Today we see Emmanuel Adebayor move to Real Madrid on a loan for the rest of the season. This has ended two running threads of rumours; firstly, the stories regarding the future of Adebayor and secondly the saga at real Madrid which has seen Jose Mourinho clash with his board over the transfer policy.
It seems that Real Madrid think that they can do what they like. Splashing millions of pounds in search of success they have spent more money than any other club and have not won a major trophy since 2008. Most recently assuming they can just demand Hamburg to give them Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Real seem to pick up and drop players like they are fashionable toys in a playground.
So the question that today begs is this; has Adebayor finally found a football club that is as egotistical as him?
My first response is that is that he is no more so than the likes of Tevez or Rooney, who have recently put themselves before their clubs and their supporters in the desire for more money. However, in defence of both Tevez and Rooney, you would struggle to find a player who works harder off the ball or on it. The same cannot be said for Adebayor. While Adebayor has scored a good number of goals over the past seasons and proven himself as a top striker, he does not warrant the same amount of money as the other two.
But he is not asking for it!
It is important to note that Adebayor has taken a pay cut in order to go to Real Madrid. This is where he differs from the other two.
What we learn about Adebayor after his unforgivable reaction towards Arsenal fans and now his loss of form and transfer to Madrid is just how childish he is.
If we go back to Arsenal, It was Wenger who chose to sell, not Ade who chose to leave. Yes Ade went about it the wrong way but he showed just how passionately he felt betrayed. He wants everyone to think he is the best player in the world. The fact that Arsenal didn’t seems to be the reason he suddenly hated them. This shows an immense amount of immaturity of Adebayor’s part.
He wanted to be put on a pedestal and admired, both at City and Arsenal. It is the fans’ love he desires, not their money. This may make him less professional than Tevez or Rooney but it is not fair to class him as the most egotistical player around. Just one of the most childish. It seems that the modern game is only concerned with money, with Adebayor it’s personal.
Clubs are now in competition for the best young players. In order to secure their services they have to appeal to their egos. This has clearly taken toll on the likes of Balotelli, who recently proclaimed that he was the second best footballer in the world, after Messi. Delusional.
So while Adebayor may be completely obsessed with adulation, I would ask; is this any worse than being obsessed with money? The answer to that is up to the individual. I would say no.
But there is hope for Adebayor. Jose Mourinho.
He may be more egotistical than most but I believe it to be a work to his advantage. It detracts attention from the players. It also builds up his reputation in the media. Footballers care about this more than most and they are intimidated by it. So if it helps him command more respect from his players, I have no problem with his arrogance.
Mourinho himself is said to work like a machine, leaving no stone unturned in his pre-match preparation. He is clearly an advocate of hard work. Let us not forget that he helped Drogba to work harder and not sulk. ‘The Drog’ is now one of the most feared strikers in the world. Some players need the hair dryer treatment, some need an arm around the shoulder. Adebayor is definitely one of the latter, and I see Mourinho as adaptable enough to offer him that. Mourinho is the master at building players up, we saw it at his time at Stamford Bridge.
Adebayor needs to stop sulking, stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and just focus on being the best footballer he can be. I think that Mourinho will be the man to both build up his confidence again, and hammer home some footballing truths. Adebayor needs to realise that in order to get the fans to love you, you have to work as hard as every one of them would do if they were given the chance. Then they might start rating you as highly as you rate yourself.
It could be a great 6 months for Adebayor, it could be woeful. But it will definitely be interesting.
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