[quote]I don't think that YOU or anyone else knows exactly what has been said between Ade and Arsene. Yet you and others, particularly those of you who have Ade-bashed for the past season, are very quick to believe that he must be asking for £120K a week - after all, didn't the Sun and other 'reliable' sources say so? You're quick to argue that he shouldn't have an enhanced contract, yet I'm betting if Cesc would have asked for an enhanced contract, that would be understandable.[/quote]

Hi Sierra, i am feeling rather unique on the board at the moment. As i am definitely one of Ades critics but i find myself defending him to an extent over this summers press frenzy.

I am critical of him because of several things on the pitch.

1. His ability to stray offside.
2. His inability to get himself in the box as much as he should.
3. His first touch which sometimes is excellent but at others looks like a tackle waiting to happen.
4. His work rate that sometimes is immense and at others is minute.
5. His finishing.
6. His choices when it comes to making a run, or not.

However within all of these criticisms i recognise that he has the potential to be superb. He still needs to work on things and is by no means the finished article. I will still criticise him though and i still think there is an argument to replace him with another striker.

On the contract debate though i think he is being harshly treated by our own fans and the press. Clearly he is trying to negotiate an improved contract and clearly what the club have offered (whatever it is) is not what he wanted. What would normally happen then is that negotiate to a point where everyone is happy.

Unfortunately two other agents have got into the press and have smelt blood. Their quotes can be ignored as they are working towards payments from other clubs and getting a cut out of any move whilst not representing the player.

The press, (how wonderfully truthful they are ) have used these various quotes to stir up a media campaign (that fills pages and sells copy) for the whole summer.

Ade then goes out to confirm his desire to stay at the Arsenal and then SKY (that bastion of truth and justice) put words in his mouth in an interview afterwards. Great they can start the media frenzy again.

From what i can see almost everything Ade has ACTUALLY said is reasonable. A couple of comments sound a little to mercenary for my liking but in effect can be read two ways, and you can guarantee the spin the press put on it wasn't the positive one.

If Ade continues to stutter (in my eyes) on the pitch i will continue to criticise, and i might not feel comfortable signing his song. However my silence will be based on his ability rather than the spurious tales that come from our shoddy tabloids.

[quote]5. His finishing.[/quote]

Some of his finishing is unbelievably good as well though, the one against West Ham on New Years Day from an impossible angle or the 1 touch, shoot finish against Reading at home. Or against Derby home and away. He has the potential to be a top top striker IMO as he is so quick, so powerful and has demonstrated(albeit sometimes inconsistently) that he has some real footballing talent to go with it.

[quote]1. His ability to stray offside.
2. His inability to get himself in the box as much as he should.
3. His first touch which sometimes is excellent but at others looks like a tackle waiting to happen.
4. His work rate that sometimes is immense and at others is minute.
5. His finishing.
6. His choices when it comes to making a run, or not.[/quote]

We've been spoilt for generations with our strikers, he'll get better if he stays. Up his wages to resonable fee, if he's not happy sell for the max and move on. I have to say I do like the Blackburrn striker, i'd take him now!

[quote]albeit sometimes inconsistently[/quote]

Thats his big problem with me. If he could get to 90% consistency he could be the best striker in the country, and score silly amounts of goals. However he is probably only performing at about 50% most games.

1. His ability to stray offside. - Sometime he times it perfectly and sometimes he is caught offside wrongly, however he seems to dally to much and stray offside needlessly so many times, when holding possession is so important.

2. His inability to get himself in the box as much as he should. - He does like to stray out onto th wing. It's fine to drag defenders around but after he has made the run and laid it of to the fullback, he should high tail it into the box instead of stand 4 foot away from the crosser.

3. His first touch which sometimes is excellent but at others looks like a tackle waiting to happen. - must be age concentration or something, Arsene get him a brain trainer.

4. His work rate that sometimes is immense and at others is minute. - again age possibly but he sometime runs for 90 minutes other times it looks as though someone has nailed his feet to the pitch.

5. His finishing. - His shooting is sometimes sublime and the next game he couldn't hit the crowd if he tried.

6. His choices when it comes to making a run, or not. - He needs to learn more about running across the line and with time i hope his movement will improve. However until it does he is limiting his chances and causing problems for the midfeild.

[quote]However he is probably only performing at about 50% most games.[/quote]

And scoring equal or more than most strikers in Europe including Torres, who is considered the best. The way some people talk its as if he doesn't perform to an acceptable level, he does, perhaps its not his full potential but the key thing is its still very good relative to most players.

[quote]but the key thing is its still very good relative to most players.[/quote]

Thats where i start to move into a grey area.

You see if Ade was playing in front of the Liverpool team i would only expect him to get 15 goals a season. However if Torres was playing in front of our team i would expect him to get 45 goals a season. We make many more chances.

Ade is good, but not as good as he thinks, and certainly not as good as some of the top strikers. Hopefully with the right attitude and work he will get there.

[quote]However if Torres was playing in front of our team i would expect him to get 45 goals a season. We make many more chances.[/quote]

Not sure I agree again, I think Torres would score some of the chances Ade missed, but no way could Torres score some of the goals Ade scored due to his lack of power and long range shooting. Torres needs to be rested as well, Adebayor played almost constantly.

When did Henry get 45 goals a season for Arsenal with the same service if not better? Is he a worse player than Torres?

I think Adebayor gets a raw deal personally, however he will need to do this again to convince people including me that he is truly top class.

Hello Hobart, I think you are very unique at the moment. The mantra I keep repeating is 'he is young and still learning..."

[quote]I think Adebayor gets a raw deal personally, however he will need to do this again to convince people including me that he is truly top class.[/quote]

For some reason people weren't convinced by him even when he was banging them in regularly during the season.

He's a good player, the fame went to his head a bit prematurely and said some silly things, but he's worth persisting with.

Those of you who hate him, I'll be watching to see if you remain seated when he scores a winning goal in a cup final

Good post, Digger.

[quote]Good post, Digger.[/quote]


Just another for the collection

I've always disliked him

even if he did score 20+ goals again, such statistics never tell the whole story..

we prob lose 2-1 in the final

not enough chnmaces as 100 offisdes , 75 failed to copntrol the ball, 25 cant be arse to jumpo unless its goal scoring opp, 3 beat up players for not passing, 1 i only came on cause ya cak

and all for £100k a week

grim riper doesnt make as much money

I feel the reverse of Hobart.

Great player, his attitude has always concerned me more, and this summer even though we may not have hard evidence there's enough circumstantial to suggest what he is doing - its too early in his career to play these games, the big problem for me is that whatever he is given this season, if he wins a pay rise, he will be back again every summer

I'd give him one further chance, a small pay rise based on a good season last year ... my gut feeling is that if he doesn't leave this season he will next

[quote]Great player, his attitude has always concerned me more, and this summer even though we may not have hard evidence there's enough circumstantial to suggest what he is doing - its too early in his career to play these games, the big problem for me is that whatever he is given this season, if he wins a pay rise, he will be back again every summer

I'd give him one further chance, a small pay rise based on a good season last year ... my gut feeling is that if he doesn't leave this season he will next[/quote]

Thats one of my fears, if he does well again, we will have to go through this all next year when he wants another pay rise. Even if he stays this summer i cannot se him being around for long.