Monday, August 18, 2008

What does Adebayor's new contract really mean?


Well, on one level, it at least gives us a chance to look at this rather nauseating picture again.

Mmm. Badge.

I suppose it also signifies that Arsene, and the Arsenal hierarchy, are serious about wanting to keep him at the club, and that they're willing to improve his wages to achieve this. Whether he fully deserves this increase is now moot: he's achieved it. But questions still could be asked about whether he really does merit Henry level wages after some of the finishing and decision-making he showed on Saturday's game.

But to Adebayor himself, what does it really mean? The consolidation of a love affair with Arsenal that will last til his retirement? No, of course not. It means a bigger wage cheque and, hopefully, thoughts of other clubs being put out of his mind.

But for how long?

Henry signed a 'long-term deal' then left the next season. So did Cashley. So did Vieira.

Contracts in modern football guarantee, at a minimum, one, or, if there is good-will, maybe two
more years at their present club. After two years on any modern contract, things often get a little dicey. In Adebayor's case, I think the deal will pin him down til the end of this season, and perhaps the next one as well.

But if he has another good season this year, which, through a combination of his finishing ability and the plethora of chances we create for him in every game, I think he will, I don't think it'll stop him from leaving next summer if another top club come in with a firm bid and big wages.

Modern football is dominated by greed. Brian Glanville calls the Premier League the 'greed is good league' and players like Ade sum it up. The argument that they're just trying to earn as much as possible in a short career simply doesn't carry weight. The average salary in the UK, an affluent country, is about £23,000 a year. Now, Ade will be on, I reckon, about £70-80k a week after this bump. That's easily 3 times the average salary in the Uk, per week.

In one year as a Premiership footballer you will earn more money than an average UK resident earns in their lifetime. In 4-5 years, you will easily have more money than you need, if you decide not to squander it on birds, booze and bling.

That is the bottom line for me. Football has always had its superstars, but the Premier Leage has helped to create almost untouchable figures, players divorced from the fans who pay their wgaes and support the team.

Almost all the money that has been funelled into the new Premier League over the years has gone into player and corporate pockets. That's what contracts like Ade's mean. Not improving the general state of the English game, through improving local facilities or youth development plans, but into the pockets of a few hundred men. Remember that next time you see a dilapidated local pitch in your community that's part of an FA league. Contracts like Ade's, or Ronaldo's, show fans are just wallets to too many people involved in English football nowadays.

The contract ultimately means that fans will have to pay ever more money to support our team. Our new stadium produces record levels of revenue, yet instead of tickets being subsidised - as happens in the Bundesliga, for instance - fans pay more. Fans pay more to mean the club makes more to allow players like Ade to earn more. Something is wrong in all this.

Finally, it means the league become ever more uncompetitive. Only a handful of clubs can pay the wages necessary for stars, so don't be surprised when the same four teams finish in the top four. Isn't the Premier League wonderful.

So, for me, Ade is just another greedy footballer; and we're the chumps that pay him. But you can't blame him: he's just a product of his time.

Anyway, ranting aside, it means we have Ade, a decent goalscorer - given enough chances - for one more year. Here's hoping he earns the money as best he can by actually delivering us some trophies. and continues to act contrite.

Til later.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think this write up is just BS. Cant we all be happy at least we have a decent striker for the season. With all said and done he has proven to be better than all the other options we have( Except for Dudu) Vp has been anonymous, Bendtner despite his stature is no real threat to any defense, Theo- oh please. He is here and that is what we should be happy about. Improve he has to just like every other player.

Tia143 said...

Goonerboy, I agree with you.

Firstly, I don't think Adebayor is a world-class striker by any means and the fact that he'll be earning more than Fabregas is a disgrace in itself.

You're right, there is something wrong in the game when players get paid these crazy amounts of cash per week. If Fabregas got an improved contract, I wouldn't be complaining but Greedebayor...that's just wrong.

Everyone keeps hyping those 30 goals, but how come no one has pointed out that a bunch of goals were against Derby. Anyone can score against Derby. Honestly, it's sad that Adebayor got what he wanted.

Anonymous said...

Adebayor is one of the most difficult strikers to play against, he physical attributes gives us options in our attack, let's give the guy a break until the end of the season and if he fails to replicate his goalscoring form of last season then we can start criticizing him.

Anonymous said...

