Ashley Cole takes John Terry’s spot in the Birmingham City rumour mill
By George Perry
Having failed to secure one legendary Chelsea defender, Birmingham City are eyeing another. Harry Redknapp hopes Ashley Cole will trade Major League Soccer for the Championship, and help Birmingham fight for promotion.
Both Birmingham clubs vied for John Terry after he declared that he wanted to stay in England but would not play in the Premier League. Terry chose Aston Villa over Birmingham City. Still wanting a prestige signing on defence, Birmingham manager Harry Redknapp is trying to bring Ashley Cole back to England to play for the second-division Blues.
The rumour comes from Bleacher Report, and does not say much in the way of what Redknapp hopes Cole could bring to the side. Cole is, undoubtedly, one of the best defenders in English football history. However, he does not have the cachet that John Terry has in terms of leadership and status.
Terry’s tag of “captain, leader, legend” will follow him wherever he goes for the rest of his life (even if Villa did bastardize it in their announcement). Cole has no such standing despite his accomplishments and experience.
Must Read: Chelsea should be wary of Barcelona's interest in Cesar Azpilicueta
Birmingham already also have a very senior defender, making Cole somewhat redundant in the squad and making the backline needlessly aged. Paul Robinson had 22 appearances for Birmingham City last season at age 38. Ashley Cole, for his part, made 29 appearances for the LA Galaxy in 2016 and has 14 (all starts) this season.
Overall, Birmingham have a very senior team. Of their 15 players with over 1000 minutes last season, only one – Che Adams – was under 26 years old. Even on the assumption that Cole could add significantly to their promotion hopes (which is saying something, given that Birmingham finished 19th last season), he would not help the club’s long-term prospects.
Birmingham needs much more than a 36-year old defender, even if that defender is Ashley Cole. If there is any truth to this rumour, it sounds more like Harry Redknapp trying to get the band back together rather than part of a long-term strategy. The biggest upside is that bringing Cole back to England would also bring him closer to his eventual role as a Chelsea scout.
Next: Tiemoue Bakayoko's Instagram post may dishearten Chelsea fans
Fans might turn out to see an England and Chelsea legend like Ashley Cole. But that would be better suited for John Terry’s testimonial in a few years than every week at a club dangerously close to League One.