Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Comical stuff from Coles book in The Times today, as he wriggles on the hook of that meeting with Mourinho and Kenyon. He must think we're all f***ing stupid - if this was his story at the enquiry, no wonder they threw the book at him.
"I was well down on the day when I drove into town to see Jonathan Barnett (my agent) at his offices. We jumped in Jonathan’s Bentley and he told his driver our destination: the Royal Park Hotel. It was Thursday, January 27, 2005. (throughout all of this article, I can't find any specific reason WHY Cole and his agent went to this hotel that day, but hey-ho... )
We walked by reception and into a meeting room called the Green Room where we found Pini (Zahavi, Chelsea’s agent) sat alone. We must have been in there about 20 minutes when Pini suddenly flicked his wrist to look at his watch — “Time! Time! My next meeting . . .” and he started to get up out of his chair. The door opened and José Mourinho and Peter Kenyon walked in. (Oh, SURPRISE !)
I remember noticing Jonathan was gearing up to leave, reaching around his chair for his coat. The small talk, the pleasantries and the goodbyes lasted another 15 minutes as I genuinely saw no harm in being there for a few extra minutes as these two meetings overlapped. (Now I know footballers are THICK, but if Cole had just rejected a contract offer from Arsenal, and saw "no harm" in chatting in a nearby hotel with the Manager and Chief Executive of Chelsea, then he truley is away with the fairies. Or a liar. 15 minutes of "small talk and pleasantries" ? Do me a favour.)
Mr Mourinho pulled out a chair and sat at the head of the oval-shaped table and Jonathan was sat to my right. It was normal chit-chat from then on. I mentioned how well Chelsea were doing in the league. “Yes, and we are going to buy two more players — a midfielder and a left back,” he said.
And that’s when Pini made a flip remark, “Well, we are sat with the best left back in the world!” and Mr Mourinho smiled and said, “Yes, I agree.” (Ahhhh, thats nice innit.)
We talked about general football stuff before Mourinho asked how life was with me. Life’s good, I told him. “And are you happy at Arsenal?” he asked. This was not an unusual question in my book. Friends and family had been asking the same thing for weeks (Yes Ashley, but your friends and family are not in charge of the richest football club in Europe, who as they just said, are on the lookout for a leftback. Struth.) and Mr Mourinho had just walked in on a meeting with Pini Zahavi. It wouldn’t take the most perceptive of people to get nosey on that one. (no shit, Sherlock.)
“No, I’m unhappy but it’s a long story,” I told him. He asked if it was because of Arsène Wenger. I told him it wasn’t; the boss was brilliant, I had a very good relationship with him and my unhappiness was with other people. I could tell he was itching to ask more, but, at that point, Jonathan stood up and said: “We had better be going. Gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure.”
I can only speak about what was said and not said while I was in the room, and in those 15–20 minutes, (hmm...so its gone from "a few minutes", to "15 minutes" and now "15-20 minutes") the chit-chat never strayed anywhere near what could be considered an approach by Chelsea. Not once was there anything mentioned about figures, transfers, further meetings or even leaving Arsenal. "
Anyone else smell something ?
"I was well down on the day when I drove into town to see Jonathan Barnett (my agent) at his offices. We jumped in Jonathan’s Bentley and he told his driver our destination: the Royal Park Hotel. It was Thursday, January 27, 2005. (throughout all of this article, I can't find any specific reason WHY Cole and his agent went to this hotel that day, but hey-ho... )
We walked by reception and into a meeting room called the Green Room where we found Pini (Zahavi, Chelsea’s agent) sat alone. We must have been in there about 20 minutes when Pini suddenly flicked his wrist to look at his watch — “Time! Time! My next meeting . . .” and he started to get up out of his chair. The door opened and José Mourinho and Peter Kenyon walked in. (Oh, SURPRISE !)
I remember noticing Jonathan was gearing up to leave, reaching around his chair for his coat. The small talk, the pleasantries and the goodbyes lasted another 15 minutes as I genuinely saw no harm in being there for a few extra minutes as these two meetings overlapped. (Now I know footballers are THICK, but if Cole had just rejected a contract offer from Arsenal, and saw "no harm" in chatting in a nearby hotel with the Manager and Chief Executive of Chelsea, then he truley is away with the fairies. Or a liar. 15 minutes of "small talk and pleasantries" ? Do me a favour.)
Mr Mourinho pulled out a chair and sat at the head of the oval-shaped table and Jonathan was sat to my right. It was normal chit-chat from then on. I mentioned how well Chelsea were doing in the league. “Yes, and we are going to buy two more players — a midfielder and a left back,” he said.
And that’s when Pini made a flip remark, “Well, we are sat with the best left back in the world!” and Mr Mourinho smiled and said, “Yes, I agree.” (Ahhhh, thats nice innit.)
We talked about general football stuff before Mourinho asked how life was with me. Life’s good, I told him. “And are you happy at Arsenal?” he asked. This was not an unusual question in my book. Friends and family had been asking the same thing for weeks (Yes Ashley, but your friends and family are not in charge of the richest football club in Europe, who as they just said, are on the lookout for a leftback. Struth.) and Mr Mourinho had just walked in on a meeting with Pini Zahavi. It wouldn’t take the most perceptive of people to get nosey on that one. (no shit, Sherlock.)
“No, I’m unhappy but it’s a long story,” I told him. He asked if it was because of Arsène Wenger. I told him it wasn’t; the boss was brilliant, I had a very good relationship with him and my unhappiness was with other people. I could tell he was itching to ask more, but, at that point, Jonathan stood up and said: “We had better be going. Gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure.”
I can only speak about what was said and not said while I was in the room, and in those 15–20 minutes, (hmm...so its gone from "a few minutes", to "15 minutes" and now "15-20 minutes") the chit-chat never strayed anywhere near what could be considered an approach by Chelsea. Not once was there anything mentioned about figures, transfers, further meetings or even leaving Arsenal. "
Anyone else smell something ?
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