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For Arsenal’s sake – Leave Adebayor alone
By Ian Trevett
I can clearly remember the first time I really gave it to an ex-player.
The League Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester United – back in February 1983. Frank Stapleton had turned his back on Arsenal about 18 months before and we hadn’t forgiven him.
The North Bank, as one, chanted “You’re just a Greedy ****, Stapleton.” Yes, I joined in, but I was 16 at the time and you think that sort of thing is clever when you are 16.
Travelling back to Manchester after the game, poor Stapleton must have really regretted upsetting the Arsenal fans, and probably wished he had never left the club.
Or then again, he might have been grinning his head off, re-living his brilliant performance in the 4-2 thrashing the Mancs had just handed out. I think he may have scored a couple that night as well, but luckily my memory has erased the uncomfortable memories.
Teddy Sheringham never played for Arsenal, but we hated him and he hated us. The hate for Sheringham even intensified after he left Spurs for United. “You went to Man Utd and you won **** all,” we’d sing. But then they won the treble and Sheringham held three fingers aloft next time we met, as usual that ugly smirk was etched on his gloating face. “You might have won the treble but you’re still a ****!” we pointed out accurately.
He was smug and arrogant and though it might have felt good giving him some stick, it never worked. He lapped it up and played better. Can you recall a game where he played badly against us?
I think you can see where I’m gong with this. How well did Tevez play agianst United? Look how Bridge inspired his team against Chelsea. When a player comes back to his club with a point to prove, he is a dangerous opponent. Smother them with love and their desire for revenge is muted and the edge is taken off their game. Thierry was mixed up with emotion when he came back with Barcelona. Vieira hardly had his greatest game of his career when he played for Juventus at Highbury.
And so we come to Adebayor. Although he was lucky to stay to the pitch at Eastlands, he played like a man possessed. If he had played with the same passion for us, his name would still be echoing around the Emirates every home game.
The reason we fell out with Adebayor was that he appeared to lack effort when he wasn’t interested. On his day he was as unplayable as Drogba, but he could also be as ineffective as Lee Chapman in an Arsenal shirt (another ex-Gunner who couldn’t stop scoring against us). If his big problem is motivation and commitment, surely the worst thing can do is fire him up!
So what do we do when we play City? Simple. We show our love for Vieira, We sing Kolo’s name and if he is around, we applaud Silvinho. And for Adebayor? Nothing. No boos, no abusive chants. Absolutely nothing. For a man with such a massive ego, the thing he most dreads is indifference. Adebayor? Didn’t he once play for us? I can’t really remember him.
One other thing, I care about the reputation of our fans. We are welcomed at most grounds round the country because we support our team without the ugly attitude of some other London clubs. But we don’t cover ourselves with glory when we accuse an African man of having a father who cleans elephants and a mother who is a whore.
Enjoy the game if you are going. Show your respect for our former invincibles and ignore Ade. He just ain’t worth it.
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And in other parts of the universe…
AISA pressure leads to Ladies league game at the Ems
Mudchester Untidy rescued by a lovely firm of merchant banks. But oh no, something might be going wrong.
How missing your centre back pairing really hinders the attack
Is Wenger the nutty professor, or are lots of the fans utterly bonkers?
This team will have its day. There is something very special about to happen
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What else is happening in this lovely world of foot and ball?
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Bollocks,wenger is not helping us out with his stubborness,it’s the least we can do to enjoy ourselves as we have nothing else to cheer about.
This is exactly what i’ve been trying to explain to my mates, the same happened with Cashley recently. We need to completely him otherwise it will just fire him up
I agree. Just ignore him. He’s not worth it and we all know that an Adebayore on fire is a great attacker. We just have to make sure that he will be strolling around the field some 10 yards offside all the time, with his biggest smile on his face wondering why that assistant puts his flag up once again.
That’s the Adebayor we would like to see tomorrow.
So give a cheer to Toure, to Viera and just give silence when his name is called before the match.
Just remember: the guy had someone die in his arms since Eastlands.
Whether he’s now ready to be the Pope, I doubt. But I suspect he’s changed more than you might imagine.
Facing death is something which changes you. Twice I thought it might happen. Not a gun, but a minibus crash and tripping on a winter mountain and going headlong downhill. It changed the way I saw life….
I suspect Ade sees life differently now.
We should see him differently too.
Tony, where’s 2morow’s match preview?
Trevett, i couldnt agree more. @jaggar, forget it if u think that guy sees life differently. Wave some pounds before him, u’ll see how he sees life.
This is actually an article that made me change my mind about the game; I’m with Ian on this one.
But I see Mr A has been signed up by the BBC for the World Cup or something, so I can avoid that and make my protest that way.
Tomorrow’s preview – it will come,… I hope
This is the most hopeless and futile article I have ever seen.
Why,Benkim,do you think it is hopeless n futile? Some of us here do not think so, mind u, judging from the comments. I don’t think i av read an article here wit the name Benkim as the author. Maybe u should try writing one.
I agree 100% I remeber singing the “we won the league in manchester song” at highbury and thinking the karma would could come back to haunt us that year and it did.
He isnt worth our time or energy, sadly quite a few will stoop to Ades level of behaviour though.
I have to agree with Ian ,let us not lower ourselves to such an extend
that cheapens the name of Arsenal fans all over.Give him the silent treatment but cheer the others who gave us yeoman service[but only at the start and the end].
Cheer on the team as you have never before -show them that you support
their efforts so that they may be inspired to finish the season in style.
Cheers all !
As I mentioned last week after your article about what Spurs fans chant at Wenger, if you are someone who finds it offensive then you will respect Adebayor today.
Kind of pointless vilifying Spurs fans when your own are just as bad!
Well said, i agree with you and beside ade who????
Lanre
If you followed the Press after the shooting, you’ll see that was losing weight, far more than was healthy. He was pining for his colleagues, wondering what life was about.
I’m not saying I like the man, I’m saying anyone who can read human emotions knows he has some.
I hope you don’t need to hold someone while they die. Unless it’s your mum or dad and they’re ready to go at a ripe old age…….
Adewho?
@lp
Sorry – missed your comment at first, but still agree with you.
I think your write up was actually a awesome beginning to a potential series of write ups about this topic. Most people pretend to know what they are talking about when it comes to this stuff and most of the time, very few people actually get it. You seem to really dominate it though, so I think you should run with it. Thanks!