffending while t'other is better at attacking

Pros and cons on both players

Cole as experience and is getting over the Hill with each season,as baines is the right age and has everything in front Of him

So who and why would pick to be first Choice LB

Think i would go with baines should England Get to Brazil,as he is good in defence but brings far more with his free kicks and crossing
Of the ball as an attacking player.

[ponte_ricky]

Baines. He has a better hairdo

[BobG]

Reminds me of an interview I heard on the radio years ago. Can't remember which alleged football star it was bieng interviewed, but he uttered the immortal line "Well, there's pros and cons in favour and there's pros and cons against".  You couldn't make it up.....

BobG

[BigColSutherland]

Cole is still one of the best fullbacks in the world. Try and think of a mistake he's made. It's tough to do so.

Baines does well at club level. Very well. But England have plenty of dead ball specialists.

[Sammy Chung was King]

Baines is getting better Cole is slowly game by game not contributing what he used to,the energy to get up and down the pitch isn't as good,Baines takes a mean free kick,defensively Cole probably slightly better,Cole has the experience,Baines doesn't have as much easily sorted out give him the games,a nice choice for the manager,keep cole in and you stop a fine player getting even better,for me Baines.

[RobTheRover]

Baines frustrated the hell out of me on Friday, though.

Not once in the 2nd half did he take the full back on.  He kept checking back and laying off an easy ball.  I was having a right rant at the telly when he did it for about the 4th time in as many minutes, then 10 seconds later Townsend had smashed that ripper in the far corner.

[Sammy Chung was King]

It's another level though Rob,he's still gathering the confidence to feel he belongs at that level,i've never liked Cole's image in the game,but at times he's been our one truly World class player,i just sense Cole is dropping back a bit and Baines is getting ready to step up to the next level,Cole is still a great player,but not as good as he was.

[Monkcaster_Rover]

Cole everyday for me. I think he's massively under rated compared to the other big names in football. Messi has never scored against Chelsea, I put that down to Cole

[jonnydog]

Cole is still one of the best fullbacks in the world. Try and think of a mistake he's made. It's tough to do so.

He did the dirty on the lovely Chezza... The f**kwit!!

[GazLaz]

Cole is the best left back of my lifetime.

[Spud]

Probably still Cole, just. We're certainly blessed at left full back though, wish we were having the same dilemma at centre back.

[andyst79]

Coles had Ronaldo in the back pocket time & time again

[Donnyrovers]

Cole for me because he doesn't deserve to be dropped he's been one of the most consistent England players for years and for the image he has and the dislike most people have towards nobody can ever fault him for what he's done on the football pitch. He's loosing that energy a bit with his age but he's still world class and you would be confident of his ability against any of the world class players like Messi and Ronaldo in an one on one battle.

[roverssam1879]

Cole is the best left back of my lifetime.

Did you not get to see Roberto Carlos?

[roverssam1879]

Tonights game, i'd play Cole.

[Wade Falana]

Cole is the best left back of my lifetime.

Did you not get to see Roberto Carlos?

Or Rufus Brevett?

[The Red Baron]

Tonights game, i'd play Cole.

You'd have a job- he's injured. Though I suspect he would have played tonight if fit.

Nice to have one position where we have more than adequate cover though. I wish we could say the same about the rest of the team.

[boro_rover]

I prefer Baines over cashley. Not just for his off the pitch antics. But I feel he is a more rounded player. His delivery is excellent, he am pass and his free kicks are up there with the best in the world. I understand Cole is a full back, but he never scores and I don't think his delivery is the best. He is arguably better defensively, but I feel in the modern game full backs are required to make positive contributions going forward. It's a good selection headache for Roy when both are fit, but I'm always happier to see Baines play, as I think he gives that extra outlet, that Cole does not.

[RobTheRover]

I was sat opposite Ashley Cole on a train from Leeds to Kings Cross once.  I was amazed how little he is, and how big the f**k-off minder he had with him was.  Lesley Joseph was on the same train too.

[Keith Myath]

According to stats mentioned on Talk sport last week, Baines beats Cole hand down in 17 out of 18 measurable categories, Headers being the only one Cole excels in.

Baines is still a great defender, he rarely makes a mistake. I'd have hime over Cole everytime.

Think we have bigger worries in the other parts of the defence, Cole or Baines i don't see a problem

[GazLaz]

Cole is the best left back of my lifetime.

Did you not get to see Roberto Carlos?

Yes lots of times and he was over rated. Cole is better than Baines no matter what the stats say. Baines stands out because he is more attacking but Cole is a better left back.

[graingrover]

Bob G .. I like that quote .. if we had  a compendium of football speak it would be a Xmas best seller.
   so many mixed metaphors ... "they don't have two sausages to rub together "..
    so many stupidities ..." He is two footed feet but doesn't use them both "
   " they kicked off hitting the ground running. "   Harry Rednapp is the specialist ..." he's a good boy knows where the goal is!

[DaveDRFC]

Cole everytime.

Just because Baines is good at free kicks and penalties doesn't make him a good left back. And he's got shit hair.

[NickDRFC]

Still Cole for me. As has been said, he's been England's best player for the last 10 years. It's all very well saying Baines looked good against Montenegro and he can score the odd free kick, Cole has put in performance after performance against the best teams in the world and doesn't look to have lost much, if any, of his ability when I've seen him recently.

I can't stand Ashley Cole as a person, but anybody thinking that's taken away from his performances from England has clearly been watching a different game to me.

[colin cramb]

id try playing both, cole at LB and baines on the left wing, danny 'bambi' wellbeck doesnt do it for me on the left, its frightning how we havent had a decent left winger for years! I'm 29 and i cant think of a top class english left winger over the last 20 years??
Young, Downing, milner, j cole, adam johnson, waddle, barnes??

[Padge_DRFC]

I rate Welbeck. I'm with Sir Alex, David Moyes and Roy Hodgson on this one.

[NickDRFC]

id try playing both, cole at LB and baines on the left wing, danny 'bambi' wellbeck doesnt do it for me on the left, its frightning how we havent had a decent left winger for years! I'm 29 and i cant think of a top class english left winger over the last 20 years??
Young, Downing, milner, j cole, adam johnson, waddle, barnes??

Emile Heskey.

Also don't really rate Welbeck although he has a great international record, particularly given he has started out wide a fair bit. Maybe he's just a player who is average for club but really pulls it out of the bag for country.

[Filo]

Great first half from Baines and a wonderful cross for the goal, he adds so much drive and purpose down the left that we actually look very dangerous going forward, but for some good saves and last ditch defending from the Poles we would be out of sight by now

[LincsRover]

 
If there was any doubt before then I think it's gone after the first half - baines every time now for me!

 

[BigColSutherland]

Based on 45 minutes against a team who are fourth in one of the weakest groups out of the lot??


Yeah, case closed.