Joe Cole's West Ham homecoming is populist but ignores the reality | Jacob Steinberg

The Hammers' favourite son is set to re-sign on Friday but expectations are a whole lot lower this time around The sustained applause that greeted Joe Cole's introduction as a substitute during Liverpool's victory at West Ham United last month would have told him how highly regarded he still is at Upton Park and perhaps reminded a player who was once English football's great white hope what it is like to be loved after his disastrous spell at Anfield. Cole would score Liverpool's second goal in ...