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In one of the big Italian football stories of the weekend, Ashley Cole has been revealed as the new manager of Serie B outfit, Cesena.
The former Arsenal, Chelsea and England legend has set local media alight with this recent appointment, and will no doubt have many Cavallucci Marini (Seahorses) fans hopeful of a late-season turnaround.
The eighth-placed Cesena are currently in the midst of a seven-game winless run, and despite a brave 2-2 draw against Frosinone, this just wasn’t enough to keep Michele Mignani’s place in the managerial hot seat. So, what can Italian football fans expect to see from Cole in his first senior coaching role?
Ashley Cole’s coaching career so far
As said, this will be Ashley Cole’s first time as the main man in a club’s dugout. After hanging up his boots at Derby County in 2019, Cole became a coach with the Rams, and later followed then-boss Frank Lampard to Chelsea to work alongside him in the Blues’ academy.
After this, the summer of 2021 saw Cole’s steady reputation continue to grow, as he was named Lee Carsley’s assistant with England’s U21s in a role that allowed him to continue working with Chelsea.
He stayed in this position until February the following year, before moving to Everton as a first-team coach. Yet again, he worked alongside Frank Lampard, and on the 23rd of January 2023, Cole left Everton as a result of Lampard’s departure.
In the Autumn of 2023, Cole swapped one England icon for another, becoming Wayne Rooney’s assistant at Championship club Birmingham City.
There, he actually outlasted the former Manchester United striker, as Rooney’s poor tenure saw two wins in 15 matches and lasted just 83 days. Cole left the club in September of 2024, joining the English Football Association on a full-time basis. In August of that year, he had assisted Lee Carsley when he was England’s interim boss in the wake of Gareth Southgate’s exit.
Potential influences
So far this term, Cesena have often taken up a 3-5-2 shape under Michele Mignani. Cole has the option of continuing with that shape or adopting his own after the influence of several key managerial figures in his formative coaching career.
With the likes of Lampard, Carsley, and Rooney, Cole’s resume so far already has some interesting names in and around the scene. Furthermore, somewhat in keeping with the former left-back’s first step in management, these are all still-developing bosses, who have yet to fully become fixtures in English football.
That said, if Cole takes and builds upon aspects from each boss, Cesena fans could soon have something to smile about once more.
Lampard is known for previously coming close to getting both Derby and Coventry into the Premier League. Yet now, his promotion woes look a thing of the past as his Sky Blues sit seven points top of second-placed Middlesbrough.
At the time of writing, Lampard’s front-footed playing style has somewhat balanced out, with the deployment of two midfield pivots in a 4-2-3-1. That said, an enjoyable style has seen his Coventry team score a league-leading 78 goals, with three players in double figures for the league season.
Carsley’s influence could, again, assert some wishful attacking play onto Cole’s Cesena ranks. With the U21s turning heads, and his eventual England interim tenure, there was a brief period where “Cars-ball” was the talk of think pieces galore.
However, when stepping up to the senior set-up, the coach’s previously attacking, possession-based style of play that focused on fluidity and high-energy pressing gave way to some nervous-looking, somewhat tame performances. Take the defeat to Greece as an example. In Cole’s first job, Serie B should be more forgiving and offer more freedom than leading the Three Lions.
Regarding Rooney, he was yet another exponent of the 4-2-3-1 shape. Yet, Cole won’t really want to replicate much of the shared stint at Birmingham. Alternatively, if he draws strength from the Croxteth-native’s time at Plymouth, he’ll want to try and steer clear of injuries, ensuring his team has plenty of reliable depth. Plus, having alternative formations when sides counter the potentially possession-based style will be useful, as that was one of Rooney’s downsides with Argyle.
The general consensus? Ashley Cole has worked with some intriguing coaches and former players in his coaching career so far, while being trusted to work within some major teams and organisations.
The expectation? At times leaning on a wealth of playing insights and plenty of assistant experience, Cole must try to get Cesena firmly back in the play-off picture, while also re-inspiring a team whose main scorer, Cristian Shpendi, hasn’t hit the back of the net in the last three league outings.
Serie B won’t be an easy nut to crack, but if Cole gives his undivided, and hopefully well-educated, football attention to Cesena, there’s no reason why the 45-year-old manager can’t make his first step into management a worthwhile one.
