TMT - there is nothing to suggest that the delay in Ade's arrival was anything to do with him - in fact if I recall, it was identified post-event that Citeh were actually at the heart of the problem. The ACON issue was bubbling for some time and I don't recall Ade actually being quoted one way or the other - it was an assumption that he would not go because he had withdrawn/retired from the Togo squad previously for personal reasons. I agree that the uncertainty was not helpful, but not sure how big an impact it has had on performances in recent days and weeks. I was particularly critical of his performance against Coventry and he has certainly not found the net with any sort of regularity, but I do think that some people are only to happy to make him the scapegoat on the basis of a perception largely generated by our nearest rivals....
Nothing wrong with any of that Spurf, if thats all there is to it. All you've missed is the possibilty of stuff behind the scenes thats not going to get discussed on a forum or anywhere else...but behind the scenes. Did he really look like one our biggest wage earners trying to win the game for his club? Had he approached the club with his ACON intentions in good time he could have gone with blessing, sort of! That flamin competition is more trouble that its worth! Overall he's gone from hero to zero in a year. He was main man under Harry, playing lovely football with two quality players who've moved on, and now he's not. I don't think he was best pleased at not being instantly installed back into the team after his injury.
His performances this season have been poor to say the least. I do think lack of preseason, injuries and Defoe keeping him out of the team haven't helped. It's hard to tell for sure what the reasons for his poor form have been but I hope he goes to the ACON gets plenty of games and goals and returns with his confidence back and a much more enthusiastic approach to the game. If he still can't do the job for us in the second half of the season then I hope we can sell him on and get a replacement in the summer because regardless of what the reasons are for his form we can't afford to keep players that aren't performing for us, no matter how good they can be.
I still find his whole attitude questionable. Firstly, he spent the entire summer in the U.S. seemingly getting as overweight and unfit as he possibly could. When we did eventually get him on a pitch, he was clearly unfit and promptly got himself injured. He seems an extremely vain, self centred individual, who plays football not for any love of the game, but purely for money. The Afcon fiasco has not been handled by the club very professionally at all. Had nobody thought to ask him if he intended going or not? If he had previously told the club he was not going, and has now changed his mind, then that's unacceptable. But, as far as I'm aware that's not the case. If we have indeed, through our own shortcomings, left ourselves with one fit ( at the moment) recognised striker, that's just ridiculously unprofessional.
There is no doubt that he is a special talent but there is often a price to pay for that. Many outstanding sportsman carry baggage they are after all not the norm as far as human beings go. Gazza, Best, Greaves, Berbatov, Cantona, Maradona, Zidane, Balliotelli, Cantona, Tevez, Suarez, Terry, the list goes on and on. Ade is a lot less of a problem than many on that list and it's easy to forget how hard it is to find or buy top talents. 9 games on and some are writing him off already, a bit too soon IMO Unless of course we sign a wunderkid.
He was effectively banned from Citeh during the transfer debacle, so had no access to supervised training as far as I am aware. And as for saying he 'got himself injured ' well that's a bit harsh! His public persona since he has been affiliated to Spurs has certainly not been the negative one portrayed by the Arse and Citeh: he has not gone public with any comments (nor leaked anything through his agents etc), nor has there been any suggestion from within the club that he has been any sort of disruptive influence. Criticism for not playing well is one thing, but slagging off on reputation alone is a mite unfair surely?
Unfair I think, in view of the millions he has pumped into building schools and hospitals in his homeland. Quite the opposite kind of behavoiur for a self centred individual I think. As he said, in the privileged position he is in he is able to earn millions and if he is prepared to use those millions to help the less fortunate in his homeland then his efforts to obtain more money is not all about himself.
I don't think that you can compare Ade with those you mentioned Spurf,he just isn't as good. I take your point about nothing to do with his performances on the field but we have to look at him as a whole. I already posted that he went missing at times on the pitch last year and was called lazy by many. His character will certainly have a bearing on his on field performances. A point Relayer,he'd retired and then not retired from international football...........an indecisive character in my opinion and not an asset to us at the moment. I hope for the sake of the club that he'll do the business for us and makes me eat humble pie but I doubt it.
I am not comparing his football abilities with those players TMT I am highlighting players with baggage. The fact that they also great players is the reason they spring to mind first. I've no doubt there are players in the conference with baggage but not surprisingly they don't spring to mind and if they did and I listed them how many would know who I am talking about.
Bebatov is described as lazy as was Greaves you don't necessarily have to run about all the time to be good. In fact if you are not that good you have to run about more, as I did.
I had a real issue with anyone claiming Berba was lazy as why run around looking for the ball, when you can create space by standing still? players like keane ran around like a headless chicken but Berba didn't need to do that! But as for Adebayor, I'm still not sure if Villas Boas wanted him, as would you choose Adebayor to be your backup striker? only a very brave (or foolish) manager would, I would say this deal went ahead as Levy struck a great deal. In saying that, I was all for us signing him, yet I assumed he was going to be 1st choice, the form of Defoe playing up top alone surprised us all, yet Villas Boas clearly planned for the season with Defoe as 1st choice, meaning Adebayor was going to fight for his place, and does a player like Adebayor at his stage of his career want to fight for his place?
His aim to help his home country is laudable. I hadn't referred to any financial avarice, I meant that his whole demeanour gave off that impression. He seems to want everything his way and generally seems very pleased with himself.
According to the BBC it looks as though as recently as last Wednesday he told the Togo manager Didier Six that he didn't want to play for them. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21003857 It looks as though he has been pressurised in playing for them. It may in fact be with the blessing of Tottenham as he needs a bit of game time. I think his first touch is missing. In addition his confidence is a bit short. A couple of weeks back he hit the bar from a few yards, Saturday he kept the ball down well but Caesar saved it. He needs a few goals, the ACN might prove to be his passport back to the top.
I think perhaps I would be pleased with myself if I earned millions playing a game when friends and family were struggling to make a living from anything. Seriously, you have to have conceit and self belief to play at this level don't you! Should our perceived opinion of his personality have a bearing on our view of him as a Spurs player? For me he has proved himself as a top player at the highest level it's our managers job to get that performance out of him, but even the best lose form and what I am suggesting is, some of us, have been too hasty in a wish to see the back of him.
There is absolutely no doubting that Adebayor is a great player, when he wants to be. And that is my problem with the player: he doesn't want to be a great player often enough for me to like him.
Good point! his ego may well be boosted by the ACN. I would expect him to hit top form some time this season the tail end would do nicely. Confidence should not be underestimated, for the ten minutes against Arsenal he looked full of it. Then BANG! he's off and hasn't looked the same since.
Very strange state of affairs, but one can imagine that in your own country (particularly a Central African Republic!) and trying to generate change life for the people, if the President says 'play' then you probably have little alternative but to say yes!!
