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A leading Arsenal supporters' group today warned Emmanuel Adebayor that he faces a level of abuse similar to hate-figure Ashley Cole when he returns to Emirates Stadium as a Manchester City player.
The Togo star claims that a section of the club's fans drove him out of north London after he was heavily criticised for appearing keen on a move to AC Milan or Barcelona last summer.
But Mark Brindle, a spokesman for fans' group Redaction, insists it was Adebayor who prompted the breakdown in his relationship with the fans and likened the ill-feeling to that created by Cole when he secured a pay rise and a switch to arch-rivals Chelsea in 2006. “Adebayor got excellent support in the season before last, when he scored 30 goals and looked like going a long way to replacing Thierry Henry,” Brindle told Standard Sport.
“But he threw that support back in people's faces by courting a move to some of Europe's top clubs. Although he didn't leave, the effort wasn't there for a lot of last season and he is using the fans to justify moving for money. He didn't get as much flak as he claims he did last season but when he comes back with City, he is going to get a lot of abuse — probably on a par with Ashley Cole. Fans don't forget and we see him as typifying the modern footballer — just out for money.”
Adebayor's form declined last season with only 16 goals in 38 appearances amid rumours of dressing room unrest before manager Arsene Wenger eventually agreed to sell him to City for £25million last week.
The 25-year-old yesterday defended his record at Arsenal and accused Gunners fans of double standards, claiming there is no difference between his actions and the continuing speculation surrounding Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.
He said: “Every summer and December, Barca try to buy Cesc but the fans never turn on him.
“I'd just scored 30 goals in [the 2007-08] season, and it wasn't my fault Milan, Barcelona or Real Madrid wanted to sign me.
“The fans never understood that; they never understood why those clubs wanted to buy me. I couldn't understand why they were after me. I'd done everything, made a speech, played for three years, done my best.”
But Brindle hit back, adding: “Cesc has been at Arsenal since he was 16. He is a Barcelona lad and there is no getting away from that.But each time they have been linked, he has come out and stated his love for Arsene Wenger, the club and the fans. To compare that to the way Adebayor has acted is completely ridiculous.”
Redaction are the most vocal fans group affiliated to the club and were involved in organising the fans rally in support of Wenger at the end of last season.
Reader views (25)
Whisper it ever so softly to our Gooner fainthearts: Cesc Fabregas is on his bike to Barca in August. The reason? He wants to win trophies.
- Ted, London
Players come and go, always have done and always will do. Some don't even get a chance to pull on a shirt and play before they are shunted out of the door!
It would be good for everybody if Emmanuel Adebayor just moved on and let his football do the the 'talking'. Even he cannot surely deny that last season, judging by his former standards, he was below par. He is a good footballer of that there can be no question but it was not his footballing ability that upset the fans it was the perceived attitude he constantly portrayed. Maybe this perceived attitude was due to him in someway being frustrated with his own performances. All players go through bad patches and the good ones come through them usually a lot stronger. Its obvious that the move to Manchester City suits all parties involved for a variety of reasons. I think as an Arsenal fan in exile we should just move on and hope that when he comes back to the Emirates he is not in the form that he enjoyed in 2007/2008!
- Pedro, Dubai UAE
won't you just think about the children!
- Keith Price, luton,mars
in truth adebayor is a decent player but is lazy has poor ball control and worst of all has huge problems trying to understand the offside rule,Eduardo and Van the man will do a better job and Theo will come good in the next couple of seasons.
- Geeza, Australia
put it into perspective, we only want players who give 100% and are committed to the club to play for the shirt and fans. Sadly players are more committed to their wallets and you could argue good luck to them but if they have a contract they should honour it.Most fans dont earn anthing near what they earn so would jump at the chance of a wage rise elsewhere but footballers have more of a choice at the top level and should not go touting themselves just cause they had a good season and feel they deserve better. Instead of giving him a pay rise we should have fined him last season. I have watched adebayor since he signed and I dont believe he is consistent enough to earn the 25m price tag that we got for him so im very pleased with the deal. He scored some good goals for us. However, he couldnt read the offside trap, didnt hold the ball up that well or control it as well as he ; wasnt particularly good at winning balls in the air or laying them off and it just amazes me that a player with such lack of control can play at that level and go for such a fee. Believe me AW will find or already has a better player in mind to replace him and we just have to give the team the full support they deserve next season. If they give 100% we shouldnt criticise.Its going to be a big year for all the team. Lets get behind em. If your old enough to remember the crap we used to watch 25 years ago you will appreciate what im saying as we has a bunch of talented players coming through the ranks.
