2008.12.08 22:54:30 |
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| Hiral
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The shocking boos dispensed by the arsenal faithful at the emirates toward Emmanuel Eboue have stunned football fans of all clubs across the UK. It is something which is largely unheard off in the English games. Almost all other clubs have had episodes where fans have been unhappy with players. The Toon army and Jean Alain Boumsong as well as the Man city supports and Joey Barton (the "your not fit to wear the shirt" saga. But the treatment metted out to Eboue is distinct and is undeniably something which is only really found at the Emirates.
The latter stadium has long been associated with fans booing their own players. Alex Song suffered terribly before his loan move to Charlton. He came back harder, better and is now an established player. The emirates crowd seem to have developed a culture of periodically treating some of their own players with such contempt. The reason behind this is unclear. Certainly the demographic at the emirates is not like that of many other clubs. The emirates has been very much populated by fans who have fallen in love with the Arsenal of Wenger, the free flowing football playing team that has been such a joy to watch over the last ten years. They are the fans who dont actually know what 1-0 to the Arsenal means, they just chant it because others do. This may mean that they do not have the loyalty to their players in times of strife that other more long suffering fans have.
Whatever the reason, one thing should be made exceptionally clear to the Arsenal fans who decided this was a good idea. Emmanuel Eboue is an EXCELLENT player who has NEVER been out of Wenger plans since he made that astounding impact in the run to the Champions League final. He has started when fit and has been a key component in many of Arsenals successes (which have been sparse in recent times ). Wenger rarely makes mistakes on players and his faith in Eboue has been ignored by the Gunners faithful who seem to have made him the scapegoat for the lack of trophies at the Emirates. Suffice to say that i have no doubt the Eboue will come back harder, better...just as Alex Song did.
But the emirates crowd need to examine themselves more urgently. Emmanuel Adebayor was a figure of fun and derision for much of his early career at Arsenal. He showed his quality under a distinct lack of support from the Arsenal fans who shortly after began chanting "A-DE-BA-YOR" when he began scoring at will. They wonder why he showed no loyalty in intimating interest at AC Milans advances, what fickle loyalty have the Emirates fans shown they possess?
This sorry affair will leave many questions lingering in the minds of all football fans.
