Chelsea's Ashley Cole shows how to deal with the taunts of fans

26 September 2009 21:08
Now is the season of discontent, of angry fans insulting footballers and stroppy players goading supporters. Now is the season of vitriol and sporting dynamism, of catcalls around the catwalk on which Ashley Cole and co strut their compelling stuff. Cole embodies the zeitgeist of talent amidst the tension. If Saturday's injury against Wigan leads to a lay-off, everyone will be reminded of Cole's importance.[LNB]This is the footballer who will become "England's greatest ever left-back,'' according to Stuart Pearce. Some prediction. Some compliment. The accomplished Pearce himself won 78 caps, two more than Cole's present tally. The other outstanding wearers of the No 3 shirt are Kenny Sansom, 86 times an international, and Ray Wilson, England's most celebrated left-back because his 63 appearances included the country's finest sporting hour or two. [LNB] Related ArticlesWigan 3 Chelsea 1FA should call Gary Neville's bluff and appoint him to the boardChelsea receive ban detailsJoe Cole ready to start new chapter in careerGerry Sutcliffe should not interfere in football mattersKen Bates winning fans overWhile acknowledging he never saw Wilson in his pomp, Pearce still believes the best of all this pedigree breed will be Cole, Chelsea's whippet-lean attacking machine. Yet England fans recently debated, only partly in jest, whether they could honestly bring themselves to cheer the unpopular Cole if he converted the penalty that brought home the World Cup next summer. The conclusion was that they would applaud the team and blank Cole. [LNB]His infamous antics, including occasional unseemly trips across the tabloid front pages, contempt for referees and the tacky manner in which he left Arsenal for Chelsea made Cole the poster-boy of the self-absorbed, millionaire, bling king footballing classes. Encountered at Chelsea's training retreat recently, Cole could be found checking out a new Bentley. Here was substance to the image. Castigated as arrogant, Cole was slaughtered as recently as 11 months ago by his own fans, thousands of England supporters seizing on a rare mistake against Kazakhstan to launch vituperation at the left-back. [LNB]Loathing now gives way to grudging respect, partly because the alternative is the hapless Wayne Bridge and partly because of the undeniable reality that Cole is in magnificent form for club and country. Heading towards South Africa, the three England stars who might be coveted by Spain or Brazil are Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Cole. England's left-back is that highly regarded across Planet Football. [LNB]As Chelsea's manager, Carlo Ancelotti, pointed out last week, the only left-back who can conceivably rival Cole as the world's best is Patrice Evra and the Italian had question-marks about the Manchester United player's defensive capabilities. [LNB]Few weaknesses can be detected in Cole's game. With Chelsea using a diamond, Cole provides the width on the left. With Gerrard drifting inside for England, Cole pushes up the flank. No full-back contributes so much in the final third, even scoring, while never, ever forgetting his primary responsibility is to prevent crosses and goals. No full-back has ever frustrated the mighty Cristiano Ronaldo more. [LNB]Along with Cole, other early contenders for Footballer of the Year include Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy, Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Thomas Vermaelen, Emmanuel Eboue, Yossi Benayoun, Brian Jensen, Stiliyan Petrov, Jermain Defoe, Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres. Five of those Cole, Bellamy, Adebayor, Eboue and Drogba would not win too many Role Model of the Year competitions. No wonder fans are so agitated: they don't know whether to cheer or boo nowadays. [LNB]Cole's changing story provides a glimmer of hope for those seeking to wipe the spittle off the contorted face of fan-player relations. Just like David Beckham on the long, hard road back from St-Etienne, Cole is winning people over through his blend of hard work, athleticism, responsibility-taking and obvious technical merit. You might not want Cole at your party but you'd want him in your team. [LNB]This gradual thawing of the big freeze towards Cole would accelerate if fans realised he is apparently the first in the Chelsea dressing room to volunteer for community or charity projects. The next stage in his rehabilitation is for Cole to open up to fans, engaging with them in one of those Football Association forums where Fabio Capello habitually charms supporters. Cole is now massively important for England so he needs to complete the rebuilding of relations with fans before South Africa. Whether his advisers possess the inclination or intelligence remains to be seen. [LNB]The moral of Cole's tale is that only the player can change the mood. Fans are currently being lectured on the need to show more respect to apparently highly sensitive footballers. Of course they should not shout abuse but they do. [LNB]Sir Alex Ferguson believes long-term social changes are behind this deepening fury, notably the emergence of a culture of complaint, while the recession may have further loosened the bonds of restraint. Perhaps Ronaldo's departure has deprived the boo-boys of a target, so they aim their caustic cannons elsewhere. [LNB]The situation will improve only if footballers resist fuelling the terrace fire. Laughably, actually rather sadly, Adebayor and Gary Neville argue they are entitled to provoke fans because they themselves endure the proverbial "stick''. What nonsense. Jackie Kennedy had the best answer to those who wondered why she never answered back to her critics. "Never complain'' was her mantra. How right. She understood that she inhabited a privileged world, and that if people were going to make comments about her, it went with the territory. Footballers take note; £100,000 a week should soften the blow of the maddening crowd. [LNB]Some of those in the stands are admittedly truly obnoxious, bringing to mind Wellington's observation on inspecting his troops before Waterloo that "I don't know what effect these men will have on the enemy but, by God, they frighten me.'' Low-life abounds but Adebayor and Neville should not allow themselves to be dragged into the gutter, fighting jeers with jibes. [LNB]The spirit of John Barnes should guide Adebayor and Neville. Subjected to far more poisonous abuse in the form of racist barbs and lobbed bananas, Barnes played on stoically, laughing at his tormentors to show he was not hurt. Cole has also been through a storm, dealt with it, emerged stronger and now strides through the season of discontent. [LNB] 

Source: Telegraph