Post by Salem6 on Nov 9, 2003 18:44:04 GMT
The Interview - Kolo Touré: Arsenal's defensive icon may be replaced in the
fans' eyes by an engaging young star from the Ivory Coast. Nick Townsend
hears his story
09 November 2003
It was somehow apposite that in the week that we witnessed the passing on
of an Arsenal defensive talisman to the vagaries of a new career, the
Highbury faithful should receive confirmation of the stature of a young
man, Kolo Touré, who is already beginning to replace him in their
affections.
On Wednesday morning, we awoke to newspaper images of the former posing
with an expansive smile and hands raised above his head, but this time
clutching a Wycombe Wanderers scarf in them - rather than using them in a
fashion we were more familiar with, to appeal for offside - as he obliged
the requests barked by photographers. Tony Adams, formerly of Arsenal and
England, and all-round reformed character, had resurfaced in football and
the uncertain world of management.
It seems an eternity since we last observed that profile which came to
represent everything about the defensive philosophy of Arsenal Football
Club. In fact, it is only 18 months since he resigned his Arsenal
commission following the FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea. With it, a
mighty buttress in the fortress that had afforded protection to the Gunners
over the years finally toppled.
Though we knew we would not see the like of him again, nor the like of the
quintet who had served Arsenal since that defensive fanaticist George
Graham moulded them into that highly efficient unit, the concern around
Highbury was, how do you replace such principal boys? Surely, not, it was
being muttered in the stands, by some of the pantomime ugly sisters who had
been paraded since. Harsh? Maybe, but names like Stepanovs, Cygan and
Grimandi were scarcely going to be the stuff of legends. Yes, Sol Campbell
had been acquired, but it had scarcely been a seamless transition. As for
Matthew Upson, well, his departure from the club to Birmingham, and England
recognition, is best not mentioned.
Then along came Touré, signed from Asec Mimosas early last year. Another of
Arsène Wenger's wonders, or one of his occasional wastes of the club's
salary budget? The then 20-year-old from the Ivory Coast announced his
arrival with an equaliser at Stamford Bridge. But what was he exactly?
Wenger had announced initially that his acquisition was a midfielder. Or
perhaps he was a right-back? At less than six feet tall, certainly not a
centre-back. Whisper it quietly, but even the manager did not appear to
know.
By a process which will probably be attributed to the manager's astuteness,
but was possibly the result of nothing more than good fortune, Touré found
himself in tandem with Campbell or Martin Keown. He has been a revelation
this season. He has already won the club's player of the month awards for
August and September. Wenger called him "a lion" after his performance
against Internazionale, despite the 3-0 defeat.
But it is the crowd which is traditionally the harshest judge of a player's
diligence. "I always try to do my best for them," he says. "I love to give
everything I have for people who come to see us - the people who have been
working hard all week and pay their money to watch us. You see the sick
[handicapped] people watching from the side. You have to do it for them.
That is what is important."
The player himself appears bemused that supporters imagine he is a
"convert" to his current role. "Centre-back is my best position, but when I
first arrived I had to play elsewhere," he says. "Now I think I have a very
good partnership with Sol."
And importantly, you put it to him, his agility complements Campbell's
towering presence. "It is important to have the right combination if the
team are going to be strong," responds Touré. "The guy who is tall can get
higher; the guy who is short can go quicker. In every job it is like that.
Like yours, no? Some of you are good at the writing, some are good at
asking the questions."
Before it can be pointed out that some of us like to think we attempt to
make a reasonable fist of both, he moves to the subject of Wednesday
evening and the vital defeat of Dynamo Kiev in the Champions' League. It
was not the Gunners' finest hour by any means. You could just about make a
case for it being a reasonably decent final three minutes, following Ashley
Cole's desperate, diving-headed winner.
Among the few positives, Touré was a beacon in the gloom which pervaded
Highbury for much of the contest. He was the essence of dependability,
intercepting the ball one minute, committing himself to an excellently
timed sliding challenge out on the flank the next and, most crucially,
charging down goal-bound attempts when required. Just as importantly, he
surged upfield with menace, co-ordinating the efforts of his midfielders,
and would have scored but for a saving tackle on him.
