Joe Cole has named the three Chelsea players that have impressed him the most this season and would have fit into the 2007 and 2010 FA Cup-winning Blues sides.
There are plenty of exciting players in this current Chelsea team that will be playing in the FA Cup final this Saturday, there is no doubt about that.
But it is an interesting hypothetical question; would any of them make into Chelsea’s iconic squads that won the trophies back in 2007 and 2010?
Cole, who featured in both FA Cup finals, was asked the question and insisted that football was different back then. But he still picked three players.
“So many of today’s side are excellent but Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, and Kai Havertz have really impressed me,” the former Chelsea winger told FourFourTwo.
“I think they’re very talented. They’re the new generation.
“They can hold their own at the highest level despite being so young.
“They’re making their own journeys and destinies in the game.
“Football’s evolved at such a rapid rate over the past decade, in terms of the way that teams play.”
“So it’s tough to compare eras, but I love this new team. I think they’ll win plenty of silverware. Hopefully this year.”
Chronicle view
Given Cole was a talented winger himself, it is easy to see why he finds these young attackers interesting.
Mount, Pulisic, and Havertz are still 22 years old or younger, and as Cole pointed out, have shown that they can compete at the top level.
At such an early stage of their careers, they have already played important roles in helping the club reach the Champions League final.
Cole’s saying they could fit into the Chelsea squads that had the likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, and Nicolas Anelka is certainly a massive compliment.