Ashley Cole is a Ram

[rynny]

21 minutes ago, McLovin said:

Disagree, Marcelo and Abidal were better going forward and were better technically. Cole even said himself that Marcelo was better.

 

 

Wouldn't that be after Cole's prime? ?

[JG400]

1 hour ago, Wolfie20 said:

Great players don't necessarily make good coaches

I think that is very harsh on Martin o'Neill and Roy Keane ?

[BaaLocks]

Ashley Cole put up with Cheryl's accent for nearly six years - puts him top of the pile for that reason alone.

[Sexydadbod]

2 minutes ago, SaintRam said:

You're treating this like my opinion on those players is based on a lack of knowledge.

I've watched both of those players for most of their careers and have come away with slightly different opinions. Although I think our opinions differ mostly when it comes to Ashley Cole, rather than Marcelo and Abidal.

We can leave it there.

I only meant to point out that two of the players you listed in argument to the original points made were retired/long past their best at the time. I'm not really interested in a drawn out discussion of our (I assume) long-held and hard-wearing opinions of players that will never be relevant to Derby.

I was merely pointing out that Ashley was never really the best left back in the world, it was more a period of great left backs, reflected in the UEFA team of the years which changed year by year, reflecting on the respective team successes.  My opinion was that Cole was slightly overrated due to his nationality. He was an excellent 1 v1 defender but he wasn’t the best going forward. Evra was just as good at him at their best.  It depends when you think Cole was his prime at the end of the day.

At the moment to see how Cole is at the moment , I’ve looked through different through different sites and this comment stood out to me 

“90% of this video is Ashley Cole out of position and way up the pitch. His primary job is to defend, which Galaxy was atrocious at and that includes Cole. 

One of the reasons why Galaxy leaked goals was because Cole would be gassed by the 60th min every game and they finished the season conceding 64 goals, the 4th worst in the Western Conference... he managed 10 assists, which is remarkable but it was at the expense of defensive solidity and the Galaxy paid the price.”

That sounds awfully similar to our complaints about Lowe does it not?

 

[eddie]

2 hours ago, BaaLocks said:

Taribo West was actually 59 when he was with us

That's 'Bible Years' - after all, Methuselah was 969 when he retired according to that rubbish.

/sneaks in religion - politics next

[Sexydadbod]

9 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

Maldini and Roberto Carlos were the generation before. Lahm was a rb, Abidal wasn’t as good and Marcelo was the generation after. Cole was the best lb in the world in his generation, not even debatebale imo.

Lahm was a left back mate in that period, he only really transferred back to right back when Alaba came through at Bayern. What period do you think Cole was at his best? In the 07-10 period, Evra and Abidal got into the UEFA team of the years ahead of Cole, Cole got in it in 2010 before Marcelo’s rise and Marcelo has dominated it ever since.

[Sexydadbod]

6 minutes ago, rynny said:

Wouldn't that be after Cole's prime? ?

When do you think Cole’s prime was? 

[Sexydadbod]

 

Comment by an la Galaxy fan

 

I watched every minute of every Galaxy game this year. 

Cole never had a fitness problem after 60 or anytime for that matter. I recall a game early in the season at 90+ when Galaxy was down two goals and every other player on both teams was gassed and Ashley was still bringing it. The dude was non-stop hustle all season and leaving guys 15 years his younger in the dust.

He was terrible during the first 3/4th of the season, dreadfully out of position and never closing down. I couldn't understand how a player with that much experience could be making such fundamental errors over and over again. 

When Sigi got fired and Dom took over the gaffer spot, all of sudden Cole was a completely different player defensively, closing people down wide and much better positioning overall. Dom also paired Romney and Steres in the back and all of a sudden the poo show was over. Still not great but certainly not the shambles it was. Because of this, I chalk up 90% of Cole's poor performance (and the Galaxy's frankly) to poor tactics.

[rynny]

5 minutes ago, McLovin said:

When do you think Cole’s prime was? 

Not between the ages of 30-32. 

[Millenniumram]

8 minutes ago, McLovin said:

Lahm was a left back mate in that period, he only really transferred back to right back when Alaba came through at Bayern. What period do you think Cole was at his best? In the 07-10 period, Evra and Abidal got into the UEFA team of the years ahead of Cole, Cole got in it in 2010 before Marcelo’s rise and Marcelo has dominated it ever since.

