Does anybody think that Forsell and Kezman were better choices thank Hasselbaink, or more Mourinho type players? Definitely not. Fair enough JFH may have been a bit lazy, but I won't except that he was limited and he would have been a great choice as back up during that season.

 

I thought Crespo was the reason why JFH had to leave. Crespo was very good IMHO & I remember Jose wanted him to stay, but his family never settled in to life in England.

I thought Crespo was the reason why JFH had to leave. Crespo was very good IMHO & I remember Jose wanted him to stay, but his family never settled in to life in England.

No because Crespo left on loan for Milan on 2004/05 and Jimmy went to Boro. It's more likely he didn't leave because of Mutu who we all know got done for his drug abuse not long later.

Edited May 5, 201511 yr by Bobbywoodhogan

No because Crespo left on loan for Milan on 2004/05 and Jimmy went to Boro. It's more likely he didn't leave because of Mutu who we all know got done for his drug abuse not long later.

 

right - I forgot about that....I knew Crespo won the league w/ us, but that was in the 2005–06 season & not the 2004–05 one. One more thing, JFH was the club's leading goal scoring in the 2003-04 season. A season CFC finished runner's up. So much of the fallacy we could never challenge w/ JFH leading the line. However I will say JFH did lose a step by then & writing was on the wall. Still I would have loved to see JFH win the league with us.

Edited May 5, 201511 yr by robdog

Was Cole better than Azpilicueta?

 

That's a tough call in my opinion, maybe I'm doing Cole a disservice.. you could argue Azpi's not hit his peak though. 

Azpi needs to keep doing it for a few seasons more at least before we can start comparing the two, I feel. Cole was so incredibly consistent over a good number of seasons. Azpi as a left back is never going to contribute as much offensively either.

Also, Forssel had one good season for Birmingham and injuries messed his career up. He was never on the same level as Hasselbaink though.

Crespo was a top, top striker. Wish he stayed and actually played a few seasons instead of spending most of his time on loan.

Edited May 5, 201511 yr by GhostOfDembaPast

Ashley Cole is one of the best left backs of all time, I doubt he'd lose a spot in that team for a very long time.

My best 11 would be

Cech

Ivanoic JT Carvalho Cole

Ballack

Lampard Essien

Mata Hazard

Drogba

 

By looking strictly at the last decade, I would say Ballack had a more important role than Makalele for us. Mata is no longer with us, but 2 times POTY says something

Was Cole better than Azpilicueta?

 

That's a tough call in my opinion, maybe I'm doing Cole a disservice.. you could argue Azpi's not hit his peak though. 

 

Cole was incredible. Goal line clearances, defending one on one, going forward and then tracking back, energy. He had it all. Azpilicueta is great, but he's not at Cole's level yet.

Was Cole better than Azpilicueta?

 

That's a tough call in my opinion, maybe I'm doing Cole a disservice.. you could argue Azpi's not hit his peak though. 

 

Simply put Ashley Cole is one of the greatest ever left backs. 

The one thing both Cole and Dave have in common is that they can't score for toffee, woeful finishing.

 

Dave is not at Cole's level yet, agreed. But if he repeats this season's heroics 3 or 4 more seasons in a row, along with the odd PL goal or too, he could become one of our all time greats.

The one thing both Cole and Dave have in common is that they can't score for toffee, woeful finishing.

 

Dave is not at Cole's level yet, agreed. But if he repeats this season's heroics 3 or 4 more seasons in a row, along with the odd PL goal or too, he could become one of our all time greats.

 

Don't know if that's entirely fair, seem to remember Ashley Cole scoring a few good, and important goals for us.

Don't know if that's entirely fair, seem to remember Ashley Cole scoring a few good, and important goals for us.

 

Can't think of any of note, apart from his excellent penalty in the CL final against Bayern.

Can't think of any of note, apart from his excellent penalty in the CL final against Bayern.

 

Scored a few in 09/10 - Wigan, Burnley, Spurs and Sunderland. The Sunderland goal was actually voted our goal of the season that year

Can't think of any of note, apart from his excellent penalty in the CL final against Bayern.

 

He scored a very nice goal when we battered Sunderland in the double season.

CECH

 

COLE

TERRY

CARVALHO

IVANOVIC

 

MAKELELE

LAMPARD

FABREGAS

 

HAZARD

DROGBA

COLE

 

 

Bench:

 

CUDICINI, GALLAS, FERRERIA, ESSIEN, ROBBEN, GUDJOHNSEN, MATA

Edited May 6, 201511 yr by Zeta Orionis

He scored a very nice goal when we battered Sunderland in the double season.

Also scored a quality volley against Wigan when we won the league. The only negative about cole was his crossing which was erratic. Best left back I've seen in the prem though, and probably 3rd behind carlos and Maldini as the best of the last 30 years.

All of his Chelsea goals:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MRIqvzzD9gA

He was actually a quality finisher.