Features

Welcome to the features page which will provide fans with an in-depth look at any topical situation I can think of at the club.

 

Are you saying Boo or Eboue?

Now an article dedicated to a certain Emmanuel Eboue probably won’t attract a lot of genuine fans of the player, just those wishing to read about his last poor perfomance. I would like to point out before I start this post that I do realise he is one of  the weaker players in the squad, however this post is perhaps as much about fans at the Emirates than the player himself.

Emmanuel Eboue first came to the club in 2005 from Beveren to link up with international team mate Kolo Toure. He began to make a real mark for himself at right-back after returning from the African Cup of Nations in early 2006 to replace the injured Lauren. If you remember, he was part of a defence that kept several clean sheets in the run to Champions League final and got many rave reviews for his pace and commitment, and he also fit Wenger’s criteria to be a defender at the time:  quick, good on the ball and a genuine athlete. He was also noted for being one of the best crossers of the ball in the team at the time and this form continued into the 2006-2007 season where he was in fact voted player of the month in September. The rest of that season Eboue was plagued with injuries but was still a solid right back when fit and many questioned Wenger’s wisdom in bringing in Sagna at the time when other areas needed strengthening. This of course seems ridiculous now, as Sagna is, in my opinion the best right-back in the league and probably the world at present, but it is important to remember what high esteem Eboue was held at one time in his Arsenal career.

Last season Eboue was moved further up field to occupy the right wing berth, and many thought he would flourish there. He was after all quick, had a wicked cross and could also provide defensive cover for Sagna, however this was not the case. He quickly became a shadow of his former self, and his constant diving didn’t help endear himself to the fans either. He appeared to pick up the ball with little clue about what he wanted to do with it and when faced with goal he consistently hit the ball as hard as possible with little regard for the situation or apparantly the position of the goal. What had happend? Perhaps the move to right midfield was a step too far for Eboue; as a right back for his whole career he appeared to be unsure of his postioning further up field, and many professionals suffer from being played out of postition. Furthermore, when playing this season at his preferred right back postion he has been fairly solid, only to undo any good work by falling over after a flurry of stepovers or needlessly giving the ball away. His continued poor form has led many fans to turn on him, booing the player before he has even been kicked a ball(although Wenger’s decison to bring him on in place of  fans favourite Theo probably doesn’t do him any favours). My plea to any Arsenal fan who is going to see the Wigan game tomorrow, which Eboue may feature in, is to give the man a chance. I understand people’s frustration with him as he has been poor for the past year or so, but to boo your own player before he has even had a chance to influence the game is not what being a fan of Arsenal is about. Oh, and if we are losing with 5 mins to go tomorrow, please don’t leave early, that is when the team needs you most.