Footballers. As intelligent and forward thinking a bunch of people you’ll never meet. I mean, they’re always making sure they’ve got their futures secured.
Picture the scene, you’re a 24 year old player and you’re worrying about what it is you’re going to do when you stop playing. Will you have enough houses? How many sports cars are in your garage? Is your bling the blingiest? Such concerns are not things that us mere mortals earning £40,000 a year (if we’re lucky) should worry about. But when you’re already earning that figure every week things change. I mean, £40,000 is barely to get by on and imagine earning that kind of money, or more, for the next eight to ten years. You’d hardly have the sort of nest egg you deserve. I mean, let’s average out your wages at £50,000 a week for 8 years. That’s barely £20,800,000. How can you be expected to live the rest of your life having only earned that pittance?
So I fully understand Emmanuel Adebayor when he says:
Barcelona have made a good financial offer and there is also the chance to play alongside great players. Yes, I am still under contract to Arsenal but it’s up to the directors to satisfy my demands or I’ll leave. I have to prepare for my retirement. Even if you are not scoring fine goals and you have money, you can enjoy a happy retirement. The time for preparing for that moment is now.
You know, I think we should certainly just give him whatever he wants. I mean, he scored 30 goals last season. That means he’s the best player in the whole universe and should be rewarded accordingly. There’s no need for him to prove that he can do it again. Why would should we doubt him? Forget the new contract we gave him last summer. That means nothing. If you have one good season you should be in a position to ask for whatever you want and if you don’t get it then you should throw your toys out of the pram like a fucking baby. Prepare for your retirement? FUCK OFF. You’re 24 years of age. If preparing for your retirement is your primary concern then you’re a fucking joke.
How sad this all is. We have a player who came from Monaco where he was a bit-part player with some potential and after one good campaign at Arsenal his head has swelled and he’s making these kind noises. Pathetic. There was this belief before he arrived that he was a bit of a trouble maker. We never saw that at Arsenal. He said the right things, behaved well, performed on the pitch, his work ethic was fantastic and there was no hint that he’d start with this kind of crap.
But crap it is and no mistake. Comparing himself to Thierry Henry, a man who scored goals season after season after season, shows you that he’s living in his own little world. He’s got agents and advisors all around telling him he’s worth this or that and he’s fallen for it hook, line and sinker. These people have no interest in his football career but they realise that football is in a strange place at the moment. Three or four good games can see a player be heralded as the new Someone, lauded for international recognition or player of the season. A good season means that he can whored around to ‘big’ clubs who will pay huge money in transfer fees and wages.
If Adebayor thinks he’s as good as Thierry Henry or worthy of the same wages as Thierry Henry then he’s dreaming. Henry may be on the wane but he was, in his pomp, one of the most incredible footballers I’ve ever seen. He didn’t just have one good season – he had seven or eight of them and properly earned the money he was paid. Adebayor, as much as I like liked him, doesn’t come close. If Barcelona are offering him £120,000 a week then he should go and take it and Arsenal should take the £25m or whatever it is that they’re offering. Arsene Wenger might say he’s not worried about the situation but that’s just what managers say in these situations. Saying anything else weakens your position when it comes to negotiating a price for the player.
It’s just another indication that money talks in the world of football nowadays. Players are so far removed from reality that they can’t see the wood for the trees. Many players have left Arsenal to follow money and few have been successful. If Adebayor goes to Barcelona I sincerely hope that he finds out the grass is not always greener on the other side. The really sad thing is that he obviously won’t care one bit if he doesn’t win a trophy for the rest of his life, once he has his money to retire on he’ll be fine.
In a quick round up of the others news the boss talks about Cristiano Ronaldo and says he hopes he stays at United next season. Some interesting comments about Real Madrid as well.
The boss is also in the Sunday Mirror talking about the transfer market but I think it’s just a rehash of old quotes.
The People says we’ll bid £12m for Roque Santa Cruz this week.
And that’s about that. Euro 2008 final tonight. Should be fun. More tomorrow.
