What if Adebayor stays?

Seeing the statistics today on Sky Sports News about the most dangerous players in the Premiership, it will come as no surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo is top of the pile.

Slightly more surprising is the fact that, in terms of goals and assists, Dimitar Berbatov comes second. If Manchester United sign the Bulgarian and retains Ronaldo, we may as well all go home now. I’m holding on to the hope that the Portuguese winger gets his wish and joins Real Madrid.

Perhaps even more eye-catching is the fact that, along with Frank Lampard, the next most potent player is our very own Manu Adebayor.

Remember how unconvinced we were when he first arrived at Highbury? Without the pace of Henry, the trickery of Kanu or even the heading ability of John Hartson or Malcolm MacDonald, we wondered what Arsene Wenger saw in him.

The only memorable moment from his first half-season at Arsenal was the trickery on the byline that resulted in the opening for Thierry Henry to score against T*ttenh*m – which was more than enough for most of us.

And in our first year at Emirates, Adebayor was the most determined, hard-working player at the club, making us all feel that his heart would be red and white for years to come. Leading the line at Old Trafford and nicking a goal at the death suggested there was more to this boy than many of us initially envisaged.

That said, I remember games such as the home tie against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League where he missed a sackful of chances that would have made Alex’s late goal nothing more than academic.

No doubt, Adebayor moved forward last season – his 30 goals for the club are a testament to that. But can we now afford to lose him?

It is interesting to see Wenge's comments today about our goals-to-chances ratio and I wonder whether he was thinking of Adebayor when he said: "The team is performing well, but the target of a top-level sportsman is to always improve and I believe we can be more clinical, we can score more with the chances we create."

As I stated yesterday, given the injury problems Eduardo and Robin Van Persie have encountered recently, we’re going to be left with rookies like Theo Walcott and Carlos Vela – both of whom I have no doubt will be phenomenal players – to support Niclas Bendtner. And that is not enough.

Speculation is rife that Barcelona, surely the only viable suitors for Adebayor now Ronaldinho has gone to Milan, are getting frustrated at a lack of progress and are turning their attentions elsewhere. Maybe it is just a ploy to bring the price down. Maybe they are now short of transfer funds after signing five players. Maybe with Messi and Henry and having not yet disposed of Eto’o, they don’t want to commit to a new forward.

Whatever.

The fact is, we may well be saddled with a player who can be brilliant on his day, frustrating when he’s off his game. A player who flirted with other clubs, who talked about setting himself up for life and doing Arsenal a favour by leaving because of the profit he would make us.

Will the chants in his honour be so loud next season if we don’t sell him? Somehow, I don’t think so.

Arsene, it’s time to get the chequebook out

Arsenal have always done things differently, and who can blame them? In this world of spiralling transfer fees and even higher player salaries, it’s to the club’s credit that they refuse to get involved in the bidding wars that the ridiculous transfer window creates.

Whether Emmanuel Adebayor leaves Arsenal now remains to be seen. Ronaldinho’s departure to AC Milan seems to have closed the door on his Italian dream, and whether Barca will be prepared to make him their sixth signing of the summer now seems in doubt.

Logically, having sold the Ronaldinho, Deco and Dos Santos, they probably still need a forward. Let’s hope Adebayor proves to be their target so that we can cash in while his stock is still high.

If Arsene Wenger relies of Theo Walcott, Carlos Vela, Robin Van Persie and Niclas Bendtner as our forward line next season, with Eduardo coming back at some point as well, hopefully, I am going to be more than slightly concerned.

And the departures of Alex Hleb and Gilberto Silva this week leaves a thin squad thinner still than last season. If Wenger had strengthened in January as many Gooners thought he should, we would have won the title.

Sure, rookie Aaron Ramsey may well prove to be a fine replacement for Gilberto or Mathieu Flamini, and we have Abou Diaby (injury concerns notwithstanding) and Denilson ready to step up.

But even if we sign Amaury Bischoff from Werder Bremen, I still suspect that we’ll be light in midfield, unless Tomas Rosicky moves inside to accommodate Vela on the left. I don’t think Gareth Barry is the right player for Arsenal FC.

Late last season, Wenger highlighted the Gunners’ rearguard as being vulnerable to long balls, hinting that we may be signing a central defender. That has not happened, and after the performances of William Gallas and Philippe Senderos at Euro2008, the urgency for a rock solid centre-back grows more vital to the club’s hopes.

I’m not convinced that we’ll be any the wiser before the end of August, when Wenger tends to wait to sign players when clubs fear losing out on their windfalls.

But wouldn’t it be nice to get everything settled before the start of the season so that the new team can get to know each other and we can start looking forward with optimism rather than apprehension?

Farewell Gilberto, the 'Invisble Wall'

When Arsene Wenger first enjoyed success at Arsenal, it was based on two things: re-invigorating an already impressive, if somewhat aging defence, and protecting it.

Step up Patrick Vieira and Manu Petit, who formed a barrier few defences could breach. That both players knew how to pass the ball as well as break up opposition attacks gave Arsenal an edge over the opposition and started the legacy Wenger has created.

When Petit left, other players stepped in, but it was not until Gilberto Silva, the 'Invisible Wall' as he is known in Brazil, joined the club after the 2002 World Cup, that we again showed the steel that previous Arsenal sides had been renowned for.

Gilberto's absence for seven months during the 2004/5 season underlined how important a role he played at the club, his absence coinciding with a loss of form for the team.

While it was predictable that Thierry Henry should be given the captain's armband, as much for reasons of ego and team unity as for his leadership qualities (!), when he left and Gilberto was overlooked once again, the writing was on the wall.

It was clear to see last season that Gilberto's form had dipped as much as his pride must have been knocked by being the captain of Brazil, one of the top footballing nations in the world - and yet not of his club side. And who can blame him?

But it says much about the player that not once did he moan or criticise the club when others may have done so.

His talents may have waned last season, but his experience could have proved invaluable next season, especially with such a young midfield to guide and nurture.

But it was not to be. This afternoon, Gilberto completed his move to Greek side Panathinaikos and no doubt will prove to be a magnificent signing for them.

A player of dignity and professionalism of the highest order, Gilberto was the true definition of "Champion". And that goes beyond how many titles and trophies he has won.