Ashley Cole

Herne Hill Seagull said:

I earn a normal, living wage - less in a year than he earned in a week, even back then, and do not go bitching about my 'misfortune' in a book bought and paid for by the same people who help put him in a position to earn that much in the first place. If I was offered a pay rise at all I'd be pretty happy, but if I was unhappy with the offer, I'd keep that stuff to myself, not bitch about it on the work intranet, on here or on my blog, for example. If he wants to whinge like a spoilt child, he should do so in private like most people.

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It doesn't make a blind bit of difference about the figures involved if anyone was told they were going to be getting a payrise of X and then they actually ended up with Y which was considerably less than X you'd be pissed off or at least I would, as would Ashley Cole it seems.

Herne Hill Seagull said:

I don't watch the sport just to watch players respecting the officials, but if them doing so actually pisses you off, as it seems to from the tone of your words, then I don't really see what you get out of watching football. I do watch rugby as well - thanks for your kind suggestion - and the attitude of the players to the officials actually helps the game. If footballers just shut the f*** up, played football and stopped trying to ref the game, the games themselves would be better. Personally, I prefer players to 'show they give a f***' by trying hard at football, and making a difference in the game.

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But its part and parcel of the game. I occasionally watch rugby and it still makes me laugh when these 6ft5 monsters are calling some pipsqueek of a ref sir. How frustrating must that be when you think he's made a wrong decision.

Herne Hill Seagull said:

(I have no idea what you're talking about with Milner - your sentence doesn't make any sense, and I didn't see the games on Sunday. Sorry, old boy.)

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Sky showed a close up of Milner telling the lino what he thought of his decision using language straight out of the snooker hall. It sent some of the more wetter members of the board into meltdown.

Herne Hill Seagull said:

Err, because that's one of the things being discussed in the thread. Sorry if part of my reply being pertinent to the thread title winds you up. I actually agree with your second sentence here, but was pointing out that this fact has no bearing on my view of Cole.

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I don't see why anyone should care what any professional gets up to away from the game (within reason of course). Using the current predicament of the Jurys Inn Four as an example should they get found guilty I won't think any less of them as footballers. Likewise I don't care which pop star Cole or anyone else is shagging currently.

Herne Hill Seagull said:

If he was a little bit arrogant, I think most people would put up with it. But he ain't, is he? That's kind of the point many of us are making. He has got a massive house, doubtless. He has got several top-drawer cars, doubtless. He doubtless does have his 'pick of the stoats'. These things are reason to be grateful for what the game's given you, not run around displaying your sense of entitlement like a south-American Generalissimo with a chestful of self-awarded medals.

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Disagree, see my last point. Don't care what any of them get up to off the field as it's very unlikely it's ever going to have any baring on my life other than seeing them fall out of some London disco in the Evening Standard.

I really, really want to dislike him but I can't.

World Cup in South Africa, he was the ONLY player to come home from that with any credibility left as a professional player.

bitter arsenal media lovies like piers cock morgan are the one who have used the tabloid machine to highlight the imperfections in AC's personal life and piant an unbalanced picture of the mans character

what would his medal-hual be like if he had stayed at arsenal ?

How many england draws would have been losses, or wins been draws if he was not playing ?

I've spent a long time thinking Cole was a cock, almost all of it based on that book quote, I think. With all the media attention about him getting his hundredth cap it got me thinking. And I came to the conclusion that he doesn't really deserve all the hate he gets. As far as i can tell his 'misdemeanors' consist of the book quote(ill judged), cheating on cheryl cole(who cares? He's not the first and won't be the last man-or woman-to cheat on his partner) and shooting an air rifle at a work experience kid(bit twatish).

In the scheme of things it doesn't seem that bad. As someone else said he doesn't court publicity, doesn't go around beating up people, isn't photoed coming out of clubs at all hours.

And then there's his football. For England he has been an excellent left back. Our best player over the past 10 years and was the only player to come out of 2010 with any credit. So, unless there's stuff I'm missing, I'm going to move over into team Cole.