Ashley Cole (Out)

[bethie]

i know he met chelsea though im sure he had his reasons!

now from where i came from, they call that a mitigating factor.

but that must be accompanied with a remorseful apology (sincere or not that's another matter) and a plea not to do it again.

 

[bethie]

I think meeting with Chelsea and get caught was his agent's plot of forcing Arsenal to up his pay. He probably didn't intend to go to Chelsea. But I don't know about now.

dude, for 1/5 of his agent's salary, i could have done a much more marvellous job forcing the board to give my player better pay, and with my player coming out smelling like roses.

:roll:

 

[NIPOLOPO]

I think meeting with Chelsea and get caught was his agent's plot of forcing Arsenal to up his pay. He probably didn't intend to go to Chelsea. But I don't know about now.

Yeah yeah, maybe he didn't intend to say that board "hang him out to dry", maybe he said "board Hang his clothes out to dry after he fell in to a pond near the place they were playing golf and got soaked head to toes" and then as usual bad bad Sun misquoted him. <Whatever makes you sleep at night mate.>

 

[cesc18]

I think meeting with Chelsea and get caught was his agent's plot of forcing Arsenal to up his pay. He probably didn't intend to go to Chelsea. But I don't know about now.

Yeah yeah, maybe he didn't intend to say that board "hang him out to dry", maybe he said "board Hang his clothes out to dry after he fell in to a pond near the place they were playing golf and got soaked head to toes" and then as usual bad bad Sun misquoted him. <Whatever makes you sleep at night mate.>

maybe 25 m for cole and a few new signings would make us all sleep well at night

 

[bazza_afc]

What hurts the most (as a previous post said) is that he was supposed to be ''one of us'', Arsenal through and through. That hurts more than anything. But to add to that from where I'm standing it seems to me he's actually convinced he's done NOTHING wrong! Absoloutley NOTHING! Which is beyond belief, and to me shows what an arrogant, self absorbed, pathetic human being he is, who lives in his own little world.

However if he had apologised to the fans this would have helped him out a lot, but he didn't & it doesn't look like he ever will. Demonstrating his huge ego once again, if he was ''one of us'' he would care about these people that had given him nothing but support, let alone pay his wages (f*kin hell he should no how we feel, more than anyone!).

I believe if he wasn't so obsessed with money and he had rejected the contract offer (which was changed to what had been agreed admittedly, although the £5k a week was what he had demanded for his agent at the last minute), moste would have been on Cole's side. ''Why have the board done this to him?'', ''a loyal servant doesn't deserved to be treated like this'', ''he's worth every penny, give him what he wants'', would have been the cries.


But no, due to his stupidity, naivety, greed and (probably) bad advice. He decided to meet Chelsea in secret, our hated rivals, got caught, denied it, then have the cheek to claim it was all the club's fault, without batting an eyelid for his 'fellow' supporters.

 

[Big Poppa]

Thats the part I dont understand, the "10 years of comitment". Firstly, the first 5 or those ten years he done nothing for us, we are the ones who trained him, gave him a first team opportunity at the club and the chance to become the star he is. Also, he is playing in one of the top teams in europe, its not like we are sunderland and he has stuck with us even though he could do much better. The club and Wenger have contributed a lot into making him one of the best LB in the world.

Then of course it came to the contract negotiations. Lets for a second believe what Barnet said is true, that Arsenal agreed on 60k then went back and decided on 55k, what on earth is SO bad about that? I just dont understand it. I mean the fact that he thinks we were trying to take advantage of the fact that he "loves the club" *throws up repeatedly* because we chagned our mind and decided not to pay his agent 5k a week, and only make cole the forth highest paid player at highbury after Sol, Vieira and Thierry shows how this guy thinks.

I understand you want the book to come out first just to see the "full story" but that doesnt change the fact that he has done what he has done. And he has brought it all back up again by writing about it in his book.

Firstly, believe it or not - I do fully understand where you're coming from dude. However, I cannot agree that for the first 5 years he did nothing for us (unless you were expecting him to be winning us trophies in his teens). Too many youngsters to mention, have failed to make a progression into an established first team player between the ages of 18 - 21. Especially defenders. There had to have been a reason why a player like Silvinho was allowed to leave.

Cole had the benefit of excellent coaching and a first team opportunity, but so have countless others who did not make it. He always had the right attitude and never gave anything less than 110%. Even when on loan to a club in a lower division. Ultimately he had to show that he was worth the faith that was placed in him and he did that for both Arsenal and England. At the age of just 21, he was an ever-present part of a double-winning defence.

At the time of this 'Colegate' affair, Freddie and others were offered fresh terms on new, improved bumper contract extensions without 2nd thought. Cole seems to be saying that he felt it was presumed he'd just shut up and accept it if an offer that was £5k lower than the one he was promised, was put on the table simply because the club believed that he'd stay and sign on regardless. It follows the notion that players who came through a youth team are expected to remain forever in debt to their club whilst foreigners enjoy a big payday.

What better way to show you mean business than coming back with a better offer from one of the club's meanest rivals? This is a desperately ill-advised move and I think Ashley realises now that it only served to isolate him from the fans. Nevertheless, while the book may be his way of suppressing the mis-guided views of those who think they know what went on, you have to feel that he could have gone about it with a bit more class.

The full story for me is important. I need the whole picture before criticising the painting. I don't want to make a judgement on any player that I've always held in such high regard without it. It's just my personal standpoint and I'm not expecting everybody to see it the same way. Much respect for your views though. :respect

 

[burnsjed]

Big Poppa, quick question to you.

