Ryan Bertrand’s development is only fueling reason to get rid of Ashley Cole. Will the club be bold?
It would be a brave move for Chelsea to decide to sell Ashley Cole on this summer, but it could be the right one.
They have two reasons to consider it.
One is Cole’s spiky attitude, and questionable role in Andre Villas-Boas ill-fated time in charge, when he was identified by the newspapers as one of the problem senior players.
The Sun even went as far as to say Roman Abramovich wanted him out of the club this summer. While this was later denied by the club, you have to wonder whether Cole is on the list of ‘old hands’ who club staff want to move on when this season is over.
The second is the emergence of 22-year-old left-back Ryan Bertrand.
Bertrand has had to be patient for his first team chances, but when he has been given chances under Roberto di Matteo, he has impressed.
As a member of England’s under-21 European Championship side last summer, he was a very good performer in the tournament, despite the team’s disappointing group stage exit.
So the option is there for Chelsea.
Should they be brave and cast Cole aside? He has a number of good years ahead of him still, and full-backs can play on for years, as Roberto Carlos has been showing, unofficially retiring from playing earlier this year at the age of 39.
Is Bertrand ready? Sure he is showing he can play well when called upon, but can he maintain the same over the whole season? Can he hold up his fitness over a whole season or will he be Chelsea’s injury-prone Kieran Gibbs? And how good actually is he?
All of these are key questions, but Chelsea will not find out the answers to these by keeping him on the bench.
He is at the stage now where he needs to be playing. Sitting on the sidelines much longer will stunt his development.
Chelsea’s mission statement for the summer is ‘Out with the old and in with the new’ – and the Bertrand/Cole situation personifies it.
The club should think about taking a gamble, otherwise they may never know.
If they do ditch Cole, they should buy another young promising left-back to compete with Bertrand and to act as cover.
Let Cole escape abroad, go to Real Madrid or PSG, and start dismantling the dressing room that Jose Mourinho built.
Is Cole out for Bertrand the right move- or would it be a decision Chelsea regret?
image: © Ben Sutherland
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