Goodbye Kolo
1 comment July 30th, 2009
So the final Invincible has fallen. People will point to Gael Clichy, but he was a substitute behind the husband of that X-Factor judge from Girls Aloud (â„¢ arseblog). It’s strange and sad to wave Kolo goodbye – he really is one of the few you envisage remaining at Arsenal for their entire careers, but with Arsene’s ever-stricter age policy those players will become rarer and rarer.
I remember him bursting on to the scene, almost literally, as an impact substitute in the wide midfield positions. His first goal came in a game at Stamford Bridge where he came on as a substitue to bundle in an equaliser. It was that same game in which he hit a free-kick from fully forty yards that zipped just over the crossbar. The power and enthusiasm he showed on that day would be the hallmark of his early years at Arsenal.
Many expected him to mature into a marauding full-back: it was a surprise to those who’d condemned his lung-bursting runs as resembling a headless chicken when Arsene decided to pair him with Sol Campbell at the start of the 03-04 season. But the partnership clicked, with Toure’s speed proving an ideal match for Campbell’s aerial prowess, and we went the entire league season unbeaten.
Over the coming years Kolo matured into our first-choice centre-back, but arguably never recovered from Campbell’s departure. Whilst a partnership with Philippe Senderos showed promise, William Gallas and Kolo were incompatible both on and off the pitch, and for long spells of last season the Ivorian was in and out of the side.
A bout of malaria is often cited as the cause of Kolo’s physical decline, but it’s difficult to know if that is the true reason. What is clear is that he’s lost some of the sharpness that allowed him to overcome his positional naievety. With Vermaelen (who will inherit Kolo’s number five shirt), Johan Djourou and Gallas all arguably ahead of Toure in the pecking order, perhaps Arsene felt he deserved a few years of first team football and £100,000+ p/week.
Some fans will crow at a £13.75m profit on a player who was no longer first choice – most will miss a fantastic servant and an absolute top man. When Man City come to the Emirates it’ll be fascinating to observe the varied response of the crowd to Kolo and Adebayor.
He might not be the last man out of the door either – watching the end of http://arsenalaction.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/video-eboue-says-goodbye-to-the-arsenal-fans/ it seems Emmanuel Eboue could be about to follow him. Watch this space.
ps. If Patrick Vieira rejoins Arsenal, I will eat my banner image.