- Ivesie, chatham kent
I agree that at times Ade's attitude left something to be desired last season. But I think Arsenal fans (of whom I am one) really need to grow up: Let the guy go in peace, overall he did well for us, scored some fantastic goals, and the club has made around £20 million quid. He may have courted Milan last summer, but unlike Cole he didn't betray Arsenal - and he doesn't deserve that abuse.
- Mchale Whiting, London
Well as an Arsenal fan we have been hard up for money for a long time now,so it is most prob the best situation for both of them,and we have given loads of abuse over the years to him and he did score plenty of goals, i think we will miss him alot next season.
come back Ade
- Shoey, Sweden
Adebayor really is proof that some players
have no brain.I hope the City fans get upset
when he doesn't perform then he will blame
mark Hughes.
- Willie Cocker, Ireland
Mark - I suggest you study the figures correctly. With assets such as the current property developments underway, Arsenal actually break even once the developments are finished & in time sold. The debt is easily financed by the additional revenue raised from the stadiums extra capacity & related sales, they are in the least debt of any of the top four clubs. As far as Bentner is concerned, I dont know many 21 year olds who have scored 9 goals in 31 internationalmatches & 8 goals in 26 appearances for their club last season, with many as those appearances, in his case, as sub. Major clubs have been reported to have noted his progress including A C Milan & Bayern Munich. By the time he reaches his peak, he will be a top class forward easily capable of 25 plus goals a season. Prseumably a jealous Spurs fan by any chance?
- Rob Gooner, North London
I was worried that his greed might get in the way and abort the transfer. I am glad he left. Not because he is not good enough, but because he has a curse over his head from his own country where he is supposedly the captain but yet the disruptive element. His agent is probably touting him now to Real Madrid and Barca for a transfer so he gets his commission. Ade cannot see what is happening to him, he should have looked at Edu, Reyes, Hleb, Flamini and a few others who have left Arsenal under disloyalty. The Arsenal style of football makes ordinary strikers look great. Ade is going to experience a new life and he will know Arsenal made him look grat.
- Kamsoman, London, UK
"The fans never understood that; they never understood why those clubs wanted to buy me."
too right we didnt understand why they wanted you as you are a useless , lazy money grabber .
one of the best bits of business weve ever done getting 25 mill for him.
but saying that cashley still deserves far more stick than adebayor
- Bergkamp, banbury
This guy still doesn't get it, does he?!!!
"I'd just scored 30 goals in [the 2007-08] season, and it wasn't my fault Milan, Barcelona or Real Madrid wanted to sign me."
We didn't care that Milan, Barca and Real were interested in you!!!!!
That just signifies that we have a quality player at our club.
What we didn't like was the fact that you courted their attention and used their interest to bend the club over a barrel to get yourself a new double your money contract.
Then, when you get your bumper contract you return the next season and play like you couldn't care less.
Then to add insult to injury you blame the fans for your form and attitude.
I hope City fans know what they're getting. He'll turn up for the first few months then he'll get complacent, slack off and start talking too much.
There's no winning with a person like Adebayor. He'll never recognise when he's been at fault because his ego is just too big. He'll never accept when he's in the wrong. So, get used to it City fans, if you ever have reason to question him he will not understand. You'll end up hating him just as much as Arsenal fans now do!
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
- Steven, London
In case you guys have forgotten,Adebayor is a footballer by profession.Take it that he is an expatriate in England.How many of you would refuse a pay rise.Please,grow up.
...Oh sorry, I was just thinking back to the old glory days when players honoured contracts and gave their all for the club.......plus ca change !!!!
- The Windster, Gloucester
The one comment that concerns me in this, is Arsene Wenger also blaming the supporters for the departre of Adebayor.Football is entertainment and if you pay through the nose,as football supporters do,to watch under performing highly paid egotystical idiots like Adebayor, you're entitled to criticise.
It's the same with cashly, just a pathetic adulterer, with no class and at the club he belongs. He thinks that he can rattle us by his childish words, but he's terribly wrong. He and Adebayor epitomise the modern footballer, so out of touch with reality. I wish Man' City every success and am glad that they've signed Ade. Good riddance.
