Joe Cole predicts Manchester United vs Chelsea and makes Viktor Gyokeres transfer claim

Joe Cole has backed Chelsea to travel distant from Old Trafford with a 1-0 triumph and believes his erstwhile nine are ‘two years ahead’ of wherever Manchester United find themselves connected their cycle.

The Red Devils are languishing down successful 14th spot aft a dismal commencement to the Premier League play and the side’s miserable tally of results ultimately outgo Erik 10 Hag his job connected Monday.

United chiefs acted rapidly to unafraid Ten Hag’s replacement, with Ruben Amorim officially appointed this afternoon, though the Portuguese volition stay successful complaint of Sporting until the adjacent planetary break.

This means United volition erstwhile again by led by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who began his stint arsenic interim brag with an entertaining Carabao Cup last-16 triumph implicit Leicester connected Wednesday night.

Chelsea, by comparison, person enjoyed a promising commencement to the 2024/25 run nether caller manager Enzo Maresca and could determination into the apical 4 should results spell their mode this weekend.

And portion Sunday’s visitors person won conscionable 2 of their past 5 matches successful each competitions, ex-Chelsea and England winger Cole is assured Maresca’s men volition unafraid maximum points astatine the Theatre of Dreams.

‘I deliberation Chelsea volition spell to Old Trafford and win,’ Cole told Paddy Power.

‘Put speech the League Cup crippled against Newcastle, and Chelsea’s signifier has been great. They are astir apt astir 2 years up of wherever Manchester United are close now.

‘They person tons of young players and I deliberation they’ll spell determination and bask the challenge.

‘Manchester United volition crook up but Chelsea volition triumph the game. It’ll beryllium choky due to the fact that Chelsea haven’t won astatine Old Trafford since 2013, but I fancy a 1-0 Chelsea win.’

Reece James responded to Maresca’s caller criticism with an awesome all-round show successful Chelsea’s 2-1 decision of Newcastle past clip retired successful the English apical flight.

Given James’ past of wounded problems, Cole hopes the nine skipper is eased backmost into the fold with a grade of caution erstwhile it comes to his workload.

‘It’s massively important for Chelsea that Reece James stays fit, but it’s besides massively important for Reece himself,’ helium added.

‘I clasp retired anticipation for him and his assemblage due to the fact that they’ve been precise astute with Wesley Fofana, giving him strict rules of lone playing 1 crippled per week. I ideate Reece would beryllium fixed that benignant of routine.

‘He’s a Ferrari and you tin lone instrumentality him retired for a rotation erstwhile a week. He’s a existent jock but the assemblage is fragile truthful for him and the longer helium tin support playing a accordant fig of games, his assemblage volition get stronger, and he’ll get much confidence.

‘Then possibly successful a year, oregon 18 months, they tin propulsion an other mid-week crippled successful there. He looks large erstwhile helium plays and if Chelsea tin bash with Reece what they’ve done with Fofana, he’ll beryllium a world-class defender.

‘He has to beryllium a regular starter successful the Premier League and if helium tin get backmost to the level helium was playing astatine earlier his injury, helium walks into the team. They conscionable request to beryllium astute with him.’

There has been immoderate speculation that Amorim could question to bring Sporting sensation Viktor Gyokeres with him from Lisbon to Manchester this January.

But Cole believes United’s hierarchy whitethorn beryllium reluctant to relinquish excessively overmuch powerfulness to Amorim successful the transportation marketplace aft their acquisition with his predecessor Ten Hag.

‘You person to instrumentality each subordinate arsenic an idiosyncratic and determination has to beryllium immoderate operation astir recruitment astatine Manchester United. There has to beryllium a strategy with their caller sporting directors with Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox,’ helium continued.

‘Erik 10 Hag brought successful players that helium knew and that didn’t work. The days of a manager bringing successful 2 oregon 3 of his ain players due to the fact that helium knows them, are over. I don’t deliberation that volition hap astatine Manchester United.

‘Viktor Gyokeres volition beryllium connected Manchester United’s hitlist but nether nary circumstances volition a subordinate beryllium greenish lit conscionable due to the fact that the manager knows him. They’ve had specified a atrocious acquisition with Ten Hag and the players helium brought successful that I don’t deliberation clip volition look excessively kindly connected those players.

‘Anyone scoring goals successful Europe volition travel to the attraction of Premier League clubs and Gyokeres is simply a existent talent.’

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