Joe v Jose - shouting match puts Cole's Chelsea future in
doubt
Joe Cole's longterm future at Chelsea is back in doubt after a
fiery exchange with Jose Mourinho following last weekend's 1-0 win
over Portsmouth. Sportsmail can reveal the pair clashed following
Cole's 15-minute cameo appearance against Pompey and their dispute
has left the England midfielder wondering if he is still part of
the manager's plans.
Cole, considered good enough to start for England, has made just
two Premiership appearances for Chelsea this season both as
substitute and he questioned Mourinho over his future role in the
team. It is understood that Mourinho responded by telling Cole he
did not merit a place in the team and chief executive Peter Kenyon
has since been brought into act as peacemaker.
West Ham, who are aware of Cole's position, have been exploring the
possibility of asking to take him on loan before the transfer
window closes, but Kenyon will not allow one of their best players
to leave. The Hammers, who sold him to Chelsea for £6.6million in
August 2003, are one of the few teams who could take on his £80,000
a week salary, but Kenyon will not sell.
Although Cole does not want to leave the club he supported as a
boy, he has told friends that he believes he is being frozen out by
Mourinho. Kenyon spoke to Cole's advisors this week in an attempt
to resolve the situation, but the midfielder has become
increasingly disillusioned with life on the bench. Mourinho gave
Chelsea's first team squad two days off at the beginning of the
week, but Cole is so determined to prove his worth that he went in
to the club's Cobham, Surrey, training centre and worked out alone
on Monday and Tuesday.
Cole was selected by England for last week's friendly against
Germany and head coach Steve McClaren telephoned him last Thursday
to assure the midfielder that his place in the squad is not in
jeopardy. Cole had been worried that he would lose out when it came
to the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia on September
8 and 12. He spent much of last season on the treatment table with
various injuries and believes he is being punished by Mourinho for
missing so many games.
According to sources at Chelsea, the midfielder has a "strange
relationship" with Mourinho and, at times, that situation has left
Cole bewildered. Florent Malouda, the £13.5m summer signing from
Lyon, has taken his place in the team and there is now another
threat, with the prospect of Ronaldinho's potential arrival from
Barcelona before the window closes this weekend.
Although Cole started the Community Shield against Manchester
United, he has been named substitute in all four of Chelsea's
Premier League games this season. He spent 77 minutes attempting to
attract Mourinho's attention at Anfield earlier this month by
constantly running up and down the touchline, before he eventually
replaced Shaun Wright-Phillips. And Cole had to wait until the
closing stages again Wright-Phillips made way for him in the 75th
minute before seeing any action when Chelsea faced Portsmouth on
Saturday, prompting the showdown with his manager.
Chelsea and Cole's advisors declined to comment last
night.
