Arsenal's players have long since finished training but there is
still no sign of Kolo Toure in the media area. Even the notoriously
tardy manager, Arsene Wenger, has completed his round of TV, radio
and newspaper interviews when the penny drops. It being Friday,
Toure has nipped out to the local mosque; prayers before
press.
For a man of Toure's deeply religious convictions, faith is an
essential part of everything he does, not just when he is on his
knees facing Mecca. He has faith in his Arsenal team-mates, faith
in Wenger, faith even that the current takeover distraction
engulfing the club will make them stronger.
After an encouraging start to the season at the Emirates Stadium,
he also has faith in his team's ability to make it a fortress
against the infidels who question Arsenal's commitment and ability
to challenge for honours.
Arsenal have been accused of lacking the moral fibre to cope in the
Premier League's more inhospitable northern outposts, unable to
hack the hacking, so to speak, in places like Bolton and Blackburn.
In truth, any hopes of making a title challenge last season
disappeared in the first five games on the plush new grass of their
sumptuous new stadium, three of which ended in draws. And
ironically, last season, they posted a 2-0 league win at Blackburn
and a 3-1 FA Cup triumph at Bolton.
Now Toure hopes that three wins out of three at the Emirates,
following two in the pre-season tournament there, has added
metaphorical turrets and a moat to the architectural design. He
says: "It was a big mental thing for us, playing at the new stadium
and we have had to learn to play there. At Highbury, with three or
four passes, you could get from one goal to the other but at the
Emirates, on a bigger pitch, we have learned that you have to be
more collected, more patient and more clever. You cannot always
look for the killer pass, you have to draw teams out."
For a man who describes himself as "coming a long way back in
Africa", Highbury was a pretty forbidden foreign clime when he
arrived as a 20-year-old in a wet and windy February of 2002.
Initially, it was only for a two-week trial but Wenger was so
amused by a player with the nerve to kick Tony Adams and Martin
Keown in training that he paid £150,000 for him to the Ivory
Coast's ASEC Abidjan, if only for the fun he would give the other
players. Sadly he was injured almost as soon as he had put down the
pen after signing and was ruled out for six months.
He says: "Everyone was asking, 'How can the boss sign a player like
that? He comes from Africa, we don't even know where he played
before and now he is injured after two weeks.' But all the players
and everyone else at the club gave me fantastic support. They knew
I had a good spirit, knew I wanted to make it and they took me in,
like a child, like a brother. When that happens, you think - 'this
is my home' and when I got better, Mr Wenger gave me my chance and
I took it. You can't say anything bad about a man like that."
Similarly, you would have to move to the cockerel side of north
London to find anyone with a bad word to say about Toure, who is
now the longest- serving member of Arsenal's young team, having
arrived shortly before Brazilian Gilberto.
Two shock exits from Arsenal in the past few months, vice-chairman
David Dein followed by captain Thierry Henry, might have upset the
dressing room as they fuelled rumours that Wenger would soon follow
suit and see the club's era of success turn into irreversible
decline. Dein, of course, has now sold his shares to a Russian
oligarch amid feverish speculation that he will return as Arsenal's
chairman.
Toure says: "Mr Dein was a fantastic man and when you are used to
seeing people, you always miss them. But that is life and you just
focus on playing. Losing Titi [Henry] was a shock because you
always think that it is difficult for the captain to leave. But we
have good players coming in like Adebayor, Van Persie and Eduardo.
People say that Titi did too much but I think that is normal when
you are his type of player. That was his character, he wanted to be
the best and always gave 100 per cent, even in training." Did Toure
and his team-mates discuss the possibility of Wenger making it a
trilogy of walk-outs and how they would react if he did?
"No", says Toure, "In football, you never know what you will do
until something happens. When it happens, you think then, but now,
everything is fine, the boss is here and we're winning games."
Having won the Premier League or the FA Cup in each of his first
three seasons, Toure has found the past two years painfully
frustrating.
"It's hard for me," he said, "because I am a winner. Even back in
Africa I was used to winning trophies every season. I have that
spirit in my blood. But now the young players and the old players
at Arsenal, we all work well together and you can see the big
solidarity between us." Defeat to Barcelona in the 2006 Champions
League final is still a festering sore. Toure points to the
sending-off of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, the injury to Robert Pires,
the disallowed Barca equaliser.
"We were very unlucky but what can we do? It would be a dream, of
course, to play against Barca and Titi in the final this season.
The spirit and belief is there in this team that we can do it."
There's that word belief again.
And if a little faith goes a long way, Toure's could surely take
him to infinity and back.
Wow,i can feel this guy. He is a
very determined guy and currently one of our best defenders. I felt
touched at the same time glad while reading this. King kolo is
legend!