He smiles ruefully at the memory. "The last 15 minutes, it was very hard.
Of course, I was worried that we were going to go out of the Champions'
League, but we showed we are strong enough. But, yes, I like to get
forward. Sometimes it is difficult for the strikers to get a goal because
the opposition is very tight on them, so I like to open the game up. I can
find more space. But you must have the confidence to do that."
Such words should not convey any impression of arrogance. He is humility
personified; still regarding himself as essentially a student of the game,
and surrounded by professors. "Sol and Martin Keown as well - he's a
fantastic guy - they talk to me before the game, through the game, after
the game. They tell me, 'Don't do that, do this, think about that'. I
really appreciate learning from them, because they are great players. They
teach me things like how to be clever when you have a difficult striker
against you. How to make sure he doesn't pass you."
But Adams remains his prime inspiration. "A great man. He was here when I
first arrived and he helped me a lot; I played with him in the reserve
team. We won 2-1, and I think he scored a goal."
Touré laughs, as though the concept was faintly ridiculous. "Tony has
always been a great example to me with his performances for his national
team and Arsenal. It was an honour to play with him and I just want to be
like him, although I think it will be very hard, because he was an
unbelievable player."
You advise him that the supporters are expecting nothing less. "I will do
my best to be near him" - he holds up two fingers with just a centimetre or
two between them, to emphasise the point - "maybe not at the same level.
But near."
Everybody tells you Touré is a charming, engaging character. He is
precisely that. One who appears to regard it almost as a pleasure to do an
interview, or at the very least his duty, even if you have to wait for him
while he drives to the mosque and back after training. Like all his family,
he is a Muslim, and it is Friday, his day of prayer. It is also Ramadan,
but fasting would clearly be incompatible with his profession. "God
understands," he says. But then, as one unofficial Arsenal website
irreverently opines: "God is a Gooner".
If you believe this particular Touré is gifted, look out for his younger,
even better, brother, currently playing for Arsenal's Belgian feeder club,
Beveren. "He's a central midfielder, like Patrick [Vieira]," you are
informed. "Heh, maybe he can be the second Patrick?" And he's really better
than you? "Sure, he's better than me. Sure. He's taller than me, he's
better at tackling than me. He's a very good player."
Touré is the son of a retired army officer, one of nine children. He sends
part of his salary back home. "My family need it," he explains. "I always
think about them, and I always try to do my best for them. When I become a
big, big player, I will give them more."
He adds, lest there be any misunderstanding: "I'm not from a poor
background. I wouldn't say that. OK, I didn't have a PlayStation. We
weren't rich. But it wasn't bad. I was happy." What he did, though, was
watch English football on satellite, although he never imagined that he
would one day be part of it. "As a boy, I never thought about being a
footballer. It was just a hobby. At school, I was good but never the best
in the class. I thought about being a lawyer, or something like that."
He was first discovered by a Frenchman, Jean Marc Guilloc, who had started
a football academy in the Ivory Coast. Touré came to Arsenal's close
attention when his club team played their reserve side. It resulted in a
two-week trial. Wenger was smitten.
"When I came here, it was really different from what I had been used to,"
he says. "You look at all these great players, see their big cars, but I
say, 'Kolo, you must always remember where you come from. You have worked
very hard to be here. Now you must work very hard to be like them'." He
pauses. "Or even better than them."
A tall order, but one not beyond a character who, in spite of his lack of
stature, is fast developing into a giant of a defender, and a talisman in
the Adams mould.
Biography: Kolo Touré
Born: 19 March 1981.
Family: Married to Aoure. Kolo means "follower of twins" - he has six
brothers and two sisters.
Position: Central defender/midfielder.
International career: Ivory Coast (18 matches). Debut v Rwanda in 2000.
Club career: Asec Mimosa (July 2000 to February 2002). Arsenal (February
2002-present). Signed for undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of
£150,000.
Also: Relaxes by "going shopping with Aoure", using his computer and
watching football on TV. Has been ever-present for Arsenal this season in
the Premiership and Champions' League.
