Adebayor exit has cut me deep + Arsenal v Barnet report

It’s official – Emmanuel Adebayor is a Manchester City player. And while the transfer fee is likely to remain undisclosed the amount is thought to be around £25 million.

He’s given his first interview as a Manchester City player and you can watch it below (LINK):

If I’m being completely honest the overwhelming feeling I am getting about Adebayor’s departure is one of disappointment at what could have been. Had Adebayor kept his head down last season and focused on repaying the faith that Arsenal and Arsene Wenger put in him before he caught fire the year before, there’s no way he would be moving to City. But his ego inflated, his workrate dropped and – understandably – the fans turned on him.

It hurts me in many ways that I used to call Adebayor my favourite player. I thought he epitomised the sort of character I really enjoy in football; hard-working, creative, joyful. Last season he was neither of those and after his virtual admission that he had lost faith in the club and its fans there was no chance he was going to be this season either. There’s no denying a motivated and chirpy Adebayor would have given a lot to our team but an unmotivated and unhappy one would have given us absolutely nothing.

Personally I feel the exit of Adebayor will make our squad stronger – particularly if the fee for his transfer is used to sign a quality defensive midfielder. He’s obviously a big and not always popular personality and his absence should give players like Eduardo and particularly Nicklas Bendtner the space to shine. It might also open up the possibility of a new striker signing with Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux the most likely candidate.

There is a theory going around that Adebayor’s exit may see Wenger change the way his forward structure operates. Essentially a lone striker (Robin van Persie or Bendtner) would operate ahead of two support strikers (any two from Andrey Arshavin, Eduardo, Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky, Carlos Vela, Abou Diaby) and I think it would work quite well, particularly given the increased role that Arshavin might get to play.

On that note I might leave it there. Bye, bye Ade. I look forward to giving you a right booing when we play you.

Arsenal 2-2 Barnet

Moving onto football matters and Arsenal opened their pre-season with a 2-2 draw against Barnet. Andrey Arshavin and Nacer Barazite got the goals while a very happy Tomas Rosicky was named captain for the day. New signing Thomas Vermaelen also got a run-out.

I didn’t get to watch the game – pre-season friendlies at 5am on a Sunday morning aren’t really a priority right now – but you can catch the highlights in the clip I’ve included below (LINK):

 

Anyway, that’s it. Enjoy yourselves, I’ll be back with some more thoughts tomorrow.

Have your say on Adebayor’s exit to Manchester City by leaving a comment.

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Comments

  1. I totally agree with you SF, but like you said, the only way to justify this transfer is to bring in that DM we desperately need. Will AW do that. I guess the answer he always gives is, if the right player is available.

    BTW SF, last nights game was on at midnight he in Vegas 🙂

  2. Great Gud GUNNER GOEN I TINK it a ringht decision 4him and arsenal…but d money? I am afriad becos AW did not even talk about wht we need DM or do we hav any? It wel be anoda problem next seasom if AW did not get DM.our problem last season is not DF but DM let sombody distop dem b4 dey get 2d DF.football Oooo my GOD

  3. Am glad Ade has gone now. There is no doubt Ade gave us something different. Technique, aerial prowess, eye for goal, strength and speed all in 1 player however last season and just had no effort meaning everything gets cut out. When you dont try the fans turn on you and its very hard to get back in the fans good books (even Villarreal goal didnt do it) so its best for Ade and the club he has gone as we have also netted 25 million. Buy a DM now! In the draw. Arshavin played upfront which could mean thats where he will be playing from now on and instead of buying a new ST we are simply moving a player from LW to ST. And we will buy a new midfielder hopefully to strengthen up our squad. Rosicky back YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Also a couple of the youngsters impressed me – Sanchez Watt and Nacer Barazite come to mind straight away aswell as Wilshere being his typical self.

  4. Totally agree spanish fry but one rotten apple can spoil the bunch .on the other side arshaven quite likes shareing the left side with young gibbs and when he gets up front brendtner and arshaven team up well so these two young lads will learn a lot and I am quite confident they will step up in class this year.

  5. it wouldn’t suprise me if arsne goes to a 5 man midfield with the line striker as our pace in the midfield is outstanding and also arsne has stated that wilshere will be our db10 that we have been missing and also with him learning off sharva he will progress really well and I do think the lad is going to be bigger than walcott when he breaks into the England team. Also with the ade situation I really do think it’s a win win for us 20 mill profit and no player is bigger than the club so everyone that talks to the press about moving might really have a 2nd thought about it now.

