Cole had a few issues when it came to him being rated justly:
- He played in an eras of absolutely lethal strikers. This meant he was always compared to them and their paucity of wasting goal-scoring opportunities. Romario, Shearer, Ronaldo, Batistuta, Vieri, Suker, Raul, Owen and even lethal support strikers like Del Piero and Rivaldo. Cole's magic was in his movement and ability to constantly create his own chances, but most of the aforementioned strikers were basically conversion machines that if, in sight of goal, with a chance to draw their leg back, would either hit the target or score a scorcher. Cole was never like that post-Newcastle, which opened the floor to Hoddle saying he needed x amount of chances to score... omitting that Cole would generate x amount of chances per game to get goals his own way.
- His England career was blunted. Shearer and <support striker>would always start. Cole rarely got a proper chance to show skeptics what he could do on the international stage.
- He was outshone by his teammates. Cole was never the best, or top banding in the team. He pulled his weight and did his thing, but when breaking the team down into superstars who were irreplaceable or the top tier in their position in the world; players who could be upgraded upon; supplemental cogs. Cole would be slotted into the second or third of those brackets. Yorke's season when he should've been a ballon d'or candidate doesn't help here, either. Cole was part of an amazing, telepathic pairing, but Yorke was performing at a level associated with the best forwards in the world at the time and there was no question he was the top forward that season.
- It always felt like Fergie wanted more. If SAF could've got Shearer when we courted him, there's no question he would've dropped Cole from starter to the bench rotation. I think how Cole was treated when RVN got here is also telling. Cole never got to the level he was undroppable if we were open to the world market and could have our pick of the best #9's in the game, whereas those around him, did.
- Needed more big individual moments in the grandest games. Not to say he was poor, a bottler or out of place in the big games, because he wasn't, but there aren't many elite level games where Cole was contesting for MotM or just outstanding from the 1st minute to the last. He scored some key goals, and I think most would agree Barcelona away was his apex, but he's not got the collection of elite performances in the biggest games others of his era, and even his team, have.
I always liked Cole, even when Cantona was berating him and he looked out of his depth, but I was under no illusion there wasn't a class of striker above him and that we, as a club, coveted them from afar for a long time and if we could've acquired Shearer, Batistuta or any of the others, we would've, in a heartbeat, and it would be the end of Cole. As soon as Ruud got here, and was just lethal, it was an obvious death knell for Cole, and I think everyone knew it at the time. I don't think a player people think, in their heart, can be upgraded on is ever going to get the plaudits he should. Cole was a good player, but he was not outstanding, ironically. Badum Tisch!