JOHN TERRY stepped into the row between Chelsea and Arsenal last night when he suggested that Ashley Cole is not needed at Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea captain questioned the judgment of José Mourinho, his manager, who has expressed his admiration for the Arsenal defender.
Terry said that Wayne Bridge, his team-mate, is a world-class left back and he believes that Cole is bound by his loyalty to Arsenal and will not move. Cole is alleged to have met Chelsea officials and is believed to have been offered the chance to triple his salary to about £80,000 a week.
Terry’s opinion may be, in part, supported by his team having the best defensive record in the Barclays Premiership and not having conceded a league goal in 961 minutes. His comments may also be a reaction to the criticism of the club for allegedly “tapping up” Cole.
“Wayne is a first-class player and one of the best left backs in the world, so why do we need to go out and do that?” Terry said. “We’ve already got a world-class left back. Ash is a great player, I’m not denying that, but if you spoke to him, I think you’d find he’s Arsenal through and through. It’s the same with me. I don’t ever want to leave Chelsea.
“I think Ashley is the same at Arsenal. It’s all about opinions. I’m not Sven-Göran Eriksson’s first choice (for England). If Mr Mourinho had the chance to buy Sol Campbell or Rio Ferdinand, (of Manchester United), would he? I don’t know, you’d have to ask him that.”
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Terry yesterday became only the third defender to be selected as the Barclays player of the month, one of three awards that went to Chelsea. Petr Cech, the goalkeeper, received a special merit award for keeping a record ten clean sheets in a row in the Premiership.
Mourinho, who collected the manager-of-the-month award for January, denies that he met Cole at the Royal Park Hotel, in Lancaster Gate, London, on January 27. Cole maintains that he was not there and is annoyed at the manner in which Arsenal have conducted negotiations over a new contract. He has 2½ years left on his present deal. The FA Premier League has launched an investigation.
Cole’s consistency meant that Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, could afford to let Giovanni van Bronckhorst leave the club. Van Bronckhorst, who will play for Barcelona at home against Chelsea next Tuesday in the first leg of their European Cup tie, does not expect Cole to leave Arsenal.
“I’d be surprised if Cole left to go to another club,” Van Bronckhorst said. “I know Ashley. He has been playing all of his life for Arsenal and he will have to make the decision himself. He is a huge talent because he is still young yet he has been involved in World Cups and Champions League. If he should leave Arsenal, he would be a massive loss.”
Van Bronckhorst has been an integral part of what has by common consent been the form team of the Champions League, but he admits that Barcelona are facing Chelsea at the right time because Arjen Robben, his Holland team-mate, is sidelined with a broken foot. “It’s a boost for us,” Van Bronckhorst said. “Robben missing would be the same as Ronaldinho not playing for us. When you lose a player of the calibre of Robben, at the moment one of the best players in England, it is hard. Look how Holland missed him against England last week. I feel sorry for him because it looks like he can’t play the first game against us and maybe the second game as well.”
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Van Bronckhorst keeps one eye on the Premiership and is conscious that Chelsea have been setting new standards. “Chelsea at the moment are the best team in England and they are performing really well,” he said. “With (José) Mourinho coming back to Barcelona (where he was once part of the coaching set-up), it is the most exciting game of the round. We have a lot of respect for them and they will for us so I think it is a 50-50 game. The last games I saw for Chelsea, Frank Lampard is quite important, together with Robben, and he has scored some vital goals. His form at the moment is impressive. He’s been voted the best English player by the fans but Chelsea have a lot of players you have to keep an eye on.”