Ashley Cole

[Madmax 9,219]

Cole was given the number three shirt at Chelsea, and made his first appearance for the club as a substitute for Wayne Bridge in their 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic on 9 September.

On 31 January 2007, Cole suffered a serious knee injury in the 3-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers in a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge, although after a scan it was revealed to be not as bad as first thought, with Chelsea optimistic that he would return before the end of the 2006-07 season. Cole did indeed make a return at the end of the season, playing in the last twelve minutes of the 2007 FA Cup Final at the new Wembley Stadium against Manchester United. Chelsea emerged victorious 1-0 after extra-time with a goal scored by Didier Drogba, to win the FA Cup.

During the 2007-08 season he was dropped in favour of Wayne Bridge for the 2008 League Cup Final, which Chelsea lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur. However, Cole scored his first Chelsea goal in Chelsea's very next game, on 1 March 2008, the fourth goal in a 4-0 away victory against West Ham United. In Chelsea's final league match of the 2008-09 season against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, Cole scored his second Chelsea goal in the Blues' 3-2 win, before picking up his fifth FA Cup winners' medal in the final against Everton. Cole was voted Player's Player of the Year at the end of the season, and on 2 September 2009 Cole signed a new four-year contract, tying him to Chelsea until 2013.

The following season, after starting Chelsea's first six games in the league, Cole scored his third, fourth and fifth Chelsea goals at home to Burnley, Tottenham and Sunderland respectively. On 10 February 2010, he suffered a fractured left ankle in the 2-1 defeat against Everton that kept him out of action for three months. He eventually made his return against Stoke City, a game which Chelsea won 7-0. Cole also scored a goal against Wigan Athletic on the final day of the Premier League season in an 8-0 win that clinched the Premier League title, Cole's first at the club. Cole went on to appear in the 2010 FA Cup Final, the victory against Portsmouth earning Cole a record sixth winners' medal - his third at Chelsea. The victory also completed the League & FA Cup Double for Chelsea, for the first time in the club's history. Cole had also been part of a double-winning side at Arsenal in 2002, and he became the first player, along with teammate Nicolas Anelka, to win the double with two different clubs.

Cole was again one Chelsea's most consistent performers during the 2010-11 season, starting every Premier League game as Chelsea finished second in the league in what was a relatively disappointing season following the success of 2009-10. His continued importance to the side was demonstrated at the end of the season when he was voted Player's Player of the Season by his peers, the second time he had received the honour.

Near ever-present once more during the 2011-12 season, Cole largely performed to his usual high standards, particularly in the latter part of the campaign, as Chelsea won the FA Cup (Cole winning the competition of a record seventh time) and the UEFA Champions League. In the latter competition the England international put in several excellent performances, including goal-line clearances against Napoli and Barcelona, to help Chelsea reach the final of the competition for the second time. In the final itself he was one of Chelsea's outstanding performers. With the match finishing 1-1 after extra time, he scored a penalty in the shoot-out as he had done in Moscow four years earlier but this time he was on the winning side as Chelsea won the competition for the first time.

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[LDN Blue 7,903]

An excellent piece by ESPN on Cole's consistency over the years :cfc:

[Kajo 176]

67% - Of defenders to win over 50 tackles, Ashley Cole had the worst tackle success rate in the Premier League in 2010/11 (67%). Sloppy.

[termninja 5,290]

An excellent piece by ESPN on Cole's consistency over the years :cfc:

Great read

[Madmax 9,219]

Yes he's had a very average season.

[lionsden 4,689]

Who should be his successor. Betrand or Van Anholt?

[zolayes 14,489]

gosh the last line suggesting him as manager?????...still the gun would keep players in line

[Domino- 116]

Every summer, talking about his transfer and was unhappy with how people in England. I think that just because he is presented below expectations last year, from the World

[Tomo 21,733]

^ As you can see, Cole was back to buccaneering best today, making 55% of his touches in the opposition half.

whats the link you can get all of these stats in?

[LDN Blue 7,903]

whats the link you can get all of these stats in?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards

[Term-X 7,891]

He's being linked with Real Madrid again…

I predicted him to leave last season for his spanish swansong. Although he has more chance of winning the league here imo, unless Real can stop Barca.

[Domino- 116]

I also wanted to leave last summer even as odd as that sounds. I had a feeling there will be a decline in his form especially as I saw play in South Africa

[termninja 5,290]

He got injured on Essien's peace match. Is everything alright now?

[Term-X 7,891]

"When we train and if we are tired the manager will stop the training and move on to other things to add spice to our training sessions." - A. Cole

Clearly Carlo's training sessions were rather stagnant in comparison.

[KamikazeBlue 337]

Cole has also covered more ground this season than any other Chelsea player, covering 68.1km / 42.32 miles..

wow!!

[robdog 2,084]

I know Cole has transformed to be a Better Blue, I have a really hard time shaking off the memories of Ca$hley playing w/ le goonies. I still remember him clearing a Gudjohnsen shot off the line @ Highbury in one of the Best Chelsea Victories I have ever witnessed. Still as long as no one @ Cobham gives him a gun, Ca$hley is pure gold on the left side. I heard he took PvA under his wing, so we can have really good memories of Ca$hley for a very long time

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Please stop calling him Ca$hley.

[J.F. 1,484]

THAT'S what you call a hat trick! Ashley Cole 'scores with three women in just one week'

It had been claimed earlier this year that Cheryl Cole was giving ex-husband Ashley another chance after his previous infidelity.

But, any chance the footballer may have had is likely to have gone out the window now, after claims that he scored with three women in just one week.

It is thought that the Chelsea footballer began his seven days of fun with an enjoyable evening with 21-year-old Playboy twins Carla and Melissa Howe.

Cole is said to have met the pretty redheads last Saturday night at the Jet Black Club in London, according to The Sun.

After inviting both twins to his house the following Tuesday night, Cole apparently decided to spent the night with Melissa, and is now said to be 'smitten' with the curvy model, after the pair spent the night together at the Surrey home Cole once shared with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl.

A source told the newspaper: 'The way Melissa was chosen was sick, but she says she had a really great time with Ashley.

'She's obviously starry-eyed now and is hoping a relationship develops.

'He's told her it's no problem for them to see each other again. Cheryl didn't come into it.'

Cole's night of passion with Melissa wasn't the only busy evening the sportsman had this week, as he also scored with one of Rihanna's backing singers after watching the star in action at London's O2 Arena on Thursday night.

The footballer chatted to the pretty blonde after catching sight of her at the VIP entrance to the venue, before asking her to accompany him home.

Claire Jeive, who attended the show with friends, told The Sun: 'We saw Ashley after the show and asked for an autograph. He seemed happy to do it but then this blonde caught his eye.

'He walked straight over to her. When he found out she was a dancer, he escorted her to his chauffeur-driven car and off they went.'

http://www.dailymail...-hat-trick.html