My first idea for a piece to do for this
blog was going to be, originally, a criticism of Stewart Downing. However, I
have been beaten to that topic, and so I have decided to write instead an
appraisal of England and Chelsea left back Ashley Cole. It is my opinion that
Ashley Cole is one of the best full backs in the world, and that despite being so
highly rated by many he has received too few accolades, and is the unsung hero
of both his club and country.
First of all, Cole is rated, by first of
all, this website, and second of all, this website, in the top 3 full backs in
the world at that time. That is no small achievement. He is also the second highest
rated fullback on this list, behind only Dani Alves, the Brazil and Barcelona
wing-back. Further to this, Cole has made over 350 club appearances for a
combination of Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Chelsea, since his debut for Arsenal
in the 1999-00 EPL season. That is undoubtedly an impressive total. This can
then be added to the fact he has 93 caps for the England National team, making
him the most capped full back ever, and the sixth most capped England player
ever. He made his debut in 2001 for the national side, and has been the default
left back since then, holding off all attempts by others to usurp his position
in the side. That is an impressive streak, and it is set to continue into Euro
2012 and presumably beyond. As well, as his high number of appearances for both
club and country, he has been part of title and cup winning squads numerous
times. He holds 3 EPL winner’s medals, 7 FA Cup winner’s medals (the highest
number of any player ever), 1 League Cup winner’s medal and 3 Community Shield
winner’s medals. He may not have the attacking prowess of Gareth Bale, or the
supreme defensive ability of Gary Neville at his peak, but as a well-rounded
defender, and in terms of his versatility as a left back, there is, in my
opinion, no-one better.
However, his list of individual
accolades does not match up to the success he has had with his club. He has
been entered into the PFA Team of the Year for the EPL for 4 seasons, and twice
into the UEFA Team of the Year. Beyond that, his only other recognition comes
in the form of 1 England Player of the Year award and 2 Chelsea Players’ Player
of the Year awards. I feel that Ashley Cole is often by-passed when it comes to
recognising the talents of footballers. I have a theory on this. Cole is not
flash, or flamboyant. He rarely has moments of footballing genius, and he will
never change a game on his own. However, Cole has a workmanlike attitude. He
does the job he is told to do by the manager and he does it well. Just because
his game has no frills or thrills, it does not mean he is not a true piece of
footballing quality. It is easy to forget about Ashley Cole, but that is
because he does his job so well, and so efficiently, that there is never any
cause to notice that he is there. However, if he were to disappear from the
game, his absence would be all too apparent both for club and country.
By Paddy Milnes
Unless linked otherwise, the information
is this blog is from whoscored.com or Wikipedia.
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