Premier League: 10 Summer Transfers That Simply Made No Sense

6. Joe Cole - West Ham To Aston Villa

If one were to look up the meaning of the phrase 'over the hill' in a dictionary, they might find a caricature of Joe Cole affably beaming back at them, eyes glistening with failure. It's been four years since Cole's release from Stamford Bridge, which coincided with the last time he had produced a season of anything noteworthy. Since then, he has endured failed stints at Liverpool and West Ham, spending more time in the infirmary than he has on the pitch. Looking slow and sluggish when granted the opportunity to strut his stuff, the former Chelsea winger who used to terrorize full-backs across the nation with lightning acceleration and dazzling tricks is no more, and has been replaced with a shell of a man. Based on their summer transfer dealings, there is good reason for most punters to have already consigned Villa to the dreaded drop zone come May. Unashamedly picking at remains from the Premier League dustbin of has-beens and rejects, the likes of Kieran Richardson, Philippe Senderos and Aly Cissokho had only served to worry onlooking Villains during the summer. While those players have performed quite well thus far, Cole hasn't been given a sniff, apart from a poor outing in the Capital One Cup reverse to Leyton Orient. Boss Paul Lambert clearly has a penchant for blooding in youth, with his entire Villa philosophy built towards that. He has cast aside the high-earners with the big reputations, such as Darren Bent and Shay Given, in favour of introducing fresh, up-and-coming talent, so it makes absolutely no sense that he would renege on his philosophy by luring the likes of Cole to Villa Park, clearly in search of making a couple more bucks.