Adebayor

[Rod Paradise]

The stamp was terrible, but I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the 2 footed lunge from Van Persie - it wasn't pretty either.

So I guess that makes them even in your somewhat biased view Rod.

LOL - only in your sad mind.

[GreekStein]

He's lucky his old club wasnt Millwall

[Karabiner]

The stamp was terrible, but I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the 2 footed lunge from Van Persie - it wasn't pretty either.

So I guess that makes them even in your somewhat biased view Rod.

LOL - only in your sad mind.

Talk about selective quoting, you just edited your first attempt LOL

[Longy]

In before lock?

[The Baron]

obv the stamp was awful but I lol'd at his goal celebration.... full length of the pitch - brilliant!!

Disagree with this statement. Full length of the field celebration was idiotic

players take so much shit from fans, its not surprising they want to give a bit back... of course it was a bit idiotic/immature, but made me laugh all the same

Not really - there was trouble outside the ground after the game.

[Rod Paradise]

The stamp was terrible, but I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the 2 footed lunge from Van Persie - it wasn't pretty either.

So I guess that makes them even in your somewhat biased view Rod.

LOL - only in your sad mind.

Talk about selective quoting, you just edited your first attempt LOL

And what is selective about that Ralph? You really need to try and make a little sense.
 
I decided I couldn't be bothered getting into another argument with you as it's just not worth it, so I changed my comment.

[amcgrath1uk]

Adebayor stamped on Van Persie...

wrong obv...

Sure doesn't deserve a medal

[Karabiner]

The stamp was terrible, but I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the 2 footed lunge from Van Persie - it wasn't pretty either.

So I guess that makes them even in your somewhat biased view Rod.

LOL - only in your sad mind.

Talk about selective quoting, you just edited your first attempt LOL

And what is selective about that Ralph? You really need to try and make a little sense.
 
I decided I couldn't be bothered getting into another argument with you as it's just not worth it, so I changed my comment.

LOL ok.

[gatso]

Just seen the stamp and the attempted kick to Febregas. Complete cock.

Now alonside Drogba as the biggest plank in the EPL.

erm ................. in the what!

not here please - its the premiership (and that in itself is bad enough!)

errr, no it's not. it hasn't been the premiership since the 06/07 season

[Rod Paradise]

Getting back to the discussion, instead of personal digs & disagreements, I agreed with this article on Football 365 to a point, the guy's thoughts on the celebration pretty much sum up mine - just he words it better. He's gone a bit over the top in his bit about Van Persie, who, while he's not lily white, didn't need his face stamped on.

Fans, Not Adebayor Deserve Contempt
Posted 14/09/09 09:49EmailPrintSave



When Emmanuel Adebayor scored that goal and set off towards the Arsenal fans, it was a brilliant bit of drama; such things are one of the reasons we love football's soap opera.

If he wants to laud his goal in front of his previous fans, who, let's not forget, have felt completely at ease with abusing him, then he bloody well should be allowed to do so without getting booked or any further discipline from the FA.

If in doing so he reveals himself as a self-absorbed, soulless nancy boy, that doesn't matter. Let him express himself as he wishes. We will judge the nature of the man accordingly. But no, the authorities from the referee upwards want to prescribe both what we see and how we should feel about it.

Consequently, Adebayor could be suspended for this harmless bit of theatrics. Remember what I said about the pussyfication of football a few weeks ago?

That's it, right there. Classic.

"He could have caused a riot," said that appallingly sensationalist Gary Richardson on 5Live to FA Chief Ian Watmore. Richardson reserved his criticism for the player and not the fans that started to fight with the stewards. Rubbish.

Clearly Adebayor couldn't have started a 'riot' because a riot did not happen. If he could have started one, one would have happened. But it didn't. What did happen was a few fans went ape-poo, and it's those fans who are the real problem, not the player.

What sort of fool can be driven to 'riot' by a footballer? Why should a player have to bear in mind what the reaction of a small minority of crazy, over-emotional numptys might be, especially when it spoils the fun for the rest of us sentient creatures who are able to resist the urge to become a street-fighting man as a response to a footballer's actions?

No footballer has ever, nor ever could make me want to create civil disorder and I'm sure you feel exactly the same. Yes, they can annoy and frustrate. Yes, you may wish to swear at them sometimes - but enough to start fighting? Enough to lose your mind? Have some self control. He is just not that important. Not important enough to commit violence or wanton destruction over. That's not your passion for the game, or the club, it's just inappropriate, emotionally incontinent over-reaction and needs to be condemned as such.

