Now It’s Ashley Cole’s Turn To Be Rebuked

photo credit: Crystian Cruz

Instead of a throw-in Chelsea threw a grenade on their PR…

Recent revelations about Chelsea’s Ashley Cole have raised questions about whether the club will take a tough stance against Cole and fine him, sanction him, or do something to get their point across.

Now, I noticed that Carlo Ancelotti said he wanted to take a “hard line” against players who damage the team’s reputation, but I have to say this again. 

You’re making it worse!

Apparently, no one in Europe knows how to handle these things.  You have to come out and say to the media:

“We support Ashley through this difficult period in his life.  We do not condone his actions, but he is also part of the Chelsea family and we want to support him.  ALL team matters will be handled internally.”

Right after that when people start asking questions the standard answer you give and you ORDER your players to give is either:

1.  No comment

or

2.  We support Ashley and we can’t wait to see him back on the field.

That won’t stop the questions, but it will minimize them and when the players are only saying positive things about someone the media gets tired of it.  They don’t want positive…they want negative and salacious.  Period.

Allowing these reports to even remotely surface says that Chelsea doesn’t mind having its players distracted and really could care less what happens to Ashley Cole.

They can claim that they’ve handled this matter internally, but no one’s reporting that.  So, I don’t think they did.

Apparently, Senor Ancelotti feels the need to be a hard-ass in any situation.  Wouldn’t it be smarter to come alongside your players and try to help them?  Don’t you think they’d want to play for you MORE that way?

This makes me nervous for Chelsea.  Not the scandal…the organizational mess they’ve created in its wake.