Ashley Cole: A little boy lost
154 comments September 11th, 2006
Today saw the first part of the serialisation of Ashley Cole’s new autobiography published in The Times newspaper. The book, entitled “My Defence”, aims to justify Cole’s actions over the past 18 months, which have culminated in his acrimonious move to Chelsea. Cole, however, comes away from these excerpts looking naieve, paranoid, bitter, and above all, misguided.
His first major error is that in spite of promising to tell us all the “shattering truth” about just how his contract discussions went so hideously wrong, he neglects one major detail. Yes, Arsenal reneged on a £60,000 p/week offer to only offer Cole the meagre sum of £55,000. But he never tells us why. The truth? The five grand difference emerged after Johnathan Barnett demanded his cut for negotiating the deal. Why should Arsenal pay out a net £65,000 p/week when footballing protocol is that the agent’s cut comes out of the players wage? Sadly for our club, we crossed the wrong man.
Barnett, his pride hurt, then masterminded the infamous meeting with Chelsea, which led to the hugely damaging “tapping-up” scandal. Cole still believes himself to be innocent. One flabbergasting fact is that he cannot understand why the fans have turned against him. Talking about the last game at Highbury, he said:
“My worst fears were confirmed when, as Thierry (Henry) and I sat in the centre circle after the final whistle, his name was sung from the rooftops while my contribution was recognised by a deafening silence. As his chants faded away we waited for mine. And we waited. And there was nothing. “They’re not bothered about me,†I said, resigned to the fact. It was like I was the invisible man.”
They were bothered, Ashley. They were incensed. I don’t know if there was contact between Henry and Barcelona. I’m almost sure there was. But he did not have the stupidity to meet with our biggest rivals just days before a critical game against Manchester United. Nor did he publically castigate the club at any stage. Henry made it clear he would make a decision before the World Cup, and to his credit, he did. The Arsenal fans were hardly going to break into an Ashley Cole-based medlee after the lack of respect that he had shown for the club he supposedly loved.
The “final straw” for Cole was when Tony Colbert questioned the legitimacy of one of Cole’s many injury problems last term, suggesting he may have had an eye on the World Cup. This upset the full-back, who couldn’t believe that there was “now someone seemingly doubting my professionalism”. Professionalism? Cole’s complete failure to honour the rules of his contract and his sporting association render any claims of professionalism entirely redundant. Once a player claims “I wouldn’t play for this club for £250,000 p/week”, you’d be mad not to doubt their supposed injuries.
The extent of Cole’s skewed sense of justice is evident in the following phrase:
“And if he (Dein) thought relations had soured because of the infamous Chelsea incident at the Royal Park Hotel in January he was mistaken. Relations had soured the moment that he went back on a verbal agreement in December.”
Thanks for clearing that up, Ash. What Cole completely fails to recognise is that he, like every other professional footballer, is subject to a very clear set of rules. Rules which he broke, in circumstances which compromised the club enormously.
He does not understand why the fans have turned against him. He does not understand why Thierry Henry was “wined and dined”, whilst he was left out in the cold. He cannot come to terms with the fact that he has done wrong. If he had held his hands up, apologised to the fans and to Dein, and indicated a willingness to stay at Arsenal on the £60,000 he was originally asking for, I expect an agreement would have been reached. But Johnathan Barnett has been acting on a personal vendetta ever since this whole affair began. He knew that however much Arsenal were willing to pay Ashley, Chelsea would pay more. And this was his one opportunity to get a big pay day out Cole’s career.
He’s got his way. And Ashley has his, though I suspect he has been more than a little influenced by the likes of Barnett and his wife, Cheryl Tweedy. The lad was an Arsenal fan, but there’s only so much bad advice a person can take before it starts to get to them.
Cole will be pleased to have got his move. And if Chelsea win any trophies in his time there, which I’m sure they will, it’ll feel good. But it won’t compare to winning things with the club he supported as a boy, where he had spent over 10 years of his life.
The next few days will be full of more stories as the serialisation continues. Some Arsenal fans have said they will boycott the book. My advice? Read it. It’s conceited tone will only further justify the anger and disappointment fans feel towards a player who let down those who had supported him for his entire career.