Excellent Post.
Adebayor is so far detached from reality it is unreal.
His attitude over the summer was a disgrace and his "i never said them things" is disresectful to the thousands of fans who turn up week in week out.

Everything over the summer was about money, money and more money. Not what was best for his footballing career, jst simply where could earn the most money.
Give me what i want or i'm off.
I want to play for AC Milan, i should be on £120k a week, i need to think about my retirement.

Well, Ade what about the fans? People whi are struggling to pay the bills each month, struggling to fill their car up with petrol each week? Those same people who give up so much so they can jsut about afford to go to games each week, what about us Ade?

I'm sick of over-aid footballers moaning about their wages. It's not just Ade, it's loads of them.

Ad's contract doesn't mean anything other than we can command a decent tranfer fee for him.

Ade's wages should be as follows;
£30k per goal, -£10k per miss, £5k per assist, -£1k per offside.
Sadly for Ade that would then require him to pay the club each week!!!!!

Merse.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully his £80k a week new deal also means we can command a decent fee for him when he leaves at the end of the season.

Anonymous said...

Why single Ade out? He just wants to earn the going rate for his skill set. He may have gone about things in a ham-fisted way, but he is no worse than any of the other players out there, he was just a bit more up front about it.

Unknown said...

I only have a question. If Ade got hurt last year and could no longer play, would Arsenal and it's fans be willing to pay him what he is worth for the rest of his career?

This is a Job like any other job, If I was offered $20,000 more than I was making at my current job now I would be gone.

Anonymous said...

come on u lot, listen, adebayor is just after donating $100,000 to a food aid charity in GHANA.... me thinks he's doing more with his money than the average british wage earner..!

cesc la vie said...

Oh behave!.. So he donates less than a weeks wages to Togo (not Ghana!..), after a flood disaster and that is supposed to make me respect the man. Ask yourself this.. How do we know about this?..Why didn't he donate anonymously?.. Answer..It's all about Adebayor. He wouldn't know the meaning of 'team' if he had it tattooed to his forehead. I hate that he plays for my great club and despite what he obviously gives us up front, I cannot wait till the day he ups and leaves!

fourstar71 said...

These comments seem to fall into two camps:

1) I am an Arsenal fan and any amount of money is worth it to win something for the club I support and love.

2) I am a football fan and I am disgusted at the way the game has become a money-pissing competition between hugely-indebted global marketing organisations.

It's an interesting dichotomy and I don't know what the answer is. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

get rid of him greedy cunt i dont care if we dont win anything for the next 5 years adebayor at any other team in the EPL wouldnt have scored half the amount he scored last year what a wank how can he even be compared to Henry a true arsenal legend year in year out 30 goal a season striker who could also create a goal for himself adebayor needs 4-5 chances before he bags one please arsene sell him in January so he can flop at the next club he goes to i have absolutley no doubt about him flopping whereever he goes no other team will provide him with half the chances he gets at Arsenal. Dudu or RVP would have bagged 40 goals last year given the same chances ade was given he has absolutley no footballing brain always offside didnt square it to bendtner last year at Birmingham to make it 3-1 and ice the game which ended our season i will never forgive him for that

Anonymous said...

Good shout Goonerboy

As a rival red I too am disgusted by the spiralling wages, lack of committment to the club and the apparent corporate disdain for football fans.

Sadly this shift began way back when in the early 90s when top flight English football sold its soul to the all powerful Murdoch behemoth.

Since that cruel dawn, the globalization of football and mental merchandizing machine that is the Premier League has also created the 'Top 4', an elite that has stifled competition in the premier league to new found levels of dull.

I am a United fan, and whilst I love the beautiful game, I am becoming more interested in the travails of the other clubs in the Premier League. The battle for UEFA cup spots has far more intrigue and excitement than which corporation wins what.

And as for Ronaldo, I think it is an insult to Adebayor to compare him to that Gemma Atkinson boning mercenary. I can't say I had much respect for him to begin with, but the way in which he shamelessly courted Real Madrid this summer has left me with a great desire to see him suffer a brutal injury...

then at least he may learn where his loyalties lie.

and will reveal the glaring weaknesses in the United side going forward.

Anyway Gooners, I look forward to watching your team play again this season. In Nasri I think you may finally have a replacement for Pires, in my mind one of the best players to have ever worn an Arsenal shirt. It will be interesting to see where you finish...