Ashley Cole

[OneMoSalah 8,753]

Who the fuck is Jordi Alba?

Still the worlds best LB for me.

[ZanSnake 1,211]

Came back from an Injury and showed WHY he is the number one. Absolutely amazing performance tonight, along with JT, helped us stay in the game defensively as well as offensively.

Brilliant to see him back, but a shame he will miss the second leg.

[Magic Lamps 11,635]

Who the fuck is Jordi Alba?

Still the worlds best LB for me.

Leighton Baines

Jordi Alba was never in contention, but Leighton Baines has overhauled Ash this season, faster, stronger, more solid, far better crosses and superior overall offensive impact

[The only place to be 11,313]

Leighton Baines

Jordi Alba was never in contention, but Leighton Baines has overhauled Ash this season, faster, stronger, more solid, far better crosses and superior overall offensive impact

Wow, all that and I still wouldn't swap them.

Baines is a great crosser of the ball. Ashley Cole is a once in a generation left-back.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Cole had a very good game. I'll grant you that. But, for my money, inconsistency has become a key issue for him. It can't help when you're in and out of the team on a rotational basis (and you do have to take into account our full-backs have never been more exposed thanks to our new system), but there have been games where he has been absolutely ripped to pieces by faster, more skilful players.

I think Ashley still has a role to play at this club, but I think we are starting to see the first signs of age creaking into his play. Of course he isn't as athletic as he might be, as he's an old codger now. But this is something we definitely have to take into account. There is a list longer than we'd like to admit of players who have skipped past him this season - Franco di Santo included. That, for me, is a worry.

But as for last night, he looked a little bit more like the player we saw last year.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

That Kung-Fu kick clearance....amazing.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

That Kung-Fu kick clearance....amazing.

Yeah, I was in awe. How do you make perfect contact trying a clearance like that. 99% of the time that deflects off a regular human and goes in the goal.

[chelsea_4_eva 1,157]

does anyone have a gif of the kung-fu clearance?

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,889]

Another great performance!

Has looked fantastic since coming back from his injury.

[Blue Armour 4,252]

Another great performance!

Has looked fantastic since coming back from his injury.

Like Mata, he's very good when he hasn't been run into the ground, playing match after match. Managers seem to forget that his stamina isn't like how it was in the old days.

When he's fresh, he's still a beast.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

^ absolutely agreed. He is an old geezer now, so he needs a rest between games. It's the refractory period!

[Blue Armour 4,252]

^ absolutely agreed. He is an old geezer now, so he needs a rest between games. It's the refractory period!

Older and wiser it seems...

Remember how he tricked Kyle Naughton into conceding a throw-in?

EDIT: (although I suppose it doesn't take too much to trick Kyle Naughton)

[BlueLion. 21,491]

^ it was Kyle Walker! Who is so ridiculously over-rated. Shows how desperate England need a RB when he is playing for our national team. I've had shits that would be more effective than him.

[Madmax 9,219]

What, no love for Ashley after that performance at Villa? By far and away still the best leftback in England. Baines should worship the ground Cole walks on.

[Joe Cool 388]

What, no love for Ashley after that performance at Villa? By far and away still the best leftback in England. Baines should worship the ground Cole walks on.

I don't know. He started out really well in the first half, getting forward a couple times and providing overlapping runs for Hazard, but after the first 15 minutes or so he stopped getting forward for whatever reason, which was a big cause of us looking toothless up front in the first half (absolutely no width). Maybe it is Rafa's cautious tactics (which, as of late, seems to have stifled his ability going forward), or maybe he just doesn't have the legs for it (he's 32!!). I'm not quite sure.

[Madmax 9,219]

While I can understand what you're saying, if we're going to have to rely on a 32 y.o fullback to provide attacking impetus even after spending 80 mn on attacking players over the year, that's not very good at all.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I don't know. He started out really well in the first half, getting forward a couple times and providing overlapping runs for Hazard, but after the first 15 minutes or so he stopped getting forward for whatever reason, which was a big cause of us looking toothless up front in the first half (absolutely no width). Maybe it is Rafa's cautious tactics (which, as of late, seems to have stifled his ability going forward), or maybe he just doesn't have the legs for it (he's 32!!). I'm not quite sure.

He played a huge part in the equalizer. He and Azpi were crucial to the comeback we made.

EDIT: It was the winner not the equalizer.

[Joe Cool 388]

While I can understand what you're saying, if we're going to have to rely on a 32 y.o fullback to provide attacking impetus even after spending 80 mn on attacking players over the year, that's not very good at all.

Obviously that's not the only reason, there's a whole host of others (poor game from Mata, probably fatigue), Lampard and Ramires in the pivot (we all know how that always turns out), Moses being useful as tits on a boar, etc. But my main point was that we haven't been seeing Cole go forward nearly as much as he used to, which is odd, considering the fact that he is (or was) one of the best in the business at doing that as a fullback.