Source:-
sport.independent.co.uk/football/arsenal/story.jsp?story=461918
fans' eyes by an engaging young star from the Ivory Coast. Nick Townsend
hears his story
09 November 2003
It was somehow apposite that in the week that we witnessed the passing on
of an Arsenal defensive talisman to the vagaries of a new career, the
Highbury faithful should receive confirmation of the stature of a young
man, Kolo Touré, who is already beginning to replace him in their
affections.
On Wednesday morning, we awoke to newspaper images of the former posing
with an expansive smile and hands raised above his head, but this time
clutching a Wycombe Wanderers scarf in them - rather than using them in a
fashion we were more familiar with, to appeal for offside - as he obliged
the requests barked by photographers. Tony Adams, formerly of Arsenal and
England, and all-round reformed character, had resurfaced in football and
the uncertain world of management.
It seems an eternity since we last observed that profile which came to
represent everything about the defensive philosophy of Arsenal Football
Club. In fact, it is only 18 months since he resigned his Arsenal
commission following the FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea. With it, a
mighty buttress in the fortress that had afforded protection to the Gunners
over the years finally toppled.
Though we knew we would not see the like of him again, nor the like of the
quintet who had served Arsenal since that defensive fanaticist George
Graham moulded them into that highly efficient unit, the concern around
Highbury was, how do you replace such principal boys? Surely, not, it was
being muttered in the stands, by some of the pantomime ugly sisters who had
been paraded since. Harsh? Maybe, but names like Stepanovs, Cygan and
Grimandi were scarcely going to be the stuff of legends. Yes, Sol Campbell
had been acquired, but it had scarcely been a seamless transition. As for
Matthew Upson, well, his departure from the club to Birmingham, and England
recognition, is best not mentioned.
Then along came Touré, signed from Asec Mimosas early last year. Another of
Arsène Wenger's wonders, or one of his occasional wastes of the club's
salary budget? The then 20-year-old from the Ivory Coast announced his
arrival with an equaliser at Stamford Bridge. But what was he exactly?
Wenger had announced initially that his acquisition was a midfielder. Or
perhaps he was a right-back? At less than six feet tall, certainly not a
centre-back. Whisper it quietly, but even the manager did not appear to
know.
By a process which will probably be attributed to the manager's astuteness,
but was possibly the result of nothing more than good fortune, Touré found
himself in tandem with Campbell or Martin Keown. He has been a revelation
this season. He has already won the club's player of the month awards for
August and September. Wenger called him "a lion" after his performance
against Internazionale, despite the 3-0 defeat.
But it is the crowd which is traditionally the harshest judge of a player's
diligence. "I always try to do my best for them," he says. "I love to give
everything I have for people who come to see us - the people who have been
working hard all week and pay their money to watch us. You see the sick
[handicapped] people watching from the side. You have to do it for them.
That is what is important."
The player himself appears bemused that supporters imagine he is a
"convert" to his current role. "Centre-back is my best position, but when I
first arrived I had to play elsewhere," he says. "Now I think I have a very
good partnership with Sol."
And importantly, you put it to him, his agility complements Campbell's
towering presence. "It is important to have the right combination if the
team are going to be strong," responds Touré. "The guy who is tall can get
higher; the guy who is short can go quicker. In every job it is like that.
Like yours, no? Some of you are good at the writing, some are good at
asking the questions."
Before it can be pointed out that some of us like to think we attempt to
make a reasonable fist of both, he moves to the subject of Wednesday
evening and the vital defeat of Dynamo Kiev in the Champions' League. It
was not the Gunners' finest hour by any means. You could just about make a
case for it being a reasonably decent final three minutes, following Ashley
Cole's desperate, diving-headed winner.
Among the few positives, Touré was a beacon in the gloom which pervaded
Highbury for much of the contest. He was the essence of dependability,
intercepting the ball one minute, committing himself to an excellently
timed sliding challenge out on the flank the next and, most crucially,
charging down goal-bound attempts when required. Just as importantly, he
surged upfield with menace, co-ordinating the efforts of his midfielders,
and would have scored but for a saving tackle on him.
