Joe Cole has left TNT Sports bosses dumbfounded after saying Hull City are “already relegated” and putting his phone on “do not disturb” to dodge being asked to work as a pundit for their opening-day fixture.
The former Chelsea and England midfielder has provoked an angry backlash from Hull supporters for making the comments.
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The remarks, made alongside his former West Ham team-mate Carlton Cole, have caused uproar across East Yorkshire.
During the podcast conversation, Cole was asked which sides he expected to suffer relegation this season.
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He bluntly responded: “Hull are gone, man.”
Cole dismissed their route to the top flight by suggesting they had arrived in the Premier League “through the back door” – despite the Tigers having earned promotion by winning the Championship play-off final.
He went on to describe what he called “a confession,” revealing that TNT Sports had attempted to book him for Hull’s curtain-raiser.
“I put my phone on do not disturb,” he said, implying he had deliberately made himself unavailable.
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However, Cole’s account of events has been met with bewilderment at TNT Sports.
According to The Mail, insiders at the broadcaster have indicated that the former midfielder was never lined up to provide punditry at the MKM Stadium fixture, nor had he ever been in contention for the role.
The claim that he needed to avoid contact from the network to sidestep the punditry therefore appears to be without foundation.
Sources familiar with the situation say senior figures at TNT Sports were left puzzled by Cole’s version of events, given that no approach had been made to him regarding the Hull match.
Despite this, Cole’s remarks have generated significant emotion in Hull.
Sources have revealed that both players and coaching staff at the club are fully aware of what was said and plan to channel it as extra motivation ahead of what is expected to be a demanding season in the top flight.
Supporters, meanwhile, have flooded social media with criticism, branding the comments “condescending” and “disrespectful” towards a club that legitimately earned its place in the Premier League.
Some fans have gone further still, calling on Hull to impose a ban preventing Cole from attending the MKM Stadium in any capacity.
Hull kick-off their Premier League season against Manchester United this Saturday lunchtime.
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