Left in no doubt
If England are to end 40 years of hurt at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on July 9 - and it remains an 'if' of Crouchian proportions - then the country will owe a collective debt of gratitude to Jose Mourinho.
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Joe Cole: Joined Crouch in attack
From his first baby step-overs out of the West Ham academy it was clear that Cole had an innate natural ability, yet a career that promised so much so young seemed to stall before the intervention of the 'Special One'.
Inspiring and infuriating in equal measure in his early years, Cole seemed destined never to find a position in a club side, never mind on the international stage, that could accommodate his erratic showboating without doing harm to the rest of the team.
All that has changed.
Benefiting from the seemingly terminal dearth of a naturally left-sided player that has hampered England's development for what seems like a generation, Cole took it upon himself to become the square peg most easily accommodated into the round hole on that flank.
Under the paternal tough-love of Mourinho's tutelage, not to mention a sudden physical filling out of the 24-year-old's formerly slight frame, a discipline and team ethic has been instilled in the player. Lambasting Cole for his tendency towards the fanciful at times, yet singling him out for high praise when deserving, sometimes in the same breath, mark Mourinho out as a one-man embodiment of the 'god cop bad cop' routine. And to good effect.
On Wednesday Cole was easily the best player on the pitch; his jinking dribbles, tireless running and consistent delivery into the box turning a tepid game in England's favour. An injury time winner was the least his efforts deserved after he twisted on the left wing and swung a deep cross towards the far post to provide Peter Crouch with his first international goal.
The 'new' Cole gives balance to England's midfield, even if his tendency to cut in from the wing rather than hit the by-line affords a clued-up defence a route to marshalling him effectively.
Yet still, the element which Mourinho has sought so effectively to place limits on remains the greatest asset Cole can bring to England's World Cup party: the element of flair.
It was fitting that on a day when a Chelsea legend and one of the true mavericks of the English game sadly passed away it was a young Chelsea star of the present who reminded everyone how the game is supposed to be played. If Peter Osgood truly was the King of Stamford Bridge then there is a case for suggesting Cole is Ossie's old ground's Crown Prince.
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Joe 90: Cole nets the last minute winner against Uruguay.
For all the obvious and abundant talents of Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and Frank Lampard not one of them genuinely possess that spark, that magic, that threat of the unexpected that can turn a game in an instant and prove the difference between victory and defeat at the highest level. Invaluable though Beckham's set-pieces, Lampard's metronomic consistency and Gerrard's heart-on-the-sleeve inspiration through perspiration are, to know there is a player on the pitch capable of creating something out of nothing adds weight to the notion that England can beat anyone on their day.
Wayne Rooney possesses such a gift, more so than Cole even, yet despite his willingness to get back and graft for the team, if England are to excel this summer he needs to be occupied much further up the field. A creative spark will be required in the midfield, too, and Cole seems best equipped to provide it.
Even on Wednesday there were sightings of the 'old' Cole. When he realised the game was going his way his chest puffed out, the eyes became sharp and the odd flick and turn that failed to come off crept into his play. But if England have realistic ambitions of being crowned world champions anytime soon that is something they will have to accept. It is a small price to pay for the possible gains his inclusion in the side allows.
