Where did he come from? The Emmanuel himself. The one who ran the entirety of a pitch just to celebrate in front of irate Arsenal fans? The vilified one, who people branded lazy and unprofessional? What exactly does he have to offer the game of football?
Well, maybe there's something in the locker that Pardew can see that no one else can. It would be madness if he just went ahead and took a gamble on a player who has proven to be a very wild card. The last thing Pardew and Palace need are problems on the training ground, in the locker room which could affect results on the pitch. This has been an excellent season for Palace, and they wouldn't want anyone coming in and ruining it.
I've actually been one of the few supportes of Adebayor. I understand the issues about his attitude problem, but on the pitch, I have been a fan of his football. When Wenger sold him, I couldn't believe what he was thinking. He did really good things for Arsenal, and ever since he left the Gunners, those guys haven't had a striker as good as him. Giroud may be more consistent, but I'd trust Adebayor to score in a big match over the Frenchman.
Even at Tottenham where he had an up and down time, I thought overall he did well. Played well with the team and again, played the striker's position in the way I like it to be done. There was enough that I saw to say this can be a really good striker just like Drogba, a player that Ade looks up to. All he needed was the right kind of coach to keep him focused mentally to fully realize his potential.
Pardew has come across as someone with a lot of character. You can see by his scuffles on the touchline including one time where he was auditioning for a Tarantino movie by headbutting a player. So if he can reach Adebayor in a personal level to work hard at training, listen to instructions and believe in himself, then perhaps this could be one of the best January signings. He's the kind of player that most teams wouldn't even have on their radar because of his history. That is why it's a gamble.
Adebayor could come in and brick it up, not scoring many goals and Palace would be exactly where they started. But on the other hand, if he can somehow rekindle his Arsenal days and get goals for Palace, then who knows where they can finish this season. The game is about goals, and having a striker who can consistently offer this puts your team ina very good position to do big things in a league.
Personally, I am rooting for Adebayor to succeed.
Source: Soccernet.com
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