Toure: Arsenal have let too many good players go

Defender Kolo Touré has defended his lucrative transfer to Manchester City, saying that his former club were too willing to let go of their best players. In previous seasons, Arsenal have sold at least one major first team member, for one reason or another.

The Ivory Coast international was the last remaining member of the Invincibles team that went unbeaten for 49 games and winning the 2003/04 championship in the process.

Whilst you can appreciate Touré's perspective of events, those players left for different reasons and it doesn't seem like manager Arsène Wenger has got most of those transfers wrong. Players move on and new players replace them.

Touré said: "I came to Man City because when you look at Arsenal you see all their great players have left the club and are now in the past.

"Look at what has happened there. Thierry Henry has gone. Patrick Vieira has gone. Sol Campbell has gone. Ray Parlour has gone.

"These were players that brought success to Arsenal and so I believed it was right at this stage of my career to also move on. We had lost too many leaders at Arsenal.

"When we were winning the league title the spirit was fantastic. We were like a band of brothers.

"I had discussions with Arsène Wenger and he did his best to persuade me to stay. But even if he had brought more quality players to the club I don't know if I would have stayed."

Touré goes on to say that at Arsenal he was in a bit of his own comfort zone and guaranteed to play at least every game. He needed a new challenge to revitalise himself.

Touré added: "I had been with Arsenal seven years and I am at the stage of my career when I need a new challenge.

"It had become too comfortable for me at Arsenal. I felt too much at home, knowing I would play every game.

"When that happens you can allow your best form to slip. I knew everything at Arsenal and I needed to go somewhere different so that I could show my best form once again.

"People may say I've only come to City for money, but I must disagree."

But this is the same player who couldn't get a game at the start of this year, when his relationship with then captain William Gallas was civil at best and who didn't seem to want to reach the heights of his powering performances from previous seasons, putting in a transfer request in the process.

It did seem like he was stagnating a little and in a bit of his own comfort zone but that's the very kind of player that Wenger would get rid off and that's why he wasn't getting selected for games.

I appreciate the need for a new challenge and all, but as a professional athlete you don't allow your best form to dip and not work at improving yourself, saying you would only find your best form at another club.

Touré will always be a top class Gunner to me, but these comments have soured my memory of him a little. Good luck anyways, Kolo.

User Comments

jimmy

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 12:34 PM - Reply

kolo was a great servant to the club and i wish all the best in his mercenary roll at city, but his comments have soured my memory of him, to say the club lacks leaders is surley an indictment of himself as surely as a senior player at the club and 1 time captain he should have been the 1 to provide that leadership, as for adebayor good riddance he is a player who believes his own headlines and was rareley up for the fight when it mattered so gl at mercenary city. As for our squad arshavin is a gem and if van persie can stay fit we will be fine up front, however i would like to see us bring in a defender and central midfielder before the knew season starts however in Arsene we trust! so bring on the new season and go on the gooners!!

lemordu

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 09:02 AM - Reply

god save Arsenal from short sight fans.Toure said what almost all arsenal supporters is saying.be loyal to arsenal not to wenger or this or that players.i saw this situation in my business life.wenger is adamant that his youngest policy is the best and he is not interested with trophies in the short time,he dont or cant invest money to win throphies,he think he will get them free in 4 or 5 years.every body know that our competitors got their youngsters also.and how you can state that ours are better.the main task of a coach is working to win his season and working with the club to prepare the new generation.the bottom line if you are poor you will not be able to compete as simple as that
AND THE FIGURES DONT LIE.

Jim the Gooner

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 08:35 AM - Reply

Isn't this an admission of his own failure? He wasn't able to lead or inspire nor could he pick up on traits from the likes of Vieria or Gilberto.

Leemacintosh

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 07:47 AM - Reply

He's been a great servant to the club and he probably wanted a change and the opportunity to earn some major money on his last big move, fair enough, but talking about letting big players go [as his reason for going!] is just his way of deflecting any criticism away from his own decision...

geoff

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 06:24 AM - Reply

I think kolo should stay quiet,i think he just wanted out of the dressing room from being a band of brothers to not even speaking to certain individuals must be hard.I personally think he has 3 years at the top level and wenger will regret letting him go, i hope he is successful but not at our expense. would of got rid of Gallas for me hes the problem in the dressing room and not as good as toure.

Donesq

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 05:37 AM - Reply

Well talked about the Vieras, Parlours and Gilberto, these players had to go, if they were still playing for arsenal then our team would a dads army!

Toure wanted to go, fine, but all this talk about Arsenal losing leaders and not at their best anymore was uncalled for.

Let’s see whether man city would challenge for title and offer the kind of leadership he craves in a club.

Good riddance Wenger!

Mike

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 05:26 AM - Reply

It seems a bit rich to slag off a player that gave his all for the club for 7 years and then says basically what all Gooners are saying on the message boards.

Unlike Adebayor who gave very little in his last season and then blamed everyone else for his poor form.

Thank you Kolo, I hope you enjoy your retirement package.

Terri

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 05:08 AM - Reply

It does not matter to Toure now does it so why is he commenting.
He left for money and no other reason.
Sol Campbell wanted to leave, Thierry Henry wanted to leave and Patrick kept wanting to leave one minute and not the next
Besides they are all in their 30's now and would of gone at some stage
Get on with at your new club and mind your own business about what is being done at Arsenal
They were good enough for Kolo for 7 years

Charlie

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 04:56 AM - Reply

The players Toure listed that were 'allowed to leave' is comprised of players that Wenger was right in selling at the time he sold them.

What would be interesting to see here is a list of the players that the fans think Wenger should have held onto. For me, in recent memory that's Flamini, and that's about it.

kalu

Posted on 2 Aug, 2009 at 04:51 AM - Reply

I do think Toure should shut his gob before we lose all respect we have for him. He was a great player for us but no disrespect, Adebayor and Kolo are not big players, look at the goal AA scored against Atletico that was Magic!!!!!!!! bye bye Kolo

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