(Ed’s note - This piece came in a month ago, but was initially intended for the letters pages of The Gooner issue 197. However, as there was a lack of space, we’re running it here instead)

Emmanuel Adebayor has finally got what he tried to engineer last summer. A massive pay rise. As with Barry, Robinho, Santa Cruz, and Tevez, Ade has jumped on the money train and I’m sure he will be signing as long a contract as humanly possible. At least six seasons I’m sure. After last year’s betrayal, the Togolese was never going to win back the adulation of the masses.

His relationship with us reached rock bottom after our lifeless surrender to Chelski at Wembley. His personal performance on that day was, in my opinion, one of the laziest and most disgraceful in history of the club. Until the Champions League semis that is, when he achieved a whole new level of running around like a headless chicken (without the running). £25m for a player who has simply no idea of the offside rule. I know there are still a few grey areas surrounding offside but still. Arsene must be laughing all the way to the boardroom.

Some Arsenal supporters believe that the sale of Manu Adebayor is the wrong move. But only some. 90% of fellow Gooners I have spoken too are more than happy to see the back of the big oaf. I can see no negatives for Arsene in this deal.

1: He offloads a lazy, arrogant, uncommitted, and disruptive player.
2: He will hopefully have the entire £25m to spend on a replacement. .
3: RVP will hopefully be freed from the burden of having to do most of the donkey work for a lazy strike partner.

It’s all good for Arsenal! Manchester City is a disaster waiting to happen and the rest of the footballing world is watching and waiting for the train wreck to unfold before our very eyes. And as with Cashley, I’m pretty sure Ade-barn-door will now be one of the most loathed and despised footballers in the game for his public betrayal of the club which gave him his chance on the biggest stages in world football. Arsenal may not be a much liked football club outside London N5, but we are a respected football club worldwide, as Cashley has discovered since his move to Chavski.