Cole Hails 'Special' Strikers

Andy Cole believes United's top striking quartet are special but feels it is too early to compare them to the 1999 Treble-winning forwards.

Sir Alex has often made reference this season to the fact that Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck give him a similar wealth of options to the time of Cole's hey-day. The former England hitman combined superbly with Dwight Yorke but Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were also worth their weight in gold.

During an Audience with Andy Cole on MUTV, he discussed the attacking armory at the manager's disposal with the Reds dreaming of going all the way on three fronts again this year.

"Robin has done extremely well," stated Cole. "With Wayne, Chicha and Danny Welbeck. I look at the three who played with me - Yorkey, Teddy and Ole - and they're always going to get compared to what we achieved.

"Naturally, you can only compare when the season is over and you can see what the players have achieved but the guys we have got now are very, very special. The boys we had in 1999 were special as well so only time will tell."

Cole does not think he was similar to any of today's strikers, even if he appreciates all of their individual qualities.

"Definitely not," he asserted. "If you look at the way the game has evolved, it's changed a lot. Robin can play up front by himself a lot of the time and Wayne can play in midfield or at the top of the diamond. Chicha likes to run in behind and I always enjoy watching centre-forwards stretch centre-halves by running in behind.

"The goal never moves. You stretch them and they don't want to move so you get more space that way. I look at those guys and I'm different to all of them."

As for the future, Cole is still unsure whether to take up coaching on a full-time basis.

"I've dabbled with it and enjoyed it," he stressed. "I did it at Huddersfield and get asked all the time. Can I see myself as a manager? I honestly don't know.

"I'd like to go in for a couple or three days a week, maybe doing a little bit of coaching with the strikers and them come out of it. It's the only way to say to yourself if you fancy it or don't fancy it. There's no point going full steam ahead then saying it's not for me. I'd like to try and dabble with it and see if that's where I want to go."

The 41-year-old hopes to see United come out on top against another of his former clubs, Fulham, in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.

"I'm hoping so as we've not had a decent run in the cup in the past few years," he added. "It's very unusual. When you talk about the cup competitions, you need a little bit of luck. Look at Bradford. Who would have expected that? So, fingers crossed, we can have a good run and get through to the final."