Emmanuel Adebayor stepped into familiar territory yesterday, a path well-trodden by Thierry Henry and Jose Antonio Reyes before him. Publicly declaring that you intend to see out the remainder of your contract, commenting that it is a ‘good’ deal to boot, seems likely to stifle debate about your future. Under pressure of questioning little more than an hour later, performing a volte face is not generally considered to be a good PR move. In response to prompting from a Sky Sports News reporter, the Togolese international confirmed that he will decide his future next week. Nobody will be surprised if the public pronouncement that follows his consultations moves the situation no further forward. Or if he leaves. Or if he stays. No-one can say for certain what the player wants although there is plenty of speculation that he will be cast to the winds with Arsene’s blessing.

Looking at responses to his predicament, if you can call it that, elicits a roughly 65-35% split in his favour with regard to his abilities and his future. Most people would say that £25m is good money for which a decent replacement can be secured and the club should seriously consider letting him go. It is a path fraught with obvious dangers, namely getting the replacement in both body and goal. Had Eduardo been fit, or a genuine return date before the season started be attainable, then perhaps a youthful approach could have been taken. If Adebayor goes, a proven goalscorer will be needed.

Reports this week suggested that Eduardo would be back for August but that was journalistic opinion with no basis in medical fact. In any case, there are as many mental questions as physical to be answered by the Croat. Quite simply, if a new striker is required, Arsene cannot rely on this option. Eduardo needs time to regain his touch. Effectively, he is restarting his Arsenal career. He might be more settled this time around, more fluent in the language but how will he react to the first 50-50 or 40-60 challenge? He needs to come through that phase before judgements can be made.

There is also the question of loyalty. Two decades ago, there was a common trait of loyalty to your employer, something that the Premier League’s evolution has diminshed. Whilst winning trophies is important, money is not far behind. No longer is a testimonial considered necessary for the top echelon of players for moneys earned from one match are incrementally smaller to their overall wealth than in previous years. It is not the English players who are responsible for this change in loyalty either. Plenty of English players have moved or are requesting moves to pastures new within relatively short spells at clubs. Some might have come through the ranks but that makes little or no difference any longer.

Loyalties to the club manifest themselves most readily in the attitude of supporters. The game now is more geared towards ‘win now at any cost’, an attitude not prevalent as recently as the mid-90s. Success spoils people and whilst there is nothing wrong in wanting the silverware, is that all there is to supporting a team now? In Adebayor’s case, before sounding off at him for greed or ego, consider whether or not you have been loyal to him. No player is above criticism nor when they play badly should they be praised effusively.

Adebayor scored thirty goals last season and is still criticised for not scoring more, as if he is solely to blame for the team’s collapse in the title run-in or exit from the Champions League. If scoring treble the amount that you expected him to is not enough, what is and why be angry about the player leaving? So what if he has an ego. If he did not have a healthy self-belief, he would not have made the top level. Strikers thrive on confidence; all of them have big egos. Some hide it behind creosoting the fence, some put it out in the open. Get over it. We all have egos, we are all as guilty of ’showing off’ when our talents.

A final observation. Consider the fact that football is his career, his job. In principle, what is the fundamental difference between a brickie and footballer? Leave aside the salaries and there is none. Both are services that people pay for. You pay for a house, you pay for a footballer. We expect loyalty on what basis? The club that we love? Forget that; the club we love is their employer. The loyalty we crave is born from a bygone era when players had summer jobs because their salaries dropped in the close season.

Personally, I am torn as to whether or not him leaving is good for the club. The money being touted as a fee is substantial enough for Arsene to be able to buy a suitable replacement. As is always the case, there is a ‘but’ coming and a fairly significant one at that. Signing any new player requires a bedding in period even if they have played in the country already and it places pressure on those already at the club, unless the newcomer settles rapidly. There is a question of the wisdom of letting him go having just had the season in front of goal that he did. At the moment, none of the other forwards will score thirty goals next season. With a goalshy midfield, does it make sense from the playing perspective for him to be released?

It is not that I want Adebayor to leave nor is it a case that I am ‘not bothered’ either way, just a sense of realism. The mobility of the workforce means that every three to five years, a team will be overhauled for the most part. That is the way of the world. Arsenal Football Club is bigger than any player and will outlast all of them.

’til Tomorrow.