FLOORED ... Emmanuel after
thumping
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.”