  6. With Adebayor gone, will Wenger use the 4-5-1 formation he seems to prefer in Champions League matches? I hope not. I don’t see any of our current strikers working well alone up front (maybe Eduardo?). Personally, I’d like to see the club use a 4-4-2 or maybe a 4-3-3 and just have a go at opponents offensively.

  7. Love that Barazite goal. The way he wriggles in the crowded opposition box and his hair… it reminds me of Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Dimitar Berbatov.

  8. Greedybayor Greedybayor,
    We doubled his money,
    But he still wanted more!
    Give him a cab fare,
    And show him the DOOR!

  9. We need a dm and a taller defender,can´t still deal with high balls,get naldo abd cana now,to stand a chance this upcoming season.

  10. on Adebayor leaving Arsenal:
    The theory on the press is that because fans are generally indifferent or even looking forward to the sale, it must be a good deal for a declining/lazy player. An indirect implication of this theory is that Arsenal should spend the cash right away for a replacement.

    There are 2 holes in this theory. One, there is no strong evidence that the majority or even a significant minority of fans are calling for the sale of Adebayor. He may have had a mediocre season, with speculation and a long injury. But this shouldn’t be the reason for all good will to dry up after such a dominating performance in 2008.

    Two, fans’ attitude don’t truly reflect the quality of a players, especially last season. All Arsenal fans (excluding Tony and his fellows) allegedly want Denilson and Song to go because of their “mediocrity.” I still remember Bendtner got booed at home only to come right back and score a winning goal at the Ems. Even Cesc didn’t play particularly well in games highlighted for Ade’s supposed “laziness.” We as fan like to echo each other’s dissatisfaction when things don’t go well, quickly forgetting the fundamentals in football – a world class player doesn’t turn mediocre overnight due to media speculations on a move to AC Milan (there might have been no Milan move at all but for his agent’s bluff to negotiate for higher salaries). Wenger knows too well to make his sales simply to meet fan’s demand.

    These two reasons lead me to believe that Ade is gone because Arsene sees that we’ve got better stuff in store, even compared to the Adebayor we’ve seen at his best. That is my alternative theory. I don’t think any of you have doubts about the quality of RvP, Eduardo, Arshavin or even Theo up front. For Nicklas, I would want to remind all in doubts that it’s his Denmark team that are in front in a table including Portugal and it’s he who scored the critical late goal that started a remarkable Dane comeback to beat Portugal.

    The foolish optimist that I am, I’m saying that we won’t bring in any new striker for the season. There is a significant possibility that Adebayor will prove his worth to the penny at City, but there is a bigger possibility that we’ll have more than enough goals to forget the undeserved jeers he received.

  11. Without a doubt, Ade was one of my favourite players from the first season we signed him. I’ll never forget Henry screaming at him and pounding the floor in front of his feet when Ade went for goal instead of passing the ball to him. I always thought it must’ve been unbelievable pressure to be playing up front alongside Henry, but he coped, then flourished when he left.

    Can’t see his spell in Manchester being a happy one though. Here’s to a couple of new signings, I’m getting a bit worried now.

  12. @ enemyairships – I’m not worried about Ade’s exit at all. I think it’s going to make us stronger and the morale in the team will only get better, particularly the attacking areas. We have Rosicky and Eduardo back, Arshavin from the start and now Bendtner has the opportunity to establish himself. I’m excited. 🙂

  13. @ Evo – I know dude, I stuck by him when I started the blog and really loved his efforts. Three seasons ago he divided opinion very similarly to Bendtner now and I really saw potential in him. Pity his attitude has disintegrated so much..

  14. fair enough mate, but he was the most offside player since Wiltord! That was the main thing i couldnt get over! he just didnt seem to have the brain space to figure out how to stay onside and so many of our potent counter-attacks were thwarted because he couldnt stay onside!

  15. At this point in time i think that i just grew far too frustrated with a player who did not want to be there. He encouraged empathy when he spoke of his begginings as his mother sold dried fish at the Nigeria Togo border so she could buy his football boots. But at that point he had just scored 30 goals for Arsenal and was amidst rumours and suggestions that he would be going to AC Milan, or a host of other European clubs. However, when looking at the jokes which have gone on since he has slowly began his decline in performance, work rate, ethics and general morality, i feel as though anything that we got for him would be good. Truth is. I do not miss a player that does not want to be there. I do not miss a player who does not want to contribute to the team structure. Ade did not want to do this. I miss what he brought to the team in many aspects. Pace and a physical presence.
    But then I had to look at what else he brought. Lazyness. Inconsistency. And he generated a feeling that Arsenal was not a top club to him. Yet he moves to Manchester City. The player in question was only ever going for money. He is not the type of player that I want at Arsenal.

