The Past And Pending

It's not often that you see Youtube clips of defenders, especially here, but now is a good time for such a post. Kolo Toure has left Arsenal for the greener ($$$) pitch of Man City. In my short time following Arsenal in a more than casual fashion, Toure has been a stud in central defense. And in learning more about Arsenal's recent history, it's apparent that he is one of the Arsenal greats, at least during the Wenger Era anyway. On more than a handful of occasions, I've seen him save goals, score goals, lead the team as Captain, inspire the players on the field and impress fans watching around the world. While he had his ups and downs last season, and a few shaky, missteps in the previous couple seasons, the cons are vastly outweighed by the pros.

Toure was the last starting member of the Invincibles at Arsenal and the last "real" tie to that team. From a symbolic standpoint, it may be a good thing for him, and Arsenal, to move on. I don't think there was ever any conscious effort to top or even match the Invincibles' standards but still... That season is just near enough to remember the glory and just far enough away for everyone to spout that Arsenal haven't won anything since. The players have been constantly reminded of how they have not won league since that historic team, and not won any trophy since the 2005 FA Cup. For this current team, not being connected to the Invincibles might be a good thing. They will know of the stories but they will want to achieve their own success so they can experience it for themselves. Sure, players like Fabregas and Clichy were on the team in 2003-04 but I think they will want to know what it feels like to win as starters and leaders as opposed to substitutes.

Anyway, I'm not saying that Toure leaving is good; I have mixed feelings about it. His departure does weaken the squad on the defensive side, a side which few would argue as Arsenal's strength in the first place. While it wasn't clear whether or not Arsene Wenger considered him a starter anymore, the depth at center-back and right back is now more of an issue without Toure. As I mentioned above, we're not only losing a strong player but we're losing a leader as well. Fans were clamoring for another center-back signing before he left and now they might just want more than one. And on top of that, in an era where Arsenal seems to be losing all of their top players in the transfer market, some disgruntled fans may be even more frustrated with this loss.

On the flip-side, I think Toure had to leave now because he was going to leave sooner or later. He's not getting any younger and while he still has good seasons left in him, I don't think he's getting better by any means. He went through a rough patch last season, to the point where he requested a transfer. I have always thought that players should be sold if they don't want to play for a certain team. (I guess on the same note, I have always wondered what contracts were for, if players just get to leave whenever they want.) Why should Arsenal bother to keep Toure if he wants to leave. Who's to say he will train and play with his heart, which is a big part of what makes Toure a good player. From a financial standpoint, I doubt Arsenal would be able to sell him for this much in the future. What's better: the money now, from a Real Madrid/Man City-inflated market or one more season with Toure and significantly less money in the future? The money Wenger received now can be put to good use strengthening the center midfield, or even reinvesting it in another center-back.

As much as I hate to see him go, I think the timing is right. He'll get to be a starter for sure; he'll feel more at home considering Adebayor (who I don't even want to talk about other than to say it's good he left and took his drama with him) is there too. Anyway, Toure definitely strengthens Man City's squad, so good luck to him but bad luck to them. Now, let's just hope Arsenal can sign one or two solid players and hit the ground running come August 15th.