Emmanuel Adebayor

[ciggiesnbeer]

FWIW Adebayor seems to have had some kind of breakdown over the summer. All that stuff with his mom, for example.

Although I would take him on a season loan, I totally understand anyone who just thinks it is asking for trouble. I think there's a pretty decent argument to be had that having one player picking up 100k in a dressing room full (now, anyway) of players earning way, way less isn't great for unity.

I'd also wonder what sort of attitude he'd have coming here, after Arsenal, Man City and Spurs, given our recent state.

Whenever interviewed he comes over as a totally self absorbed human being, he is also known to refer to himself in the 3rd person.

Well, he'll fit in well with our manager then won't he?

Has Sherwood ever done that? I never noticed it. Its always a bit of a red flag.

https://vine.co/v/OxQKE6Fv9Md

Oh my. Hopefully he doesn't make a habit of it.

[cdbearsfan]

Wanky or not, it makes no difference whatsoever to how good a player he is. Besides, Arsenal fans were baiting him all game because, as I said, they couldn't accept that he'd moved to a more successful club.

Looking forward to you being so magnanimous if Delph does the same against us this season.

Not the same though, is it? The reason why Delph will get unmitigated abuse isn't because Villa fans are unable to accept that some clubs are more successful than us. It'll be because of the snakelike manner of his departure.

Benteke would be a better comparison. It's fairly unlikely we'll give him stick all game, just as we never do to Milner. If we do give him stick all game then nobody will feel sympathy for us if he scores against us and rubs it in. We won't though, and he won't.

[olaftab]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/emmanuel-adebayor-why-the-tottenham-striker-is-considered-by-some-to-be-a-bad-egg-10030104.html

[cdbearsfan]

FWIW Adebayor seems to have had some kind of breakdown over the summer. All that stuff with his mom, for example.

Although I would take him on a season loan, I totally understand anyone who just thinks it is asking for trouble. I think there's a pretty decent argument to be had that having one player picking up 100k in a dressing room full (now, anyway) of players earning way, way less isn't great for unity.

I'd also wonder what sort of attitude he'd have coming here, after Arsenal, Man City and Spurs, given our recent state.

Even given "our recent state", there's no way you can argue that moving from Tottenham to Villa would be more of a step down than moving from Real Madrid, the biggest club on the planet, to Tottenham. Yet he was still a massive success at Spurs under Sherwood.

[olaftab]

I don't think a dozen or so games can be described as massive success.

[Ger Regan]

In much the same way as most of the things in the article you posted could be described as someone who is a trouble maker.

[cdbearsfan]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/emmanuel-adebayor-why-the-tottenham-striker-is-considered-by-some-to-be-a-bad-egg-10030104.html

All those reasons are terrible.

First, there's the taking the piss out of Arsenal fans who baited him all game. I've already said I'm fine with that. In fact, I thought it was hilarious.

Second, a Real Madrid player saying nasty things about Barcelona. Well, I never! What a shock. I assume if that's a reason for leaving Adebayor well alone then you'd never, ever, accept Mourinho as Villa manager bearing in mind he spent virtually his entire spell at Madrid (and before, come to think of it) making snide digs at Barca?

Third is the Twitter story of him supposedly taking the piss out of his own team. He said the photo was taken before the game and I'm struggling to see why anyone would consider that to be a particularly unlikely reason. It seems far more likely than a striker deliberately taking the piss out of his own club, doesn't it?

And finally, the belief in voodoo. Well, if that's a reason to berate him, we really should be refusing to sign any non-Arab African player, given that belief in voodoo is so widespread that virtually every Sub-Saharan African team that every qualifies for a major tournament takes a witch doctor with them. I'm really struggling to see how religious belief can be used a stick to beat a player with. I can only imagine the outcry if the journalist had suggested that a footballer was "trouble" because he believed a man was nailed to a cross then magically came back to life days later, or because of his faith that a guy went into a cave and heard the voice of Allah. Oh, and it's coupled with, again, unsubstantiated rumours about his mother which Adebayor denies but the journalist still sees fit to print despite providing no corroboration whatsoever.

If we can learn one thing from Adebayor's career, it's that you shouldn't annoy Arsenal fans if you want to be loved by the London media.

Personally, I couldn't give a shit if they continue to hate him if he does the business for us. Given his career scoring record, and his fantastic form the last time he played under Sherwood, I think he would. And for just a year's wages, it's hardly much of a gamble.

By all means feel free to disagree by providing reasons why you feel he isn't a good footballer, but suggesting we shouldn't sign him due to half-baked, biased and unsubstantiated media drivel like the article quoted seems thoroughly odd to me.

