I find it amusing that Emmanuel Adebayor seems so committed to the cause now that it involves one of his former clubs. Does this mean the striker will look to follow his own words and put Manchester City under pressure this weekend when they travel to Tottenham? I’m not so sure.
Adebayor looked to offer Tottenham some words of confidence ahead of this Sunday, stating that the City players could end up in a brawl amongst themselves if Tottenham make them uneasy and unsure of the final result. Whatever may happen on the pitch or in the dressing room, why is it Adebayor’s place to speak so openly about the mind-set of the Manchester City players? It’s one thing to talk up your own credentials ahead of an important fixture, but to so casually talk down a club who offered you a way out of Arsenal when no one else would just speaks volumes for Adebayor’s character.
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It smacks a little of a player who wants to work his way back into the good books of the Tottenham faithful following their exit from the Europa League. There are, however, smarter ways to go about earning your place – namely by consistently putting in good performances. Nothing much has changed with Adebayor since 2008, with a scoring record that has evidently gone to his head and filled him with a sense of value that goes unnoticed by everyone else.
Forget for a moment the implications of this tie for both teams: there will be plenty of eyes fixated on Adebayor, waiting for that slip, wasted effort or general attitude of devil may care. He’s done nothing but back himself into a corner with remarks about his former club, and I doubt there will be anyone who takes to heart his perceived words of advice.
We know the situation Manchester City are in. Roberto Mancini has not always chosen his words carefully this season, in particular targeting Joe Hart following the loss against Real Madrid. Certain sections of the club are feeling the pressure, as well as the greater sense of disappointment, I’m sure. Much more was expected of the current Premier League champions, but opposition players and managers have far more subtle ways of hinting at potential weaknesses without overexposing certain issues.
You continue to wonder if Adebayor is at all concerned about finding a club for a sustained period of his remaining years at the top. He should feel hugely grateful to Daniel Levy for rolling the dice on him for a second season, while most, for good reason, would have questioned the permanent signing of a player who has a reputation of unsettling and performing poorly. For whatever may be said about his recent interview, everything that has been handed to him at White Hart Lane has been thrown back in the faces of those at the top. I assume no consultation was made with Andre Villas-Boas, who I’m sure would have advised against those words, while burning bridges with former teammates is just a regular part of his game. He spoke highly of his relationship with Yaya and Kolo Toure, as well as the City captain Vincent Kompany. Once again, there are better ways to talk up your superiority over a rival than exposing internal problems.
This season should be the last dance for Adebayor at the very top of English football – or indeed at the top of any of the elite leagues in Europe. He’s proven himself to be nothing more than an overpaid nuisance, and one who has no desire to better himself or his team once he has assurances of a long-term contract. He’s the very image of the modern footballer. A reckless mercenary without much thought for his team or former clubs.
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