Ex-West Ham Ace Left 'Flabbergasted' as Indonesian Side Look to Sack Him Over Lack of Goals

Carlton Cole has become embroiled in a "war" with Indonesian club Persib Bandung after the club's manager claimed he should be sacked for not scoring.

The ex-West Ham striker was quoted by the Daily Mirror as he launched a tirade against Persib for the shock decision which has left him "flabbergasted".

Persib boss Umuh Muchtar claimed that Cole's performances during his four-month spell had been "very bad" but Cole fired back as he stated that players such as himself and ex-Chelsea star Michael Essien had not - and were not - getting a fair crack at the whip.

He stated: “I am fit as a fiddle. The manager didn’t bring me here and he doesn’t want me to play. That’s what’s going on.

“I have the full backing of the board. There’s a war going on in the club that I am a part of.

“He wants to bring his own players in so he can get paid. There’s a lot of things going on behind the scenes."

Asked why he was so aggrieved over being let go by Persib, Cole went on to add that it was Muchtar who was refusing to play him and not that he had been performing at such a woeful level for his previous team.

He added: “I have started two games out of 16 because he has not wanted to play me. Me and Michael Essien are playing catch up. There’s no reserve league here.

“He’s trying to point fingers because of his bad management. I don’t like to leave unfinished business. I don’t want to be in the middle. The fans have been unbelievable.

“It’s very political, but I want to carry on here and progress with the team. I get the blame for everything! I am flabbergasted. The manager is trying to get me out. It’s difficult because of one guy. I will resolve it.”

Cole only completed a free transfer move to the Far East in March following his release by USA-based side Sacramento last October, but the 33-year-old failed to score a single goal in the five appearances he made during his brief stint in Indonesia.

Muchtar had originally told the press that Cole had had his contract torn up because of his terrible displays for his side.

He had said: “He plays very badly compared to the other (foreign players) who have joined Persib. He had the worst performance.”