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Ashley Cole might have been making mischief when he said he hoped Manchester
City would pip Arsenal to a Champions League place next season but he was deadly serious about his own title ambitions.
‘It’s going to be hard for them but they could do it,’ said Cole, as he considered the idea that City might gatecrash the top four after spending heavily on new players.
‘The players they’re buying are good and they might gel, click straight away and it’s
magic. But you can’t really say until we see them play. I hope they do because I have friends there. I hope they do really well and finish above Arsenal.’
Dawn in the USA: Cole (right) jostles with Inter's Mario Balotelli early on Wednesday morning
There was a glint in Cole’s eye and he quickly claimed he was only joking, but true words can be spoken in jest. There is no doubt some animosity lingers from the accusations of greed which accompanied his move across London three years ago.
Cole always insisted he moved to Stamford Bridge to win trophies. He has yet to add to the two Premier League titles he won at Highbury and last season Chelsea slipped to third, their lowest finish for six years. But there is a real determination within the dressing room to be crowned English champions once again.
‘I’d say it’s about half and half,’ said Cole, 28. ‘Some players might want to win the Champions League but winning the Premier League again is my main aim.
‘It would be nice to go to another Champions League final and hopefully win it one
day but, for me, the Premier League is the best trophy.
Hate figure: Arsenal fans taunt 'Cashley' during his first appearance in a Chelsea shirt
‘Maybe because I’m English and because I’ve won it twice. It’s the best league to play in and that feeling you have when you win it and how the fans are, it’s a great achievement for the club. It makes players proud.
‘It’s a tough old season in the Premier League and it’s only getting harder. So to win that, you are true champions. Sometimes in the Champions League I don’t think it’s always the best team that wins it.
‘It depends on how you play on a certain day. In the league you have to play well week-in, week-out. Manchester United were worthy champions and we just have to take it.’
Heartbreak: Cole is inconsolable as he walks past Old Big Ears in Paris
It is clear that the ultimate prize for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, however, is the Champions League. This obsession was the reason behind his swoop for Carlo Ancelotti, who won the European Cup twice as manager of AC Milan but plotted his way to the Serie A title only once in eight years.
Conscious of this image as a Euro specialist, Ancelotti said: ‘I think I can win the Premier League for Chelsea. I am here for this. I am here to win and to play well. I want to put entertainment into the team.’
Ancelotti has won his first two pre-season games, including the duel with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, whose Inter Milan side were defeated 2-0 in Pasadena in Wednesday's early hours.
‘It’s too early to say I’ve put my stamp on this team but I have time to do this,’ said
Ancelotti. ‘Putting creativity into the team is not just about quality players. We need a clear idea of how we are going to play.’
Double up: Frank Lampard converts from the spot to give Chelsea a 2-0 lead
Mourinho chatted to some of his former Chelsea players before the game. ‘It was nice to see him,’ said Cole. ‘He looked after me and advised me, so I wish him all the best. It’s good for us that we beat him because, if it had been the other way, we’d have heard a lot about it.
‘We’ve only just changed managers, so it’s going to take time to assess the different qualities of them both. He’s brought in a few new ideas and we are starting to understand the way he wants us to play. We are playing with two up front now, so
hopefully we can get used to the formation and it will work when we start the season.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport ... =1490#ixzz0MQ9Jd7Ps |
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