Cole stokes the fire of discontent…
1 comment January 31st, 2005
Contract negotiations have gone less than smoothly this season.
Sol Campbell stalled on his extension, Lauren was initially offered just one year, Jermaine Pennant seems to be at the point of being released, and we all know plenty about the Edu shenanigans.
However, Ashley Cole’s actions (if the News of the World is to be believed) are an undoubted shock to the system.
This is Ashley Cole. Our Ashley. A product of our youth system – a local boy at that. And this isn’t Real Madrid. This isn’t some bunch of “Galacticos” in a far-off land. This is Chelsea: the Russian-owned blue bastards from down the road.
It’s only when one considers a possibility like this, that one understands just how a Tottenham fan felt when Sol Campbell sold them out.
“It wouldn’t matter”, some have suggested, “We have Gael Clichy”. Don’t get me wrong, Gael Clichy is a great player. But Ashley Cole is the best left-back in the world. And his departure would have massive symbolic significance. This is a possible future captain of our club that we’re talking about here.
It feels very wrong that I’m saying “Hopefully he’s just trying to get the most money he can out of Arsenal by showing he’s wanted elsewhere”. It shouldn’t be like that. But it is.
Sigh.
