Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole likens Chicharito to his younger self

EXCLUSIVE
By James Daly

Former Manchester United star Andrew Cole sees plenty of himself in current Old Trafford prodigy Chicharito, and praised the young Mexican as the signing of the season.

The former Guadalajara striker arrived in England for a knock-down fee last summer and has gone on to hit 20 goals in his debut season, already striking up an understanding with Wayne Rooney that has echoes of Cole’s celebrated partnership with Dwight Yorke.

When asked if Chicharito was the signing of the season, an enthused Cole replied: “Easily! If you’d have offered him 10 games at the start of the season he would have bitten your hand off but he has gone on to score 13 in the league and another seven in cup competitions. That’s some going in this league.

“I like his movement, I like that he’s more than prepared to run in behind the defence. A lot of modern day centre forwards don’t want to do that. He’s enthusiastic and always plays with a smile on his face. I look at him and think that is what I wanted to do when I was playing; run in behind, and score goals.

“Everyone wants to be as good as me and Dwight Yorke; everyone wants to emulate that because we scored goals and it was pleasing on the eye. People would say ‘oh the movement these two guys had’ they even called our movement ‘the Cole and Yorke’. You’re hoping that one day Rooney and Chicharito will be like that.”

The pair have scored 35 goals between them this season as United have marched on to the Premier League title and Champions League final, but it hasn’t been all smiles as the team has come in for criticism for their poor away form and a playing style that hasn’t quite mirrored United teams of the past.

Cole, though, isn’t having any of it.

“People question them, saying are they worthy? Saying that they didn’t play particularly well. Well, if they didn’t play well and won the Premier League then the teams around them must have been dreadful,” he said with a wry smile.

“Everyone starts on zero points and whoever accumulates the most points wins it. Arsenal had a chance to win it but didn’t do it; Chelsea had a chance to do it and didn’t, so why do people keep questioning United? They played as many games as everyone else and accumulated more points than everyone else so that means they are the best team.”

Knowing me, knowing you | Cole believes Chicharito is like him in his playing days

And as Ferguson’s men prepare to take on Barcelona in the Champions League final next Saturday and potentially wrap up another double, the 39-year-old is cautious about making comparisons between the team of 2011 and the treble-winning side he was a part of in 1999.

“Totally different,” he said. “We played different football in 1999 and we were always playing 4-4-2, no matter who we played against, but this year the boss has changed it up when needed.

“People say this team isn’t the best or isn’t pleasing on the eye because it hasn’t got the big names, but it’s still a very good team. I think the 1999 team was all about the names; people looked at it and would say ‘oh Giggs, oh Beckham, Keane, Scholes, Cole and Yorke up front’ – that’s what people would talk about.

“They look at this Manchester United team now and say ‘well Rooney is good but Giggs is coming to the end of his career, Scholes too’ and they don’t really talk about them in a glowing way but they’re still a very, very good team.”

But there is one highly significant constant from today’s side and that team of 1999 that won the Champions League against Bayern Munich in Barcelona’s Camp Nou back yard – the manager. Sir Alex Ferguson claimed this week that he has no plans to retire in his 25th season at Old Trafford, and Cole beleives the youthful feel of the team keeps the Scot going.

“I think when you are around young people it makes you feel young. If you are around old guys it makes you feel old! So I know where he’s coming from,” said Cole, who added that he doesn’t expect Ferguson to step down any time soon.

Former team-mate Phil Neville had suggested United stalwart Ryan Giggs would be a good candidate to replace Ferguson when the day does come, but Cole believes the job will be a tough ask for whoever takes it.

“It will be a very, very big job for whoever goes in after Sir Alex Ferguson – I wouldn’t want to do it! You look at that track record and you say ‘Jesus, where do I start?’ I know what Phil is saying there, but it will be tough.”

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