Ashley Cole - The Lost Legend?

To begin writing about a person of such vast experience and talent is a herculean task for any writer. However, this man makes it easy, because there is such a long list of titles he has won. After winning 3 Premier League Titles, 7 FA Cups, 1 Champions League and a list of other titles, this man according to Jamie Redknapp still has “three or four years “ more in him. At 33, he is still one of the fitter players in the World and has not been a common victim to injuries. However, playing at his peak, he has still been asked to exit Chelsea, where he has had the best moments of his career.

Does he not fit into Mourinho’s plans?

If we look at the style of play that the “Special One” is building into his blues, the high work rate and pressing game is something that comes naturally to Cole. He has always played an attacking game in his Left-back position, but has rarely failed to cover back and leave his central defenders high and dry. So if we look at the gameplay, then Ashley Cole has actually been following this philosophy even before the second coming of Jose. Albeit, he is a player who naturally likes to attack more than defend, it could be a matter of a season or two within which endurance to keep up this work rate may fall with age.

Financial Fair Play

Ashley Cole is a veteran at Chelsea, and naturally was paid a very high salary of above £120000 per week. Renewing his expired contract would also mean raising his salary and considering his age, this would not be advisable considering the FFP guidelines. Getting in a younger player like Filipe Luis from Athletico Madrid would mean lower liability from the age point of view and lower financial commitments. Of course, Chelsea would have to spend a fair bit of money to rope him in, but over the long run it would work out better as buying a player after 2 – 3 years would be more tight due to stricter FFP restrictions then.

Move Abroad

All this does not seem to have affected the ex-Chelsea star and he is looking for a move abroad. He was seen lately at the airport in Rome, flying in to have talks with club AS Roma. Will this move really be a good decision for his career only time will tell? However, we can expect more of such legends being let go by clubs at ripe ages to fit their financial books with those of UEFA. With his International career over, he still has another few years to prove his talent. Playing in a foreign country will definitely be a good change with the pressure of the Premier League off. This will give him a chance to finish his career on a high, playing the type of game he has always loved!

Here is a video saying goodbye to the Stamford Bridge Legend: