Source: Daily_Mail
Arsene Wenger blames Togo bus attack for Emmanuel Adebayor's fall from grace
Arsene Wenger fears Emmanuel Adebayor's career at Manchester City may have stalled because of the horror of the Togo shootings.[LNB]Saturday will mark the first anniversary of the terror attack on the team bus in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda ahead of last year's Africa Cup of Nations.[LNB]Adebayor escaped unhurt but team-mates were wounded and two team officials killed. Now the Arsenal manager believes the trauma, coupled with the relentless competition at City, explains how he has lost his way.[LNB] Terrifying: Emmanuel Adebayor was national team captain when the Togo bus came under attack shortly before the African Cup of Nations[LNB]Wenger said: 'I think what happened with the national team had an influence on his mind because last year before he went to the African Nations Cup he was doing extremely well. What happened was not a small incident and for the rest of the season certainly it had an impact. [LNB]'Adebayor also maybe a victim of too much competition. He is a player who needs confidence. He needs to feel that he is a regular. It depends, every case is different.'[LNB]Fight Club II: Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure in training ground fightWenger signed Adebayor from Monaco at the age of 21 for only £3million and sold him to City three and a half years later for £25m.[LNB]Arsenal supporters turned against the Togo striker during his final season at the Emirates after he had agitated for a transfer to AC Milan as he negotiated a new contract.[LNB]Less than a year after signing an £80,000-a-week deal, he moved to Eastlands and scored in a highly-charged first clash with the Gunners, early last season. Adebayor was banned for three games for stamping on Robin van Persie's face during that game, a 4-2 win for City, although he escaped further punishment for another dangerous challenge which left Cesc Fabregas complaining of a gash on his leg.[LNB] Crying out for attention: Adebayor barely gets a look in at Manchester City these days[LNB]He is also remembered for once butting team-mate Nicklas Bendtner during a Carling Cup tie at Tottenham but the Arsenal boss disputes the idea he was difficult to control.[LNB]Wenger said: 'The only idea I fight against is that he is high maintenance. He is not high maintenance. We he comes in, in the morning, he is on time. He works well. He is never disrespectful. He is a top class player and attitude-wise, we had no problem with him.'[LNB]New boy: Edin Dzeko should be a City player in the coming days[LNB]Under Roberto Mancini, Adebayor has slid down the pecking order. His days at the club look to be numbered when the £27m signing of Edin Dzeko is completed, although he will be in the squad for Wednesday's game at the Emirates because of injuries to Balotelli and David Silva.[LNB]Wenger has monitored Dzeko's progress since his move to Wolfsburg and likens his style to Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov.[LNB]'He has similar fluency, comparable to Berbatov,' said the Arsenal manager. 'He is a guy who is technically astute with good physical power.[LNB]'He is decisive. He chooses his moments. He is very strong in the air as well, that's one of his great qualities. He is a super player. He is at the very top, when he is at his game.[LNB]'For many clubs the price was too high but, for Man City, £27m is not a risk. Look at the number of players who cost £20m who do not even get on the bench at Man City.[LNB]'It is a risk for me, not for them. If you have £100 in your pocket and you put £90 on a blackjack table you take a risk. If you have £5m in your pocket and put £90 on a blackjack table it is not a risk.[LNB]'The risk is linked with the amount of money you have in your pocket.'[LNB] Fight Club II: Now Manchester City pair Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor scrap it out Arsenal v MANCHESTER CITY: David Silva and Mario Balotelli unavailable for trip to capitalReal Madrid move for Man City misfit Adebayor hinges on Dzeko switchCongolese jailed for 24 years for deadly gun attack on Togo team in Angola All the latest Manchester City news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Dimitar Berbatov, Edin Dzeko, Kolo Toure, Nicklas Bendtner, David Silva, Emmanuel Adebayor Places: Manchester, Monaco, Monaco