Cole’s prime was circa 2006-2010 imo. I still count lahm as a right back at his own best, regardless of where he played in that period, so I discount him myself but if you wanna take him as a left back that’s up to you. Don’t really take any notice of team of years tbh, what with Ronaldo winning awards over Messi etc, as much of a legend as abidal is there’s no way he can be considered on the same level as Cole, Evra perhaps but I’d still say cole was easily better. Marcelo is the best lb in the world now but he took over that mantle from Cole, they weren’t the same age to compete for it. Marcelo could be argued to be among the best lbs ever, can’t really say that about Cole so I’d say Marcelo was at his prime better, but they’re different generations.

[Sexydadbod]

3 minutes ago, rynny said:

Not between the ages of 30-32. 

You mean the year that he made the UEFA team of the year? Cole was at his best in that period under Ancelotti in my opinion.

[King Kevin]

18 minutes ago, McLovin said:

When do you think Cole’s prime was? 

Well his pulling prime was definitely the Cheryl period.

[Rev]

It's reassuring to read our new players best years were between 12 and 6 years ago, regardless of how good he was.?

[Sexydadbod]

4 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

Cole’s prime was circa 2006-2010 imo. I still count lahm as a right back at his own best, regardless of where he played in that period, so I discount him myself but if you wanna take him as a left back that’s up to you. Don’t really take any notice of team of years tbh, what with Ronaldo winning awards over Messi etc, as much of a legend as abidal is there’s no way he can be considered on the same level as Cole, Evra perhaps but I’d still say cole was easily better. Marcelo is the best lb in the world now but he took over that mantle from Cole, they weren’t the same age to compete for it. Marcelo could be argued to be among the best lbs ever, can’t really say that about Cole so I’d say Marcelo was at his prime better, but they’re different generations.

Lahm was a right back in his latter years, but for many years for Bayern and Germany he was a left back. I guess you could argue that he was the best “player” of the lot as he could play  right back and left back and in midfield(Guardiola said he was the most intelligent player he had ever managed).

I’d still put Evra from the period 2006-2009 ahead of Cole but there wasn’t a lot between them. Chelsea actually went backwards in that period when Cole joined whilst Evra helped Man Utd to reach two champions league finals in a row and win three premier leagues in a row. My opinion is that Abidal was better than Cole, he was a key part of the greatest club side ever and never really got exposed as a player, whereas Cole regularly got exposed, particularly against fast aggressive players, especially like in the 2010 World Cup against Muller.

Another point that hasn’t really been discussed is that Cole has been in pragmatic teams(apart from under ancelotti), whereas the other players  played in more expansive sides which you could argue is easier or harder(by the fact there is less protection).

All in all, I don’t think Cole can be seen to be the undisputed greatest left back because he was in a period of great left backs, all were very much World class. I appreciate the UEFA team of the years don’t mean a lot now, but they did back then and the left back changed year by year(Abidal made it in 2007, Lahm in 2008, Evra in 2009, Cole in 2010.)

[Sexydadbod]

And I’ve just realised I’ve wasted a good half an hour discussing how good a player was when it doesn’t affect my life in any, way shape or form!

[SaintRam]

31 minutes ago, McLovin said:

 My opinion was that Cole was slightly overrated due to his nationality.

I think that you slightly underrate him due to his nationality.

[cheron85]

2 hours ago, Sparkle said:

Never really had the chance what with injuries and different managers and having Tom Ince there

Still plenty of time - He's only 22 - How much do people around here love to bang on about the fact that Jamie Vardy was still playing non league football at that age?

[Sexydadbod]

6 minutes ago, SaintRam said:

I think that you slightly underrate him due to his nationality.

Absolutely not, he was part of the “golden generation” which was hyped to the heavens.

[SaintRam]

3 minutes ago, McLovin said:

Absolutely not, he was part of the “golden generation” which was hyped to the heavens.

By you? Otherwise that statement has no relevance

[Sexydadbod]

Just now, SaintRam said:

By you? Otherwise that statement has no relevance

I don’t understand what you’re asking me. Nearly every player in that team was called the best player in the world in their position, when the reality is , they probably weren’t.