    I wrote a piece on the transfer market for gues post tuesdays. Look at the ethics of the matter. What makes this transfer bareable to me is that Arsenal is a club of ethical business and spending. And generally an ethical club. That is what makes ARsenal the attractive club to follow. Yeah they mare appear cheap. But they do not do a lot of what many other clubs do. Arsenal to me are ethical. Adebayor is not. And i do not think that he should be within an ethical structure of the club I love. He is going to be part of the 2-4-4 formation which city play. SIgning how many strikers.
    thats my rant.

  16. I’m more worried about the players other clubs are snapping up around us. I’d have no miserable feelings about Ade if he went to someone outside the premier league, but he is a proven 30-a-season striker. Hopeful City’s woeful transfer policy will keep him firmly on the bench.

    I’m hoping Eduardo, Rosicky and Arsha are like new signings this year. Just a bit hesitant that there’s no plan B for that anticipation though, and two of those three are injury magnets!

  17. Personall y I’ll never support other than arsenal.
    However, time has come to be ralistic.
    For Arsenal to once again be a force we also have to get a sugar daddy like MC.
    The best we can hope for this season is semis in Europe and 6th in the leauge.
    Berealistic people.
    Hans

  18. @ enemyairships. Adebayor scored 10 goals in 27 appearances last season(in the prem). I agree that he is proven to be a prolific scorer. But he is also an inconsistent player. Look at his consitency. It extends furhter than his scoring. Workrate. Attitude. Yes a proven 30 goal a season scorer. But there are plenty out there who can do just as well.

  19. This article is pretty much spot on.

    Adebayor on his day is a remarkable player but unfortunately there weren’t many of those days while he was wearing an Arsenal shirt.

    He will no doubt score goals against Arsenal now but I’d agree with the comments above that team morale and hopefully the team itself, will be better with him gone.

    Barazite was looking good a couple of years ago. I hope he gets a chance this season.

  20. Ade is gone too soon.am sory 4 arsene,if he dose’nt find an urgent and potent replacement.luv gunnerz.

  21. now AW must really look to buy players to fill key positons in the sqaud that were weak last season and also keep the squad united.

    Next season gonna b really tight

  22. we must not go for chamakh cause his goal ratio is the same as Bendtner @ 4.71 per game plus look at all the the troble other Moroccan players have caused in the past Mido Swacky both @ boro and the other guy on loan @ Wigan going awol @ will not training and partying @ will -we need Klaas-Jan Huntelaar his goal ratio is 1.48 the same Eduardo are defence is not the best we need goals

  23. I think Ade’s exit shouldn’t be over emphasized,and a good radiance to bad rubbish.

  24. If Bendtner’s goal ratio is 4.71 per game, I don’t think we’ve got anything to worry about. Nice work tarring every African with the same brush there as well!

  25. my dream line up will be
    Almunia
    Sagna Djourou Vermaelen Clichy

    Arshavin Song Fabregas

    Eduardo Huntelaar RVP

    Subs; Gallas Gibbs Rosicky Nasri Bendtner Eboue Manone

  26. paresh, u talk allot of sence and seem to be one of the few thinking outside the box. Im a hammers supporter but because of family links to the asnl academy, i watch some of yr football. U have the same problem we have but at a later stage, u cant seem to keep yr senior players. Most of u seem to think they move for the money and if that is the case then how are u going to keep yr young players in the future. U might always be JUST POTENTIAL. I have heard asnl supporters say that the players who leave win nothing.Go back and study the records. Ask yourself what have u wan in the past 4 years. For what ever reason u fell out love with ade, the only player with a better goals per game ratio than he in the last 2 seasons is tores and he is not forced to do as much work way outside the box.

  27. ive just been listening to tlk sport they say ade’s goal to game ratio is only bettered by Tores. Maybe you lot are being a little hard. At the end of day Asnl have taken a step backwards, because they cant keep hold of senior players. Who are the supporters going to drive out next once that player goes through a bad patch. Before Wengers dream is ever complete many other players will leave due to the lack of financial ambitions shown by the club. Dream on boys and girls. Remember i support whu.

