Why did Cesc wait until now before criticising Adebayor?
Add comment September 18th, 2009
Questioned about Emmanuel Adebayor yesterday, Cesc Fabregas delivered a damning statement, coupled with the exhibited evidence of a three-inch gash in his leg.
“I was lucky my foot was in the air when it happened. You know this is football and it can happen. Well… it’s not football but it can happen.
All I tried to do when he was at Arsenal was to create opportunities for him to score.
So I think I didn’t do too badly for him. I don’t know. It is a bit strange. We don’t think about him any more. He doesn’t play for Arsenal so we just have to concentrate on our game and our players.”
Adebayor’s challenge on Cesc was, although not as blatantly malicious as his stamp on Robin van Persie, just as dangerous. The club obviously realised the importance of influencing the media agenda if Ade was to be brought to justice, so rubber-stamped the release of a statement by Van Persie castigating the Togolese striker. Cesc, however, remained silent – until now.
Perhaps his decision not to speak out was due to an off-field friendship with Adebayor – a complication Van Persie didn’t have to worry about. Or perhaps a quiet word from Cesc and Adebayor’s shared friend and representative, Darren Dein, maintained Cesc’s entirely dignified silence.
Whatever the reason Cesc withheld, perhaps it was for the best. More furore may have clouded the most important issues – those of the stamp and the celebration. It can’t be coincidence that only once the punishments for those offences have begun to be meted out that Cesc has revealed his anger.
Fellow victim Van Persie could be fit to return this weekend as Arsenal face Wigan. He missed the not-so-Standard game with a knee injury, but is in contention to return to the side. The news on Denilson is less positive, with the Brazilian set to miss a few weeks due to back problems. Manuel Almunia has failed to recover from his chest infection, so Vito Mannone will continue in goal. Arsene Wenger says there’s a “10% chance†that Andrey Arshavin will be available, but I doubt the manager will play Russian Roulette with his star player’s fitness, so don’t expect to see Arshavin until next weekend at the earliest.
Full Wigan Preview tomorrow.