If Cole comes out, and in his version of events he is a 'slave' and Arsenal did do all those nasty things to him to justify him meeting with Chelsea, and Arsenal no doubt deny this, and suggest he is fabricating the whole thing.
What conclusion will YOU come to?

 

[otfgoon]

The full story for me is important. I need the whole picture before criticising the painting. I don't want to make a judgement on any player that I've always held in such high regard without it. It's just my personal standpoint and I'm not expecting everybody to see it the same way. Much respect for your views though. :respect

Same to you. But if I were you I would not expect much remorse in his book, and I would also expect a very one sided sob story. We will see in a couple of weeks anyway.

 

[Gurgen]

At the time of this 'Colegate' affair, Freddie and others were offered fresh terms on new, improved bumper contract extensions without 2nd thought. Cole seems to be saying that he felt it was presumed he'd just shut up and accept it if an offer that was £5k lower than the one he was promised, was put on the table simply because the club believed that he'd stay and sign on regardless. It follows the notion that players who came through a youth team are expected to remain forever in debt to their club whilst foreigners enjoy a big payday.

Two words: Damiano Tomassi.

If Cole is such a big Arsenal fan, why did he want that extra money to begin with? I know most of us here would play for Arsenal for free, hell, we would pay Arsène to play.
Did Ashley's weenie shrink because other players were/are being paid more than him? Is it such a humiliation for him? I'd like to know why. Is it because he can't buy the Chrysler 300C that his chavvy mates have now?

I don't see why Ljungberg shouldn't earn more than Cole to be honest. He has scored goals in finals and vital games, in addition to being a major factor in every trophy won post-1998. Cole is just a left back. A very good one, but still a left back. The fact that he's married to some popstar and goes clubbing with John Terry and Fat Frank Lampard doesn't make him a superstar.

So negotiations were a little rough. Dennis Bergkamp never complained after being left in the dark every year about a new contract, and he has done a hell of a lot more for this club than Cole. You know why he never complained? Because he cares about us, the fans.

Cashley could have proceeded with negotiations, or he could have just accepted the ****load of money he was being offered. Instead he went straight to Chelsea. So what if the board went back on their word? The extra 5k isn't that big a deal if you want to play for a club you truly love.

And don't give me the 'ill advised, agent's fault' bollocks either. The man is not a puppet, everyone controls his own actions. Cole has the IQ of a banana but this is not an intellectual matter anyway.

 

[el jefe]

Is it because he can't buy the Chrysler 300C that his chavvy mates have now?

Crap car anyway.

 

[Gurgen]

I know, just goes to show how stupid footballers are.

 

[Big Poppa]

Big Poppa, quick question to you.

If Cole comes out, and in his version of events he is a 'slave' and Arsenal did do all those nasty things to him to justify him meeting with Chelsea, and Arsenal no doubt deny this, and suggest he is fabricating the whole thing.
What conclusion will YOU come to?

An interesting question burnsjed.

Put it this way, I'm not interested in taking sides. The chances of the club saying Cole fabricated the whole version of events is very small and a lot of it will be similar to the court case transcript.

If it gets to the point where the club DO feel that Cole has fabricated anything however, there will only be one winner. Cole will be sold, the club will sue for libel, and that will be that.

My conclusion? A messy chain of events that was resolved in the only way possible. If a relationship reaches a stage beyond repair like that, the only way forward would then be to part ways and move on.

 

[asajoseph]

Has anyone got the court case transcript still?

I think people really need to re-read that...

 

[karl]

£55,000 or £60,000 a week. What difference is there apart from bragging rights? He could pay most peoples mortgages off in a week. And most of those weeks last year he did not work anyway! I would hate to think he was earning as much as Henry anyway if ability is anything to go by.

 

[Big Poppa]

The full story for me is important. I need the whole picture before criticising the painting. I don't want to make a judgement on any player that I've always held in such high regard without it. It's just my personal standpoint and I'm not expecting everybody to see it the same way. Much respect for your views though. :respect

Same to you. But if I were you I would not expect much remorse in his book, and I would also expect a very one sided sob story. We will see in a couple of weeks anyway.

Definitely right mate. It will no doubt be a one sided story but then I'll follow his account with an open mind and at least I will have heard both sides of the story. That's my main concern in all of this.

 

[burnsjed]

It wouldn't surprise me if his account differed to that of Arsenal's.
One things for sure, he is not going to give the impression that he was a money grabbing ghit who shat on his employers by looking else where.
So it is a fair presumption that his book will go some way to portray him in a more favourable light.
If Arsenal believe his account undermines their credibilty with the fans they may well release a statement to rebuff his claims.
Given that we won't know for sure what exactly happened we will have to believe who we havegreater faith in, for most people that will be the club.

 

[asajoseph]

Right, a prize to anyone who can dig up the old Ashley Cole thread with the link to the FA transcript - it contains BOTH accounts, and even if you believe Cashley he behaved like a ****.

And, for the record, the FA found against him.

At this stage, I'll take Arsenal's word over his, as well as the FA's.

Ashley Cole doesn't mean squat to me any more - can't wait for him to get gone.

 

[Gurgen]

Could only find this

Will continue searching.

 

[Dan1]

i say let him rot in the reserves for his remaining 2 years then sell him to Bolton or something.

 

[Harding]

i dont know if any of agree with me but when vieira left i honestly thought cole would get the captains armband. i am now glad thierry has got it because he has proved his heart is in the club and for someone like cole who is a long life arsenal fan, and it was wenger who loaned him out then put him in the 1st team, and virtualy made ashley cole...i think it is a disgrace how he has treated the club. What was he expecting the club to react like when you are involved in a tapping up scandal with a rival club? a pat on the back? i thought cole loved the club and would remain with us forever, and that was just last year....oh how things have changed