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Diaby: I won't quit like my pal Diarra
Wayne Veysey, Evening Standard29 Jan 2008
Abou Diaby has much in common with his best mate Lassana Diarra, whom he describes as "like a brother for me".
They both grew up in the Paris suburbs, are barely out of their teens (Diaby is 21 and Diarra 22), regard themselves as midfielders who operate best in the central acres and have found it frustratingly difficult to pin down a first-team spot at Arsenal.
After suffering a similarly demoralising experience at Chelsea, Diarra was unwilling to wait in a long queue for midfield places at Emirates Stadium and engineered a switch to Portsmouth.
Does Diaby intend to show a similar lack of patience to his great friend and force a move away from the club that he joined just over two years ago?
"No, no, no," repeats the France international. "I'm very happy here. I think it is going well for me. I have a plan to improve my quality and I'm working hard to take my game to the next level."
The beanpole midfielder has operated on the fringes of the team this season. An ever-present member of the Carling Cup and FA Cup sides, he has started only five of Arsenal's 23 League games, significantly only one more than Diarra.
Yet Diaby expects greater involvement as the games come thick and fast over the coming months. Indeed, with Tomas Rosicky sidelined tonight by another of his muscular injuries, it will be a direct fight between Diaby and Theo Walcott for the final midfield spot as Arsenal attempt to defeat Newcastle for the fourth time this season.
"I was expecting to play more," said Diaby. "But I'm not worried. I think I will play more at this stage of the season.
"I'm trying and working every day to play. I've spoken to the boss about it and he has given me his confidence."
Nevertheless, Diaby understands why Diarra felt it necessary to jump ship even though Arsenal seem to be on the cusp of achieving something special.
Diaby explained: "I knew what he was thinking. We are always together. He is like a brother for me. I was very disappointed but it is his choice. He left Chelsea because it wasn't good for him there and he wasn't really playing. He came here and wasn't playing a lot either. After that he needed to make the choice and he did it. It's best for him."
Some observers might argue that Diaby would be best served by seeking pastures new.
Signed from Auxerre during the same transfer window as Emmanuel Adebayor when Arsene Wenger pursued a policy of adding greater physical presence to the squad, his Arsenal career has flickered brightly but not shone consistently.
A horrific ankle injury sustained in May 2006 that required three operations and kept him on the sidelines for nine months was a major setback but he has mainly suffered from being a square peg in a round hole. Competition is intense in central midfield at Emirates Stadium and, even following Diarra's exit, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, Gilberto and Denilson are all ahead of Diaby.
He has produced some outstanding performances from an unorthodox role on the left wing but he has hardly ever got the opportunity to design the game from the position where he has won two caps for France. "Yes. I would like to play in central midfield," admits Diaby. "But I'm happy to play left midfield. I can improve a lot of things - my left foot and my pace."
The softly-spoken Frenchman is in no doubt, though, where he will spend most of his career. He said: "When I will play at central midfield it will be very good for me. For me, it is my best position."
Wenger recognises Diaby's star quality. "He reminds me of Patrick Vieira in that he has long legs, covers the ground well and is strong in the tackle," said the manager. "If he continues to make progress he will, in time, be as influential as Patrick."
Arsenal great Martin Keown believes that progress would best be made by Diaby staying put and continuing his education at a club where standards are skyscraper-high. "You want people to learn and buy into that environment," said Keown. "When they get the chance they make it so difficult for the manager that he can't leave them out.
"There have been occasions this season when Diaby has come in and done that. It is still early days for him. It is about winning the manager over and once that happens, he will play more often."
Like most of his colleagues, Diaby was hopelessly ineffective in last week's Carling Cup humiliation against Tottenham, when he stood out only for his orange boots.
"Of course it was very embarrassing but it has gone now," said Diaby.
"We could have gone to the final but we lost and everyone was very disappointed. The most important thing is to focus on the future and try and forget what happened."
Yet Diaby admits that there was some navel-gazing in the Arsenal camp in the aftermath of their White Hart Lane mauling.
He added: "Everyone will ask a lot of questions of himself and try to do better next time. We lost and it is a big lesson. When you have some bad thing you learn a lot from that experience. It is good."
