Cole: "not scared" of the
boo-boys.
Ashley Cole has insisted he can't wait to silence the
Arsenal boo-boys on Sunday. The left-back is set to play his first
game at Emirates Stadium since he left for Chelsea in August 2006
but said he is "not scared".
Cole has never been forgiven for demanding a transfer after
complaining a contract offer of £55,000-a-week was too small. He
then secretly met with Chelsea in the 'tapping-up' scandal. Arsenal
fans waved fake banknotes at Cole at Stamford Bridge last season
and accused him of being too afraid to face them when he pulled out
of the return in May.
Cole said: "What do people think I'm scared of? Fans booing me? I
had it all last season and nearly all my life. It's stupid but I
can't stop what people think. I will go there and prove that I'm
not scared. "I was gutted when I couldn't play at Arsenal last
season, but there was nothing I could do. "I'd had a bad ankle all
season and the manager felt it was the right time to get it fixed
so I could be fit for the FA Cup Final. There were a lot of people
saying I was scared and too afraid to play, but that was and never
will be the case."
Chelsea boss Avram Grant has backed Cole to weather the storm. He
said: "I have no fears about him dealing with the atmosphere on
Sunday. He will be okay. He is a professional and he is in good
shape lately. "Each game he has played has been better than the one
before and that is more important than whether the crowd boo him or
not. It is not a problem for him. He has a good, strong
character."
Chelsea know a win will take them level with Arsenal, who have led
the Premier League for most of the season. Cole added: "We showed a
lot of spirit at Arsenal last season and proved how determined we
were to win the championship, but it wasn't enough and it was very
disappointing. "Arsenal are the team to beat in the Premier League
at the moment and hopefully we can do just that."