Whatever a player does we have a responsibility not to hurt or cause distress to each other because of it. That is surely bare minimum for a civilised society. It's not him, it's you.

A collective pointing and laughing session would have successful pricked Adebayor's hubris far more than fighting with a steward ever could. Imagine it; a few thousand people laughing loudly and pointing at him on his knees. Clearly, the insults, the 'give-him-hell' approach, just doesn't work. Rather, it inspires the player to put it right up the ex-club.

Not taking him seriously is a far bigger insult to a self-important, puffed-up man. But no, instead, let's fight with the stewards, yeah that makes a lot of sense. And you want to claim the moral high ground over Adebayor eh? Riiiiiight.

It is the reaction of that small number of fans that in the end - through the whole slew of regulations of what is and isn't proper conduct for a player - makes football less theatrical, less dramatic and less entertaining. This is why the shirt-removal thing got established as a yellow card offence. The authorities thought such wanton displays of celebration would incite and antagonise opposition fans. See, that's how those few mad fans can spoil the football spectacle.

The mental reactions of this few have become the standard by which all of us are judged. The culture and laws of the game are shaped around that minority and spoil it for the rest of us more emotionally stable grown-ups who can't be fomented into a rioting mob by an athletic man in sportswear.

This isn't an anti-Arsenal critique; I'm sure similar scenes would have happened at most clubs in the same circumstances, which makes it all the more depressing.

I love seeing players giving stick back to fans. As a neutral, I just love the spectacle of it.

Players are far too respectful to fans that pelt them with abuse who use the excuse that they've paid their money so that gives them carte blanche to say anything they damn well like.

It works both ways - if you dish it out, be prepared to take it some back. Don't start whining when a player has the bollocks to say f**k you. It takes bollocks for a start and they're only human, regardless of their wealth. It should be allowed. Deal with it like an adult. Don't kick off and start calling for him to be banned.

Those who want to invade the pitch and beat the player, the steward, the ball boy or even themselves up, need to be told it's just football, it's really not war. Adebayor is not invading your home and savaging your family. He's just a footballer for god's sake. Get a perspective.

But it didn't stop there. The Van Persie statement about the Adebayor 'stamp' also smacked of the modern culture of the whiney, wimpy, pathetic pussyfication. Christ man, if you really think that someone who possibly doesn't like you isn't going to give you a kick and ginger you up a bit occasionally when the chance arises, such as after a stiff tackle, then you don't want to play football really. You want to play a less confrontational, less physical sport. Whining on about how it was near your eye. Please, if it's all too worrying for you, feel free to retire at any time Robin.

We don't have to condone the injury or the intent to feel sickened by Van Persie's wussyness.

It's not as if Van Persie is a saint himself; has never done anything wrong, has never kicked anyone, never led with an elbow. To come out and make a statement boo-hooing about it was so self-regarding and moralistic. Classic pussyficator behaviour, that.

Such a statement, seemingly written and endorsed by the club, would never have been made until relatively recently. I couldn't imagine Steve Bould or Tony Adams issuing such a pitiful set of words. The grievance would, instead, have been stored up for the next game and an 'accidental' elbow to the throat would have evened the score, or it would be dismissed as all just part of the nature of the game. You give a bit, you take a bit.

It really wouldn't surprise me if Van Persie ran to a lawyer and tried to sue Adebayor for assault or mental cruelty. The game is going that way with these sappy, drippy players and the fans that adopt similar attitudes are no better.

All of this will keep football's social workers busy this week, watching videos in slow motion, weighing up who did what to whom and why and then dishing out fines and suspensions, delighting in the officiousness of the whole affair; all of waste of time, all making football less of a spectacle. All prime examples of pussyfication.

Far from Adebayor's behaviour being unacceptable, it was and is the hysterical reaction to it that truly deserves our contempt.

If I had to decide there'd be a 4 match ban on Adebayor for the stamp, (or if you like 2 each for the 2 stamps), and a 1 or a 2 match ban on Van Persie for the 2 footed tackle which seemed more directed at Adebayor's ankle than the ball. I'm not in the place of having to make that decision though.

BTW if Liam Miller (who's just returned to the SPL after leaving under a far worse cloud from Celtic than Adebayor leaving Arsenal), scores for Hibs against us & celebrates the same, I reserve the right to shout abuse, make rude gestures, etc. - but if I get violent or try to get on the park I deserve arrested. In the end he'll get pelters from us, and rightly so IMO, but if he responds with a 'get it right up you' that's his right as well.

