Emmanuel Adebayor Apologises To Arsenal

I think the phrase ‘way too little, way too late’ is the best way to describe Adebayor’s recent apology towards Arsenal and their fans in the build up to his highly anticipated debut for the white army in the North London derby.

Adebayor has played in the bitter derby before, providing one of the great goals of the historic rivalry in 2009.

There is little reason why Arsenal believed they had uncovered another Kanu, and not just because of the uncanny resemblance between their appearances and kit number, but because of their dominating power and surprising finesse both on and off the ball.

Unfortunately for Adebayor he bought into his own hype and believed he was bigger than the club that made him. In a series of several very selfish, classless and unnecessary events he found his way to the growing power of Manchester City where he made an immediate impact.

I told a friend of mine who is a big City fan that Adebayor would be fantastic his first few months at the club, but slowly over time he would complain for not playing 90 minutes in every game, for sharing the spotlight with other world class players and for the tactics the manager was employing. He is just one of those cancers to locker rooms and that would overcome his obvious talent. He did not believe me.

Towards the end of Adebayor’s first season at the club my friend came up to me one day and said I was exactly right.

I expect the same from his stint at Tottenham. Lucky for Spurs they have only committed to a one year loan as of yet.

It is coincidental Arsenal face him early in his Spurs career, given they faced him early in his City career also, which is the worst time to face the lanky Togo international, as I just discussed.

Following his first appearance against Arsenal Adebayor installed himself as potentially Arsenal’s most hated former player. His move to Tottenham cemented it. Upon scoring against Arsenal in September of 2009, he proceeded to run the length of the pitch to the far side of the stadium where the away Arsenal fans were seated. He slid in front of the gooners with his arms stretched out and incited an obvious and justified reaction. He was suspended for two games for the celebration and a further three for stomping on his former friend and teammate, Robin van Persie’s face.

Adebayor recently offered an apology to Arsenal and their fans, citing emotion as the catalyst for his behaviour. He vowed not to celebrate should he score on Sunday.

"“What happened two years ago was an accident and I do apologise to all the fans of Arsenal. Sometime the emotions, we cannot control them, we are all human beings. I regret what I have done and I say sorry to everyone but at the end of the day sorry doesn’t change anything. For me it’s over.I’m looking forward to playing against Arsenal again on Sunday but believe me, if I have a chance to score, trust me I will score but as for the celebration, never in my life will I do something like that again.It will be a funny game [on Sunday], it’ll be fantastic. I have a chance to play against Arsenal again, the club that gave me the chance to be where I am today. I have a huge respect for the club.”"

It seems his horror career at Manchester City has humbled the big man and perhaps he is beginning to realise he would have done a lot better never leaving the gunners.

If what he said about having huge respect for the club was true he never would have done what he did in the first place.

As an Arsenal fan who once loved Adebayor, an Arsenal that was bitterly disappointed he left and how he left, and an Arsenal fan who watched what he did at the City of Manchester stadium and battled to restrain himself from destroying the TV he was watching and the lounge room he was sitting in, this does nothing to repair what he did.

I daresay I speak for each and every other Arsenal fan out there.

I had an Adebayor jersey. I took great joy in burning it.

That is my response.