The thing is, Eboue looks to be a better player now than he was two years ago, can we say the same about Sagna?
“We need to win a trophy this season for our club. It has been such a long time since we did something,” Eboue said. “To be a good family, we must win something together. For me, I don’t think Fabregas, me or William [Gallas] will leave this club. We have still got contracts with Arsenal. We are Arsenal players and I think we all want to win something together.” “If I wanted to leave this club, I would have done it a long time ago but not now,” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article7041488.ece
As much as I cringe when Eboue goes to ground. I've got to say that I f-ing love the guy. He's such a positive guy and doesn't seem to have an iota of ego/selfishness (at least from afar). I've never heard anyone say one bad thing about him. I want to be his friend. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=753930&sec=england&cc=5901
me too. i think eboue's performance will play a major factor in whether arsenal win something. our problem of getting sliced open when we have the lead can be solved when eboue comes on as a sub. with song and diaby already in midfield, adding an eboue who is performing well to the midfield should stop the bleeding of goals. also, an eboue also has such offensive capabilities, that by bringing him on, we are still extremely formidable offensively. eboue is an extraordinary combination of offensive and defensive ability. if he can remain disciplined on defense and efficient on offense, arsenal will win something.
He has really had an incredible turnaround over this past year. We are going to struggle to hold on to him this summer.
Why do you think that? I think he really wants to stay. And I think that Wenger really wants him to stay. Do you see an outrageous offer on the horizon that can't be ignored? At some point team continuity and chemistry have to trump cash given how many players have departed over the last few years. I don't think Eboue has any interest in leaving, especially at a time when supporters are loving him and he's playing well.
He has said quite a few times that he is interested in taking on a new challenge this coming summer, and there will probably be quite a few CL teams lining up to offer him a starting position. If an offer comes in, I don't see him opting for a bench role with us while he could be guaranteed a starting spot at RB for other CL sides. I'm only too happy to sell players as everyone knows, but I really want us to hang on to Eboue. It's going to be very hard to replace what he offers us.
He made those comments quite a while ago. More recently, as was pointed out in reponse #180 by antifan I think, Eboue has spoken of the affection he has for the club and the fact that not only he, but also Gallas and Cesc want to stay (as quoted in the Times). I would definitely hate to see him go and I don't think he will. We have so few utility players and we have employed him as either FB, either winger and on occassion even in the middle of our midfield. I don't think anyone else in the squad has been employed in some many different positions. I was happy to see him score on Tuesday. It was an absolutely delightful counter and fantastic finish with his weaker left foot. I hope he keeps up this form and he may not only help lead us to trophies but also he help the Cote d'Ivoire make a deep run this summer in South Africa.
He'll outgrow that propensity to be blown over anytime he's anywhere near the opposing box. Or at the very least, he'll get less obvious at it!
wow, that's awesome. the television was changed right after they went to commercial as the team huddled up so i missed it. however we feel about him as a player, it's easy to see why his teammates love him regardless how how his form is. in every interviews i've seen, everybody has considered him the team's biggest jokester.
“If I wanted to leave this club, I would have done it a long time ago but not now,” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article7041488.ece
Same here. I get the impression that he really enjoys himself here and I think Wenger does a fantastic job rotating him in at appropriate times and the man has even managed to push Sagna to the brink for a starting job.
LOL! And if he doesn't have time to make it through the entire course prior to heading to South Africa, he could always take Rooney's diving seminar one afternoon in early June.
He enjoys Wenger. After how he was treated in the Wigan game, I'm surprised he is till here. Like Diaby, he was always a player that had great talents but just could not bring it all together for some reason. Now that they are both clicking, its easy to step back and say how the investment is starting to look like it payed off. But think about what was said last year about both, especially after the loss in the FA cup. This is probably the best example of how on the fence Arsenal fans are about emerging talent. Arsenal FC - "What have you done for me lately" I think it works edit: Btw, anyone else agree with me that he is playing much better forward than he did as a wing back? Its made all the world of difference.
Another account, from East Lower: You've gotta give props to Eboue this season for not only improving as a player, but deciding to make an effort to win over the fans who didn't like him. He could just as easily have sulked until getting transferred.
i think he plays well at both position now. i think losing his place really helped him concentrate and realize that he cannot take anything for granted. also, the year that he was switched to right mid the whole year really helped with making his runs become more direct and with purpose (where before his offensive game consisted of overlapping and putting in crosses). i have to eat my words because i thought he really could not and would not become a dangerous right midfielder at all as i did not think he had enough in his repertoire. i love being wrong in this instance, though.
so . . . eboue could conceivably come back from south africa with a pin on his lapel of a starfish and another of shrek? rockin'.