[boldie]

Yeah pretty much spot on about the abuse he is getting for running and telling to Arsenal fans to stick that up their arse. They've been moaning about him for a year, then he goes and plays for someone else (admittedly MUCH better than he ever did for Arsenal but that might just be because the fans were always on his back) and they give him abuse for the entire match...
When he then scores against them and gives a bit of abuse back they all moan like little girls (or actually, some of them are shown up for the mindless thugs they really are)



He did stamp on V Persie though and should get done for that.

And obv. V Persie's foul was bad as well and I'd be surprised if anyone other than Arsene Wenger doesn't see that.

[Karabiner]

Yeah pretty much spot on about the abuse he is getting for running and telling to Arsenal fans to stick that up their arse. They've been moaning about him for a year, then he goes and plays for someone else (admittedly MUCH better than he ever did for Arsenal but that might just be because the fans were always on his back) and they give him abuse for the entire match...
When he then scores against them and gives a bit of abuse back they all moan like little girls (or actually, some of them are shown up for the mindless thugs they really are)



He did stamp on V Persie though and should get done for that.

And obv. V Persie's foul was bad as well and I'd be surprised if anyone other than Arsene Wenger doesn't see that.

Troll ok

[boldie]

Yeah pretty much spot on about the abuse he is getting for running and telling to Arsenal fans to stick that up their arse. They've been moaning about him for a year, then he goes and plays for someone else (admittedly MUCH better than he ever did for Arsenal but that might just be because the fans were always on his back) and they give him abuse for the entire match...
When he then scores against them and gives a bit of abuse back they all moan like little girls (or actually, some of them are shown up for the mindless thugs they really are)



He did stamp on V Persie though and should get done for that.

And obv. V Persie's foul was bad as well and I'd be surprised if anyone other than Arsene Wenger doesn't see that.

Troll ok

lol, how is this a troll? I thought it was a pretty decent assesment of what happened, no? Adebayor should get done for the kicking out at V Persie...running all the way to the Arsenal fans wasn't clever but he's apologised for that and it's understandable in the heat of the moment after all the grief he's been given over the past year (and during the match) so he shouldn't get anything for that.

[The Baron]

Yeah pretty much spot on about the abuse he is getting for running and telling to Arsenal fans to stick that up their arse. They've been moaning about him for a year, then he goes and plays for someone else (admittedly MUCH better than he ever did for Arsenal but that might just be because the fans were always on his back) and they give him abuse for the entire match...
When he then scores against them and gives a bit of abuse back they all moan like little girls (or actually, some of them are shown up for the mindless thugs they really are)



He did stamp on V Persie though and should get done for that.

And obv. V Persie's foul was bad as well and I'd be surprised if anyone other than Arsene Wenger doesn't see that.

I think inciting the crowd is the worst bit!

You have 8,000 odd half-drunk Arsenal fans who have been getting psyched up for this all week. There are about 200 stewards.

One sportsman, who is more than well paid for the opinionated abuse he might receive (for being a c*ck), and is also a professional athlete, should be the one to control his emotions - putting the responsibility on the 8,000 odd fans just doesn't seem like common sense to me.

[boldie]

Yeah pretty much spot on about the abuse he is getting for running and telling to Arsenal fans to stick that up their arse. They've been moaning about him for a year, then he goes and plays for someone else (admittedly MUCH better than he ever did for Arsenal but that might just be because the fans were always on his back) and they give him abuse for the entire match...
When he then scores against them and gives a bit of abuse back they all moan like little girls (or actually, some of them are shown up for the mindless thugs they really are)



He did stamp on V Persie though and should get done for that.

And obv. V Persie's foul was bad as well and I'd be surprised if anyone other than Arsene Wenger doesn't see that.

I think inciting the crowd is the worst bit!

You have 8,000 odd half-drunk Arsenal fans who have been getting psyched up for this all week. There are about 200 stewards.

One sportsman, who is more than well paid for the opinionated abuse he might receive (for being a c*ck), and is also a professional athlete, should be the one to control his emotions - putting the responsibility on the 8,000 odd fans just doesn't seem like common sense to me.

I'm suprised it doesn't happen more often. It doesn't matter how much someone is paid..in the heat of the moment, after a year  of abuse and 90 minutes of taunts, he makes a mistake (which he admits to and apologises for almost immediately..off his own back and not some shitty club statement) and does something unfortunate. Seems understandable to me and to give him an additional punishment (he got booked for it) would be too much IMO.