Joe Cole believes Chelsea should have won more league titles with all the money they have spent.
Blues ace feels investment requires greater return
Joe Cole believes Chelsea should have won more league titles with all the money they spent at the beginning of the Roman Abramovich era.
The midfielder admits that the Blues took their foot off the pedal after claiming back-to-back titles under Jose Mourinho, allowing Manchester United to dominate.
However the 28-year-old, who has only recently returned from a long-term knee injury, insists the team have learned their lesson and are determined to win their first league crown for four years.
Having destroyed rivals Arsenal 3-0 at Emirates Stadium last week many believed Chelsea were destined to be crowned champions come May, but a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday has thrown the title race wide open.
"If you look at the two titles we won at Chelsea, it was too early for the club," he told the
News of the World.
"Everybody took their foot off the gas while Manchester United got better. We won't make the same mistake again.
"We still won trophies, got to the Champions League final and finished second in the league twice, but it has to be first or nothing for a club like Chelsea.
Not good enough
"If you're not winning you are not happy. I don't care who else wins it, I don't begrudge anyone else success and United are a fantastic club - but we need to be winning the league four times out of five.
"With the money we have spent, the players in our squad, the ambition we have and the support we enjoy, it has to be the aim."
Despite the defeat to City at Eastlands, where Cole was an unused substitute, Chelsea still have a two-point lead over Manchester United.
But the former West Ham favourite, who believes coach Carlo Ancelotti has reinstalled a winning mentality, admits he doesn't take any notice of the table until February.
"We are very much back to how the club should be," he added.
"There is a different attitude. You can sense the desire among the players in training.
"This season we've still got to go to Anfield, Old Trafford and White Hart Lane. I don't even look at the table until we get to about late February or March."