[pauliewalnuts]

FWIW Adebayor seems to have had some kind of breakdown over the summer. All that stuff with his mom, for example.

Although I would take him on a season loan, I totally understand anyone who just thinks it is asking for trouble. I think there's a pretty decent argument to be had that having one player picking up 100k in a dressing room full (now, anyway) of players earning way, way less isn't great for unity.

I'd also wonder what sort of attitude he'd have coming here, after Arsenal, Man City and Spurs, given our recent state.

Even given "our recent state", there's no way you can argue that moving from Tottenham to Villa would be more of a step down than moving from Real Madrid, the biggest club on the planet, to Tottenham. Yet he was still a massive success at Spurs under Sherwood.

Leaving Real Madrid for anywhere is a step down. It's also worth noting he was only actually on loan there, he was a Man City player, still. Even then, in joining Spurs permanently, he was joining a club which was competing at a high level.  He was also three years younger than he is now.

Here, he's nudging 32 and we're a club which has spent five years embarrassing itself. He's spent most of last summer being involved in weird stuff with his family. He's known to have needed to take a break from football. He's played about 20 matches a season for the last two years.

Don't get me wrong, I would still consider taking him on a loan if the terms were right, I just don't get why you're so baffled that anyone would raise an eyebrow at the idea of signing him.

[olaftab]

Yes true  and both are indicative of good and bad in him.

[pauliewalnuts]

And finally, the belief in voodoo. Well, if that's a reason to berate him, we really should be refusing to sign any non-Arab African player, given that belief in voodoo is so widespread that virtually every Sub-Saharan African team that every qualifies for a major tournament takes a witch doctor with them. I'm really struggling to see how religious belief can be used a stick to beat a player with.

That's hilarious.

"Why do you think this player is a risk?"
"Well, he's been on the record lately as saying that he thinks the reason things aren't working out for him is that his mother has cast a voodoo curse on him"
"Well, if you're writing off players believing in voodoo, you need to write off pretty much all sub Saharan African footballers."

[cdbearsfan]

I don't think a dozen or so games can be described as massive success.

Yet you seem willing to write him off based on one season when he couldn't hold down a place in the Tortenham team when Harry Kane emerged from nowhere to be one of the best forwards in Europe.

If you don't want to talk about brief spells of form, I'm happy to discuss Adebayor in context of his entire career. 176 goals in 483 games, including many in which he only came on as sub. Virtually all at the top level in either England or Spain.

Not too shabby.

[cdbearsfan]

And finally, the belief in voodoo. Well, if that's a reason to berate him, we really should be refusing to sign any non-Arab African player, given that belief in voodoo is so widespread that virtually every Sub-Saharan African team that every qualifies for a major tournament takes a witch doctor with them. I'm really struggling to see how religious belief can be used a stick to beat a player with.

That's hilarious.

"Why do you think this player is a risk?"
"Well, he's been on the record lately as saying that he thinks the reason things aren't working out for him is that his mother has cast a voodoo curse on him"
"Well, if you're writing off players believing in voodoo, you need to write off pretty much all sub Saharan African footballers."

You think his belief in Voodoo is a good reason not to sign him? I think it's a load of shite, I think all Theism is. If a player went through a bad spell of form then said he thought it was because he'd not been a good Christian, for instance, would you consider that to be a good reason not to sign him?

[pauliewalnuts]

And finally, the belief in voodoo. Well, if that's a reason to berate him, we really should be refusing to sign any non-Arab African player, given that belief in voodoo is so widespread that virtually every Sub-Saharan African team that every qualifies for a major tournament takes a witch doctor with them. I'm really struggling to see how religious belief can be used a stick to beat a player with.

That's hilarious.

"Why do you think this player is a risk?"
"Well, he's been on the record lately as saying that he thinks the reason things aren't working out for him is that his mother has cast a voodoo curse on him"
"Well, if you're writing off players believing in voodoo, you need to write off pretty much all sub Saharan African footballers."

You think his belief in Voodoo is a good reason not to sign him? I think it's a load of shite, I think all Theism is. If a player went through a bad spell of form then said he thought it was because he'd not been a good Christian, for instance, would you consider that to be a good reason not to sign him?

Yes, frankly.

Although there's a bit of a difference between "forgive me father, I have sinned" "say 100 hail marys and undergo a 20 match barren spell" and "I'm not scoring because my mother has put a voodoo curse on me".

[silhillvilla]

If he comes fair enough, it's not my money. If he doesn't I sense we've dodged a bullet

[olaftab]

All those reasons are terrible.

Yes ALL!