He smiles ruefully at the memory. "The last 15 minutes, it was very hard.
Of course, I was worried that we were going to go out of the Champions'
League, but we showed we are strong enough. But, yes, I like to get
forward. Sometimes it is difficult for the strikers to get a goal because
the opposition is very tight on them, so I like to open the game up. I can
find more space. But you must have the confidence to do that."
Such words should not convey any impression of arrogance. He is humility
personified; still regarding himself as essentially a student of the game,
and surrounded by professors. "Sol and Martin Keown as well - he's a
fantastic guy - they talk to me before the game, through the game, after
the game. They tell me, 'Don't do that, do this, think about that'. I
really appreciate learning from them, because they are great players. They
teach me things like how to be clever when you have a difficult striker
against you. How to make sure he doesn't pass you."
But Adams remains his prime inspiration. "A great man. He was here when I
first arrived and he helped me a lot; I played with him in the reserve
team. We won 2-1, and I think he scored a goal."
Touré laughs, as though the concept was faintly ridiculous. "Tony has
always been a great example to me with his performances for his national
team and Arsenal. It was an honour to play with him and I just want to be
like him, although I think it will be very hard, because he was an
unbelievable player."
You advise him that the supporters are expecting nothing less. "I will do
my best to be near him" - he holds up two fingers with just a centimetre or
two between them, to emphasise the point - "maybe not at the same level.
But near."
Everybody tells you Touré is a charming, engaging character. He is
precisely that. One who appears to regard it almost as a pleasure to do an
interview, or at the very least his duty, even if you have to wait for him
while he drives to the mosque and back after training. Like all his family,
he is a Muslim, and it is Friday, his day of prayer. It is also Ramadan,
but fasting would clearly be incompatible with his profession. "God
understands," he says. But then, as one unofficial Arsenal website
irreverently opines: "God is a Gooner".
If you believe this particular Touré is gifted, look out for his younger,
even better, brother, currently playing for Arsenal's Belgian feeder club,
Beveren. "He's a central midfielder, like Patrick [Vieira]," you are
informed. "Heh, maybe he can be the second Patrick?" And he's really better
than you? "Sure, he's better than me. Sure. He's taller than me, he's
better at tackling than me. He's a very good player."
Touré is the son of a retired army officer, one of nine children. He sends
part of his salary back home. "My family need it," he explains. "I always
think about them, and I always try to do my best for them. When I become a
big, big player, I will give them more."
He adds, lest there be any misunderstanding: "I'm not from a poor
background. I wouldn't say that. OK, I didn't have a PlayStation. We
weren't rich. But it wasn't bad. I was happy." What he did, though, was
watch English football on satellite, although he never imagined that he
would one day be part of it. "As a boy, I never thought about being a
footballer. It was just a hobby. At school, I was good but never the best
in the class. I thought about being a lawyer, or something like that."
He was first discovered by a Frenchman, Jean Marc Guilloc, who had started
a football academy in the Ivory Coast. Touré came to Arsenal's close
attention when his club team played their reserve side. It resulted in a
two-week trial. Wenger was smitten.
"When I came here, it was really different from what I had been used to,"
he says. "You look at all these great players, see their big cars, but I
say, 'Kolo, you must always remember where you come from. You have worked
very hard to be here. Now you must work very hard to be like them'." He
pauses. "Or even better than them."
A tall order, but one not beyond a character who, in spite of his lack of
stature, is fast developing into a giant of a defender, and a talisman in
the Adams mould.
Biography: Kolo Touré
Born: 19 March 1981.
Family: Married to Aoure. Kolo means "follower of twins" - he has six
brothers and two sisters.
Position: Central defender/midfielder.
International career: Ivory Coast (18 matches). Debut v Rwanda in 2000.
Club career: Asec Mimosa (July 2000 to February 2002). Arsenal (February
2002-present). Signed for undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of
£150,000.
Also: Relaxes by "going shopping with Aoure", using his computer and
watching football on TV. Has been ever-present for Arsenal this season in
the Premiership and Champions' League.
Source:-
sport.independent.co.uk/football/arsenal/story.jsp?story=461918
