Red Devil
20-10-2006, 09:08 PM
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Andy Cole believes Chelsea will never match the flair of the treble winning Manchester United side - even if The Blues claim a third straight Premiership title.
Cole, who has long since departed Old Trafford and, after spells at Blackburn, Fulham and Manchester City, now finds himself at Portsmouth, is poised to line up against Jose Mourinho's side at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
And, while admitting he is relishing testing his 35-year-old legs against the best England has to offer, the striker believes the current Premiership pace setters pale in comparison to Sir Alex Ferguson's triumphant sides.
"Chelsea are quite a different set-up - totally different in fact," said Cole.
"At United in my time we played with total flair. Sure, we got a bit cheesed off when we conceded goals but it was never our style to go 1-0 up and then shut up shop.
"We just couldn't let ourselves do that. Nine times out of 10 we would back ourselves to just get more goals than the other side.
"Would I enjoy playing for this Chelsea team? I don't know. It is a totally different set-up. If they go a goal up then as many times as not they are happy to hang onto a 1-0 lead. United were never built that way.
"The top and bottom of it is whether it gets you results, whether you are winning games. The fans are happy then.
"I'm not saying their way is the wrong way. I'm not saying it is the right way. If that's how Jose Mourinho wants to play then it is up to him. Every manager is different."
Andrei Shevchenko was expected to add flair to The Blues' line up this season, but the former Milan man has so far struggled to justify his £30 million price tag.
Despite the Ukrainian's slow start to life in The Premiership, Cole has little doubt that he will prove his critics wrong sooner rather than later.
"The funniest thing for me is that everybody is slating him and saying he's 30 and he's finished and that Chelsea have wasted £30 million," added Cole.
"It is time somebody looked at his record with Dynamo Kiev and AC Milan and gave him the credit he is due.
"He is under pressure to produce, although no more than I was going from Newcastle to United, the Hollywood of football, but he will cope and get himself into double figures before much longer.
"He will score with either the luckiest goal of his life or a total stunner but it doesn't matter which it is to get him going. He has so much quality that I have no doubt he will be a star in England."
Andy Cole believes Chelsea will never match the flair of the treble winning Manchester United side - even if The Blues claim a third straight Premiership title.
Cole, who has long since departed Old Trafford and, after spells at Blackburn, Fulham and Manchester City, now finds himself at Portsmouth, is poised to line up against Jose Mourinho's side at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
And, while admitting he is relishing testing his 35-year-old legs against the best England has to offer, the striker believes the current Premiership pace setters pale in comparison to Sir Alex Ferguson's triumphant sides.
"Chelsea are quite a different set-up - totally different in fact," said Cole.
"At United in my time we played with total flair. Sure, we got a bit cheesed off when we conceded goals but it was never our style to go 1-0 up and then shut up shop.
"We just couldn't let ourselves do that. Nine times out of 10 we would back ourselves to just get more goals than the other side.
"Would I enjoy playing for this Chelsea team? I don't know. It is a totally different set-up. If they go a goal up then as many times as not they are happy to hang onto a 1-0 lead. United were never built that way.
"The top and bottom of it is whether it gets you results, whether you are winning games. The fans are happy then.
"I'm not saying their way is the wrong way. I'm not saying it is the right way. If that's how Jose Mourinho wants to play then it is up to him. Every manager is different."
Andrei Shevchenko was expected to add flair to The Blues' line up this season, but the former Milan man has so far struggled to justify his £30 million price tag.
Despite the Ukrainian's slow start to life in The Premiership, Cole has little doubt that he will prove his critics wrong sooner rather than later.
"The funniest thing for me is that everybody is slating him and saying he's 30 and he's finished and that Chelsea have wasted £30 million," added Cole.
"It is time somebody looked at his record with Dynamo Kiev and AC Milan and gave him the credit he is due.
"He is under pressure to produce, although no more than I was going from Newcastle to United, the Hollywood of football, but he will cope and get himself into double figures before much longer.
"He will score with either the luckiest goal of his life or a total stunner but it doesn't matter which it is to get him going. He has so much quality that I have no doubt he will be a star in England."