Joe v Jose - shouting match puts Cole's Chelsea future in doubt
Joe Cole's longterm future at Chelsea is back in doubt after a fiery exchange with Jose Mourinho following last weekend's 1-0 win over Portsmouth. Sportsmail can reveal the pair clashed following Cole's 15-minute cameo appearance against Pompey and their dispute has left the England midfielder wondering if he is still part of the manager's plans.Cole, considered good enough to start for England, has made just two Premiership appearances for Chelsea this season — both as substitute — and he questioned Mourinho over his future role in the team. It is understood that Mourinho responded by telling Cole he did not merit a place in the team and chief executive Peter Kenyon has since been brought into act as peacemaker.
West Ham, who are aware of Cole's position, have been exploring the possibility of asking to take him on loan before the transfer window closes, but Kenyon will not allow one of their best players to leave. The Hammers, who sold him to Chelsea for £6.6million in August 2003, are one of the few teams who could take on his £80,000 a week salary, but Kenyon will not sell.
Although Cole does not want to leave the club he supported as a boy, he has told friends that he believes he is being frozen out by Mourinho. Kenyon spoke to Cole's advisors this week in an attempt to resolve the situation, but the midfielder has become increasingly disillusioned with life on the bench. Mourinho gave Chelsea's first team squad two days off at the beginning of the week, but Cole is so determined to prove his worth that he went in to the club's Cobham, Surrey, training centre and worked out alone on Monday and Tuesday.
Cole was selected by England for last week's friendly against Germany and head coach Steve McClaren telephoned him last Thursday to assure the midfielder that his place in the squad is not in jeopardy. Cole had been worried that he would lose out when it came to the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia on September 8 and 12. He spent much of last season on the treatment table with various injuries and believes he is being punished by Mourinho for missing so many games.
According to sources at Chelsea, the midfielder has a "strange relationship" with Mourinho and, at times, that situation has left Cole bewildered. Florent Malouda, the £13.5m summer signing from Lyon, has taken his place in the team and there is now another threat, with the prospect of Ronaldinho's potential arrival from Barcelona before the window closes this weekend.
Although Cole started the Community Shield against Manchester United, he has been named substitute in all four of Chelsea's Premier League games this season. He spent 77 minutes attempting to attract Mourinho's attention at Anfield earlier this month by constantly running up and down the touchline, before he eventually replaced Shaun Wright-Phillips. And Cole had to wait until the closing stages again — Wright-Phillips made way for him in the 75th minute — before seeing any action when Chelsea faced Portsmouth on Saturday, prompting the showdown with his manager.
Chelsea and Cole's advisors declined to comment last night.
