Jose - Farewell to the King by Harry Harris

Author:Harry Harris [Harris, Harry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography, Memoirs, Sports & Outdoors, Autobiography, Soccer
ISBN: 9781786061140
Publisher: John Blake
Published: 2016-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

Ashley Cole needs an anti-inflammatory injection in his troublesome ankle and will then undergo a small surgical procedure three days after the final that will rule him out of England’s games with Brazil and Estonia. Ballack had a similar problem, but elected to have an operation back in Germany. Although this was successful, the stitches have not healed sufficiently to withstand full-on contact and Ballack is ruled out.

Whether Ashley Cole starts remains to be seen, as Wayne Bridge has shone at left-back, but Mourinho is impressed by Cole’s determination to make himself available despite the discomfort from the inflammation surrounding the arthritic bone spur outside the ankle joint. Ashley feels as if he has let down Mourinho and his team-mates with some of his performances. The England defender has not been at his best since his controversial transfer from Arsenal to Chelsea last summer, with his efforts hindered by an ankle injury that troubled him during much of the campaign.

Mourinho has said as much by describing Cole’s season as ‘not superb’, but the Portuguese maestro praises him as ‘one of the heroes who has played injured the whole season.’

Ashley Cole has sat out the last three matches to rest his ankle, even though he has returned to full training. Cole is the only member of the squad to have won an FA Cup final after lifting the trophy three times with Arsenal, but that is discounting the winner’s medal John Terry picked up while sitting on the bench as Chelsea beat Aston Villa seven years ago.

Alan Hansen suggests England now has the best league in the world thanks to Mourinho and Chelsea. The Scottish pundit says, ‘The fact that England had three semi-finalists in this year’s Champions League is proof that the Premiership is now the best in the world. That is all down to Chelsea. They have raised the bar in this country and forced the other ambitious English clubs to respond. In the 1980s and even in the 1990s, you could win the English League with a better-than-average team. But not any more. To be Premiership champions these days, you have to be top, top class. Chelsea have brought unbelievable quality since Mourinho became their manager and this season United have risen to the challenge and matched them.

When the time comes to pick his team, Mourinho opts not to risk Ashley Cole but to gamble on Mikel. Cole trained but is still left on the bench as he has not been as consistent as Wayne Bridge. Despite starting twenty-six matches, he was not considered match-fit. A Cup Final place is Bridge’s reward for sticking it out. Gary Neville loses his fight for final fitness. After attempting a return to training, it quickly becomes apparent that the ankle injury he suffered against Bolton on 17 March is still too sore to let him play.

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