  28. @ Icehammer. Just not sure of what you mean to when you allude to the financial ambitions considereing your club just went into voluntarry administration. interesting to note when you consider those things. But i think you should look at the service which Ade recived in the 07-08 season. He has the lowest finishing rate out of any of the major strikers. If we had the likes of a drogba, Torres, or Berbatov, they would have finished top scorer. Truth is, Ade was an unsettling force. Who was not contributing to the team to his full potential. Arsh who played far less games, halved his goal scoring and had far more assists. he was unsettling. If you had one of your players behaving as he did with his transfer flirting then would you have turned down an offer when it was 25 million. Arsenal do not need the money. THey were the only club in the top 4 to make a profit. THey are also the 3 largest club in terms of value. Behind Real Madrid and Manchester United. WHo are both heavier in debt than Arsenal lacking tangible assets (eg land and not players)

  29. Dont be disappointed,he was over paid and had an inflated ego and he is not the dogs bollocks like he think he is.If Henry had played the season before last we would have cake walked the Pl and Henry would probably have scored between 40 and 50 goals and set up the same amount.But Adebayor is a one hit wonder and City will desperately try to off load him when Hughes gets fired,and you can quote me on that.

  30. Adebugger had a phenomenal miss rate despite scoring some great goals。His attitude was of a greedy spoilt child ,good riddance to a real nuisance 。Hope we use the cash to bolster midfield and defence particularly after seeing gaps left open to our main rivals ,Barnet。

  31. Shane your financial perceptions are correct, although our financial situation would not be as bad had it not been for the biscuit man and the C Tevez affair. And Berbatov would be getting the same treatment from Asnl fans that Ade Eboue and Bedtner received when you consider the season he had with Man U. Also i have Liverpool tv and have witnessed Torres miss many chances also. I remembered Wenger saying that the building of Emirates would release the club from financial restrictions and assist them in compeating for the top players. I understand that Asnl FC is a business first and a FC second but is that not a major part of the reason why they have wan nothing in the last 4 years. It almost as if Wenger is a Chairman first and a manager coach second.

  32. Absolutely agree with Danish’s assessment。Hughes is a Manure hasbeen who failed even to upgrade Blackburn Rovers who has just won the lotto。He won‘t stand the pressure。

  33. asnlthrunthru, because you say he missed a phenomenal amount of chances how many goals do you think would have been a good return for the season. 50-60. Asnl have never had a player desperate enough to score goals since Wrighty. Wenger’s style of play demands far to much wing and midfield involvement BY THE STRIKERS. He does not entertain having players whose prime objective is to score goals which is why when they find themseles with a scoring opportunity they ALL miss to often. There tallents have to be spreed to thinly. I think your midfield and strikers can all do a desent job in each others positions, that can be a bad thing.

  34. I am an arsenal fans.. but I am ashame of those who drives our own player… best striker out of the door… statistic shows… don’t tell me statistic means nothing…. even the world sky scrapper can only be built base on mathermatical calculations. Adebayor is a good striker and is not easy playing alone upfront.. plus with injuries.. he scored 16 goals.. Cesc also said that he loved to play for barca.. why u ppl dun drives cesc out? adebayor lost interest in playing because of you .. stupid fans.. who have no brains …booing our player… wenger sell adebayor because he lost interest (due ot u fans) also u fans wants him out…. to please u fans! and also he thinks we have enough striker to deal with.. but he do said that we will miss him….

    And some arsenal fans are talking about city spending big money…. and they don’t fear city… but i can tell u … arsenal should fear city…. we are lucky to have wenger as a manager.. that can still manage to keep us in top4 and semi of CL ans FA cup with low budget. Before anyone starts saying city spends stupid money.. starts thking.. who is the one calling for arsene to spend.. who is the one crying for more money to be spent… who is the one wants to replace ade with world class striker (yay… huge money as well)….

  35. @ Jen – Why were the fans unhappy with Ade – well he did not sure any desire or effort on the pitch. Yeah he still scored 16. But semi-finals of the UCL and FA Cup, where the hell was he. We needed him then and he didnt bother to try. Cesc however does try, his heart is arsenal. How many times does he have to say he wants to stay at arsenal and not move to real or barca. How many times did Ade? Its these things that you must think about. He didnt show loyalty to the club, he had a massive ego and we didnt want that at our club. So lets get 25 million for it!

