Gunners have gone backwards
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FLOORED ... Emmanuel after thumping
EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR claims Arsenal have gone backwards during his three years at the Emirates.
And the outspoken targetman has told Arsene Wenger he must get the chequebook out this summer after yet another season of frustration and disappointment.
Adebayor insists something has to change following Arsenal’s brutal beating by Manchester United in their Champions League semi-final.
The Togo star said: “I think we have taken a step backwards — not only me but the whole team.
“I don’t know what we are going to do for next season but we need to get some more players.
“We lost Alex Hleb to Barcelona and Mathieu Flamini to Milan last summer and it has been quite difficult for us since.
“We have a young team and we have tried to make the best of it. But when I came Arsenal in 2006 people told me I had the chance to win trophies — yet we are still empty-handed.
“This has been a difficult season for everyone. Last season we created four or five chances in every game with our passing and movement but that hasn’t been the case this time.
“Now we have to play for our dignity, show our character and hopefully come back stronger.”
Despite his outburst, Adebayor insists he has no intention of quitting the club this summer and believes he is duty bound to stay at the Emirates and fight.
He added: “Arsenal put me where I am today. They made me one of the biggest strikers in the world.
“Now I have to pay them back. The only way to do that is to help them win trophies. I came here to win trophies and I don’t have any reason to leave until I have achieved that.
“Next season I will be an Arsenal footballer, 100 per cent.”
Adebayor’s pledge of loyalty is in stark contrast to his comments earlier this week when he was quoted in an Italian newspaper admitting he frequently speaks to AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani.
He also compared Milan’s achievement of seven European Cups to Arsenal’s none and admitted he was very close to signing for the Italians last summer.
Yet now he wants to prove his commitment to the increasingly sceptical Arsenal supporters and promised: “I will do everything it takes to come back next season and show how good I am.
“I will show more character, personality and desire for this club.
“I have been trying my best and giving 100 per cent in every single game. But I have had to cope with a lot of injuries in the last two years and that makes it difficult.”
Boss Wenger will rethink his entire Arsenal strategy this summer after finally conceding that his youngsters do not have what it takes to win football’s major prizes.
After four years without a trophy, Wenger knows he has no option but to break the habits of a lifetime by spending big money in the transfer market.
Billionaire shareholder Stan Kroenke has promised Wenger the financial backing to go out and sign the established international players Arsenal are crying out for.
Frustrated directors almost had to prise the £15million out of Wenger’s grip to sign Andrey Arshavin in the final minutes of the January transfer window.
But the success of the Russian superstar has convinced the manager that he CAN find a quick fix in the transfer market this summer.
Top of Wenger’s priority list is at least one strong, quick and experienced centre-half to replace William Gallas and, perhaps, Kolo Toure. He also wants a talismanic centre-forward to rival the likes of Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney.
Then there is a powerful ball-winner to give muscular protection to midfield lightweights Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott.
None of this will come cheaply but Wenger knows the alternative is the risk of falling even further behind United, Chelsea and Liverpool next season.
Wenger said: “The average age of this team is still very young and they deserve a lot of credit to reach this level.
“But in the games where it really mattered, against United in the Champions League and Chelsea in the FA Cup, we couldn’t win. So that is something I have to think about.”
Wenger also needs no reminding that the longer Arsenal fail to challenge for honours, the greater the danger of losing impatient stars such as Fabregas and Robin van Persie. Captain Fabregas still has five years of his Arsenal contract to run but, with Barcelona knocking on his door, the midfielder will not wait forever for success.
The Spanish international made no attempt to hide his frustration after Tuesday’s defeat and said: “Manchester United have been much, much better than us over the two legs.
“We don’t deserve to be in the Champions League final because we haven’t been good enough.
“Manchester United and Chelsea have many, many players who can make a difference. We don’t have the same depth in our squad but we have to cope with it.
“I don’t know what will happen this summer. I thought we would all stay together last year but that didn’t happen and some players left us.
“All I know is that we have to make a big improvement next season. Fourth place is not good enough.”
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Filtering through the wall of text, this stands out
He added: “Arsenal put me where I am today. They made me one of the biggest strikers in the world."
Eh?
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if they can keep their team this way. in 2 years they will be playing with the epl trophy
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actually, arsenal's youngsters should have more patience. they will own one day
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Originally posted by youyayu:
if they can keep their team this way. in 2 years they will be playing with the epl trophy
That's what people have been saying for the best 3 years.
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Originally posted by FD2R.:
That's what people have been saying for the best 3 years.
unfortunately players are leaving not staying leh
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Originally posted by Master -_-:
Filtering through the wall of text, this stands out
He added: “Arsenal put me where I am today. They made me one of the biggest strikers in the world."
Eh?
he probably means his head
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arsene wenger needs to stop his stinge. I think they have great team for the future. So does man u. Pool too. Chelsea is a worry there.
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
arsene wenger needs to stop his stinge. I think they have great team for the future. So does man u. Pool too. Chelsea is a worry there.
yea.. chelsea too experience.. lol
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See what Arsene Wenger has to say about that
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Haiz We no Luck going to UCL
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i think arsenal would be a better team without him.
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Originally posted by limpper:
actually, arsenal's youngsters should have more patience. they will own one day
Given how other teams have youth too like MU, Pool or even Chelsea,and they improve the quality by adding better players..
I still think a good mix of experienced players with youth is the way forward. Arsene is fortunate that he has a good history to back him in this direction, if someone else, they would be fired long ago.
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Originally posted by youyayu:
unfortunately players are leaving not staying leh
of course. these seasoned players come in, and realized they won't be fighting for the title, but instead, are playing nanny for the young players. So they leave.
hmm, what happened to helb or flamini, nothing about them these days...
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hleb and flamini left and their clubs dun use them often like arsenal... soon they will be forgotten
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Originally posted by Aang:
hleb and flamini left and their clubs dun use them often like arsenal... soon they will be forgotten
such a waste, if Flamini is still at Gunners, it would be so different, cause he added steel..
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Originally posted by iceFatboy:
such a waste, if Flamini is still at Gunners, it would be so different, cause he added steel..
ya... but too bad... maybe wenger can find a better defensive midfielder -
Originally posted by Aang:
hleb and flamini left and their clubs dun use them often like arsenal... soon they will be forgotten
more like they r greedy for $now helb has less chance of 1st team in barca
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hleb can add width and surprise with his speed. flamini yeah...can add steel. flamini and fabregas.....wow.
if top players want to leave arsenal, that is a problem.
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wonder when can arsenal be undefeated again...