Ray Mummery.London
- Ray Mummery, London, England
Sorry- not sorry to see Adeybayor go,he got one good goal in Europe and lived on that for the season,directly the opposition went up a level he went missing.Im afraid players like him and Eboue [the headless chicken]rate their ability a lot higher than it really is,no doubt Man City will find this out,as will anyone who buys the chicken,jim
- Jm, folkestone- kent
"Financially stable" (they only owe £300m+) "The fast improving Bentner" (don't make me laugh). Yet another trophyless season beckons for the Woolwich Wanderers. Oh but I forgot, its all about the kids...........
- Mark, Essex
In case you guys have forgotten,Adebayor is a footballer by profession.Take it that he is an expatriate in England.How many of you would refuse a pay rise.Please,grow up.
- Osa Novia, London,UK
I am glad to see the back of Adebayor,he wanted out last season but we couldnt offload him, so he mopes around all season scores hardly any goals and then has the front to say hes to tired to play. He has shown hiself to be lazy and greedy and with this parting shot unloyal.With the cash we got for him I trust the shrewd Wenger will land us someone worthy to wear the shirt,not some mercenary,egotist.Fabregas has got more loyalty in his little finger than Adebayor has got in his entire lazy body.Good Riddance.
- Jim Ex Pat,Islington N1, thailand
I think Ade is an attention seeker. I am not very suer I should be writing this piece because I feel I am giving him the attention that he is desperately looking for. He obviously 'regrets' if that is the word his attitude towards the club, team and manager. Cesc is a very intelligent young man and he has shown that in his dealings with the press. I wonder what planet Ade thinks he is on. I remember the booing of Eboue, his feeling and pride was hurt and he knew he had to work hard to gain the fans and he did so brilliantly well. To say that the club needed the money is a fact- when you have a player who is well paid and is not giving his all, the most logical and sensible thing to do is what Arsenal has done - SELL HIM and I am glad we did. Because we are not a bitter set of fans, we would like to wish him all the financial success that he went to City for. I only wish that he thinks before he speaks, keeps his head down and work hard for his new employer because he is overpaid and overrated. He has to deliver. Bye Bye Ade.
- Jayt, Watford, UK
Yes he did score 30 goals in the previous season but then decided to amble through the following season as he was desperate to leave. The pound signs were flashing in front of his eyes.
Apart from one super goal in the Champions League he contributed precious little last season and then wonders why the fans had a go at him. Ask him to examine the videos of his games. Hopefully he will play in the same manner at Man City.
- Gooner In Spain, Pego, Spain
I agree whole heartedly with all the guys comments above. But I think most fans will be pleased he thinks that they pushed him out. It's our club (the fans) and he showed he was only in it for the money and self promotion.
- Ian, Perth, Western Australia
Great business once again from Arsene Wenger, he buys Adebayor for £7m from Monoco & sells him on for £25m. Leaving Arsenal's superb set up must be extremely difficult, hence Adebayor's bitterness. Arsenal still have many attacking options available with the fast emerging Bentner as an instant replacement, as well as Van Persie, Eduardo, Vela, Arshavin & Walcott. Arsenal are one of the most financially stable clubs in the premiership, with much lower debt than any of the other top 4 clubs, which was incurred to build a new self funding stadium, unlike the others whose huge debt was a result of foreign owners attaching huge debt to finance their purchase of their respective clubs & to pay absurd amounts in transfer fees & wages.
- Rob Gooner, North London
Needed the money? So why didn't Arsenal sell him last year to AC Milan for the reported £30m instead of giving him £50k a week pay rise? He did nothing but try and get away from Arsenal last summer. The reason Cesc is loved by the fans is 'cos he keeps saying that his future is with Arsenal- unlike this greedy idiot.
- A R, London
Ade is not happy and blames the fans for runnning him out of town. He did nothing to discourage the transfer talk and got a bumper pay rise out of it. Then he showed precious little commitment in the following season. Now he has doubled his wages and wants us to see him as the victim. Cesc has always refuted transfer rumours so fans recognise his loyalty.
- Adrian, manchester
He has treated Arsenal fans with contempt by openly flirting with the clubs that have shown an interest in him and he continues to insult their intelligence now with this nonsense. He has no sense of personal responsibility; now there's a surprise in a pampered footballer. He now iindiscretely insulta the club (not the supporters)that has given him so much. Its a cheap shot and a sad measure of the man that he is. Bye bye.
- Shooy, London UK