  36. losing ade hurt me to casue there always was a chance that he could scored but then he did not run as much and did not work as hard to get the ball back and I thought what happened to him I thought he just go back to the way he was before but then he did not and that sadden me well from this transfer we got one of two things first money for what nealry every aresnal fans thinks we need a big CDM (Central Defensive Midfielder) and maybe one more defender who can help with the others and we may need a new striker with Chamakh being the name that has been bounced around by the papers and sky sports although you can never predict what arsense is going to do well bye ade I boo you to and the money we have spend it wisely arsene

  37. Losing a player for money is probably the worst thingg. I thought ade was a great player & i know il definately miss him in an arsenal shirt. Now we hav got 2 use the money and buyy a defensive midfielderr. Maybe make a bid for alonso before he goes to madrid. I dont think we need another striker because of the new formation we will most likely b playinggg with RVP as a lone striker & arshavin behind. Now all we have 2 do is not lose Cesc & win a trophy!

  38. Well to be truthfull I’m totally gutted. But the mischief is done and I’ll be dipped in shit before I root for that man again.
    I support those who support us, and if it means goimg it without Ade or anybody else then so be it.
    Having said so one has to admit on the back of a very disappointing season we have had a pretty dismal summer.
    My Kingdom for a holding midfielder! Alas and woe.

  39. We have lost ade so what now we can have a striker that won’t be offside and maybe show a little bit more effort like dudu will. Manure have lost ronaldo and you don’t see them carrying on as he was by far the player that could turn games around as giggsy has got too old and scholes gets injured a lot now. Even when ade did have his good season he wanted to be treated like henry and get his wages but henry had worked hard for us turning games around with a great goal but the only time I remember ade doing that was against villereal. We now need to get behind the team as we have lost more bigger players than ade and with sharva and ro-sicky I really do think we could have a really good chance at the cl this year.
    @sf thanks for fixing up my ytpo whatever it was as we had a work function on and free beer over a sunday lunchtime can have bad effects on typing skills haha.

  40. Heres what I would do. 25 million pounds + exchange rate + whatever money we had before the sale of Adebayor- I would do all I can to get Marcos Senna. He has voiced his admiration of Arsene Wenger and with Manuel Pellegrini leaving the club, I could see him being tempted into a Champions League run or two. I would gladly spend 15+ million for a player of his calibre. Still think we need a target man of some sort but Senna would be worth so much to the squad and as a mentor for Song/ Denilson

  41. Jem- I think it is important to note that Cesc also crushes speculation straight away. Saying that he is currently an Arsenal player. Ade always lets his agent talk to generate more money. “I am currently an Arsenal player, but i will see what this transfer season brings”. “I like Arsenal at the moment, but a move to Ac Milan would be a deam move”. Cesc lost it earlier with the press generating reports that he is going to go Barca. But does not hide it. Ade has a bad attitude. Ade did this. Not the fans. Look at Eboue. If he left in a case like this you could blame the fans. But he never did anything like this.

  42. Interestingly – with the ‘Did the fans drive Ade out?’ debate – the player I’ve been touting for us to buy, Celtic’s Gary Caldwell, was booed and criticised by the Celtic fans in his first seasons as they thought he was no good. He stayed and won the fans over with better and better displays until he was voted Scottish Player Of The year last season and is now a cult hero among Celtic fans.
    Adebayor could have chosen this path. Made an extra effort. Thought to himself ‘I’ll show them. I’ll win the fans over.’ But no – he chose the lazy man’s option. Runaway and try somewhere else. That’s indicative of the character of the man and I expect will show up again if and when the going gets tough at Man Shitty. I think he’s a great player – but he needs to have his head examined if he’d rather play for Man Shitty than Arsenal. Even with the extra lolly.

  43. @David – those other guys u mentioned are Egyptians, not Moraccans.
    Nice piece Spanish…just the kinda stuff I like reading, but what about them Strikers…no injury worries for you? Dont u think we need new strikers?

  44. @MoMOney – Viera’s messed up…how can u even think of VIERA? He wont even fit in and hes way too slow.

  45. I was more than hurt went I first got the news about Adebayor tranfer to man city over BBC on Saturday.

    I have favored Ade as my best player on arsenal but his desire to leave for man city is all by himself. I bid you good bye. I hope to see you in action as usual when man city meets arsenal next season. I must admit I missed you a lot.

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