It's finally official: http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150701/diaby-among-five-players-leaving-arsenal
Gutted for Diaby. He could have been one of the best but for pub player Dan Smith and his criminal challenge. Credit to Diaby for staying positive and trying again and again to come back. He had the support of the club, his teammates, the manager and the fans, but ultimately his injuries prevented him from ever regaining his fitness.
Yes, he was a decent player. Inconsistent, but showed some great promise. Could not get into our current midfield anyway.
I'm old enough to remember watching him play - on his day one of the finest. I wish him better times in the US
http://arseblog.com/2015/07/goodbye-and-good-luck-to-abou-diaby/ Nice article on him. The amount of hard work he put in to come back from bad injuries, and the months of rehabilitation and physio, then the number or really bad tackles he received on top of it, when not fully fit is ridiculous. Fingers crossed the lower pace in the USA enables him to stay fit and shine for at least a few years.
Nice article. This quote sums up why he stayed with us so long and its something I very much agree with. "I think the Diaby we saw that day at Anfield, the one who absolutely ran the show, was the player the manager always felt he could be, and that’s why he persisted." He was certainly a special player but sadly didn't get the chance to show it.
So true, what makes it even sadder is he could have been exactly what we needed and there's a possibility if he'd fulfilled his potential of him being an Arsenal legend. But those shocking tackles meant he had a career in the physio's room instead! Such a shame.
I think Diaby could have been that box-to-box player we'd been missing since Vieira. Shame it never came together for him and credit to the lad for never giving up. All the best Diaby and hope life brings you better luck in your next venture.
