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| Cole braced for hostile reception | Cole braced for hostile reception |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Chelsea's Ashley Cole is bracing himself for a hostile reception from Arsenal fans when he faces his former club at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. | Chelsea's Ashley Cole is bracing himself for a hostile reception from Arsenal fans when he faces his former club at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. |
| Cole made an acrimonious switch to Chelsea in the summer after a saga that included a "tapping up" row and a savage attack on Arsenal in his book. | Cole made an acrimonious switch to Chelsea in the summer after a saga that included a "tapping up" row and a savage attack on Arsenal in his book. |
| England defender Cole said: "I have to be honest with myself. I think I am going to get booed badly. | England defender Cole said: "I have to be honest with myself. I think I am going to get booed badly. |
| "I am very well aware that some fans are very angry." | "I am very well aware that some fans are very angry." |
| Arsenal eventually received Chelsea defender William Gallas plus £5m in a transfer deadline day deal. | Arsenal eventually received Chelsea defender William Gallas plus £5m in a transfer deadline day deal. |
| But supporters were further angered by the subsequent publication of Cole's autobiography, "My Defence", in which he declared he had been "betrayed" by the Gunners' offer of a £55,000 per-week contract. | But supporters were further angered by the subsequent publication of Cole's autobiography, "My Defence", in which he declared he had been "betrayed" by the Gunners' offer of a £55,000 per-week contract. |
| He should get criticism. That is football. It makes the game exciting Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann on Ashley Cole | He should get criticism. That is football. It makes the game exciting Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann on Ashley Cole |
| Cole's former Arsenal team-mate, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, turned up the heat ahead of the game when he insisted the defender should be criticised for his defection to Chelsea. | Cole's former Arsenal team-mate, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, turned up the heat ahead of the game when he insisted the defender should be criticised for his defection to Chelsea. |
| He said: "Of course Ashley should expect criticism from supporters on Sunday. He should get criticism. That is football. It makes the game exciting. | He said: "Of course Ashley should expect criticism from supporters on Sunday. He should get criticism. That is football. It makes the game exciting. |
| "If he didn't, it would have meant that he wasn't an important player, but he was. He was a vital member of our squad and we enjoyed some major successes with him." | "If he didn't, it would have meant that he wasn't an important player, but he was. He was a vital member of our squad and we enjoyed some major successes with him." |
| Cole, meanwhile, still insists he did nothing wrong in making his move from his boyhood club. | Cole, meanwhile, still insists he did nothing wrong in making his move from his boyhood club. |
| The fans wanted Ashley Cole here for the rest of his career Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger | |
| He said: "Some people are going to agree with what I have done and some are not. But I didn't move for money. It was a point of principle. I didn't feel I was wanted. | He said: "Some people are going to agree with what I have done and some are not. But I didn't move for money. It was a point of principle. I didn't feel I was wanted. |
| "In any other job, if someone works for one company then goes to work for another it's not a problem. | "In any other job, if someone works for one company then goes to work for another it's not a problem. |
| "But if you do it as a footballer you are greedy and leaving for the money. I'm not going to say it's unfair because footballers have a great life. But it's not easy. | "But if you do it as a footballer you are greedy and leaving for the money. I'm not going to say it's unfair because footballers have a great life. But it's not easy. |
| "I think I am going to get stick when I go back there. Yet if I stayed at Arsenal I was still likely to get abuse. | |
| "All through last season I had to deal with it and it's made me stronger and hopefully it can keep making me stronger." | "All through last season I had to deal with it and it's made me stronger and hopefully it can keep making me stronger." |
| Despite Cole's reservations about staying with the Gunners, his former boss Arsene Wenger believes the fans wanted him to remain at the north London club. | |
| "He had a difficult time because he was exposed a lot in the media but it finished all right," he told Arsenal TV Online. | |
| "(He made a) fantastic contribution and he is a great player. He is showing that again with Chelsea and we are not surprised to see that. But the fans wanted Ashley Cole here for the rest of his career, it didn't happen for different reasons. | |
| "We do not say now 'is it his fault, is it our fault?'. It's just the way it is and the most important thing is that he makes a great career and that Arsenal has good results." |