IT is The
Kids v The Cash at the
Millennium Stadium tomorrow.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has used
his new wave of players to amazing effect in the Carling Cup and
one of them hoping to impress again is Emmanuel Adebayor.
Ahead of tomorrows final against Chelsea, Adebayor and club
captain Thierry Henry talked to CHARLIE WYETT.
CW: When are you two heading to Cardiff?
TH: As I am not involved, I will be
going on Sunday.
EA: I thought Id go on
Monday!
CW: Thierry, wont it be difficult for you watching from
the stands?
TH: Ever since I have been here, I have
hardly played in this competition. I played against Wigan in the
semi-finals last year only because we were so short of strikers. I
am more than happy for the kids. There is no gutted feeling of not
playing.Obviously, I would rather be on the pitch than off it. Even
in training, if I cant play I am desperate to be out there. But it
would not be right if I was out there. The most important thing is
that we bring back the cup. It will be a tough game. Yet even in
the league at Chelsea this season we got a draw with a young team.
Obviously, Ade is one of the young players who has done so
well.
CW: Remember when you first met?
EA: I was playing for Monaco at
Chelsea in the Champions League. Thierry, who used to play for
Monaco, came to our hotel and we shook hands. He told me to keep
doing what I was doing. He was very encouraging.
TH: People compare him to Kanu. They
look similar, walk similar. Same shirt number. Same size feet!
Everything. But there are also differences. Kanu was more of a
short dribbler and Ade covers more ground on the
pitch.
CW: You two clearly have a great
relationship.
TH: Yes, we get on very well. Some
people maybe think it is a recent thing, as we have started to
dance after scoring goals. But we have got on well from day one. If
I score he comes to me and if I score I go to him to dance. This
started after both of us, along with Kolo Toure, went out one
night. Obviously, it was more difficult for Kolo to follow us. We
then decided we would do it during games.
CW: Any stick from your other halves?
TH: Not really. My wife says it has
been kind of cool. She said it made a change from my moody
celebrations!
EA: My mum said You dance at home,
outside and now on the football pitch. I think it is fun, though
the most important thing is that you win the game. There is no
point scoring, dancing and then losing.
CW: Ade, if you score against Chelsea, will you head
towards the Arsenal bench?
EA (grinning): We have a lot of
plans. We have yet to put them into practice on the
pitch.
TH: Yes, we have a new one coming. But
we have to score first.
EA: Hopefully, we will score against
Chelsea. I am really looking forward to it. We have great
motivation. We are ready for it. It would be great for the
club.
TH: Yes, it would be a great
achievement to beat Chelsea. But I would like to stress there is a
healthy rivalry between the clubs. Matches between us are never
dirty. It is always a nice game. Never horrible. I hope all our
young players enjoy the atmosphere, as it is so special. It will be
the last cup game, hopefully, before going to Wembley.
CW: Tell us something about your younger
players.
TH: The guy who has amazed me is
Denilson. I have never seen a player adapt to the English game that
quickly. You have less time in England than any other country. He
is not big-headed but when he plays it is as though he owns the
place. Cesc Fabregas was like that. It is the sign of a talent. Of
course, there is Ade. He is an example of what you can achieve when
you work hard. It is nice to see.
CW: Who is the quietest in the dressing
room?
TH: Theo Walcott. He is so quiet, you
dont even know he is there.
CW: The loudest?
TH and EA (together):
Eboue!!
CW: Worst dancer?
EA: Cesc Fabregas. The worst dancer
I have ever seen. Not since I was born have I seen anyone dance
like that. We have to give him lessons. He really needs help.
Seriously. We have played a lot of games recently, so we have not
had time. But we have to get round to it.
TH: There is certainly a good feeling
in this dressing room. It is too early to say quite how good we can
be. But rarely have I seen quite so many youngsters in the same
place. This team has the capacity to beat anyone. There is a lot of
character and you have to give great credit to our African players.
In fact, all of the African players in the Premiership. Where they
come from, the pitches are terrible. I dont know how they deliver
a good game. Sometimes, they play qualification games, seven hours
on a plane and then have to come straight back. It is not easy. If
you dont perform, oh my . . . .
EA: When you do well with Togo, you
are a hero. When you do badly, they get on you. They want to kill
your family and to break down your house. I had this after the
World Cup. We went to the World Cup and they thought Id score 15
goals in three games. I could only do my best. Dont get me wrong,
I love my country and am proud to play for it. It is just a
different world. Very different to playing international football
for a European country. When you go down to eat at the team hotel
at 1pm, by 12.50pm all the food is taken. Theres nothing left. But
this is Africa. You have to go to a restaurant on your
own.
CW: Presumably, you wont have such problems at Arsenals
team hotel in Cardiff.
EA: Hopefully not!
