With the news breaking that Adama Traore has
submitted a transfer request, Villa fans have taken to social media to air
their views on the situation.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the reaction has
been largely indifferent to the Barcelona graduate wanting out. However, there
are clear reasons why a large section of the support are nonplussed about
losing Adama.
Most obviously is the fact that we have barely
seen him feature. Due to a seemingly constant stream of injuries, coupled with simply
being out of favour, Adama’s Villa career so far amounts to exactly 200
minutes. However, even so, there has been massive excitement about the Spanish
U19 international. His first appearance at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace
last season ignited real optimism about him. Coming off the bench, he
terrorised the Palace defence and whipped in a cross which was diverted in for
a an own goal. He was direct, he was strong, and he was perhaps the quickest
player we had ever seen in a Villa shirt, even making Gabby in his prime look
like a slouch. Adama would go on to pick up an ankle injury in the next game, a
league cup tie with Notts County which would contribute to his fleeting role
from the subs bench for the next few months. His momentary start had only whetted
our appetite however, and in a dismal year where the supporters were subjected
to defeat after defeat, we were desperate to see more of Adama and unable to
fathom out why both Tim Sherwood and Remi Garde were reluctant to play him. He
was a player who could make things happen. That raw excitement was, at one
point, seemingly the only possibility of something exhilarating happening to make
all of the miserableness that was being served up on a weekly basis more
bearable.
Another cameo performance away at Sunderland at
the start of the year would only fuel this further, where a direct and powerful
burst forward saw three men unable to stop him before putting in an admittedly
slightly wayward cross that Carles Gil did extraordinarily well to convert on
the volley. In a match which perhaps best sums up Adama’s Villa career, he then
promptly managed to break his ankle which would keep him out until April.
Despite his obvious talent though, there was
also a growing frustration with Adama. Keen on playing football like a ten year
old in the park who believes he’s better than all his mates, there was no
positional sense to his game, there was no tracking back, and most of all,
there was a reluctance to pass to any teammate. I’m only half joking when I say
that I don’t overly blame him for this when his teammates last season were the
worst group of players imaginable. Yet there has never, and will never be a player who can do it all on their own, let alone Adama. Teamwork is by far his biggest weakest in his game and there appears to be very little evidence of any sort of improvement being made.
Then there is his contract. Last season,
rumours were abound that clauses had been triggered which meant that Adama’s
basic wage rose from around an already substantial £40k a week to reportedly
anywhere between £60k-£75k. I can’t imagine which clauses had been triggered through playing
so little, but it wouldn’t surprise me for Villa to have lost any sort of
coolness in negotiations and caved into any demand his agent made. The last regime including Tom Fox were out of their depth and made extremely poor decisions, including this one. It’s an absolutely
ridiculous contract and it’s not the players fault for the club being mug
enough to grant it. However, it is a huge drain on resources at a time where it
could be much better spent.
It’s a shame that the move hasn’t worked out.
There is obviously talent there and ability of some description. But the player
is so raw to such an extent that in reality we just aren’t in a position to
develop him. The Championship certainly isn’t the league to do it in, where
hard work and effort counts for so much more than talent. We have seen so
little of the player that there is most definitely going to be a ‘what if’
factor when he leaves, especially if he goes to fulfil his potential.
I don’t blame Adama for wanting out. He isn’t getting
game time and trying to see things from his perspective, this is a player who
has been used to better things at Barcelona and even had Kieran Richardson was being picked on the wing ahead on him last season; from his view he must be wondering
how it’s all gone so wrong.
From our point of view, his style of play is a liability and will only leave other teammates over exposed when he dashes off in whichever direction he pleases. He just hasn't done enough to warrant a place in the side.
He isn’t getting game time and the fact that he
wants to move on and start afresh elsewhere actually shows an ambition rather
than simply being happy to pick up a hefty wage packet each week. I’ve seen
many comments along the lines of that if he isn’t up for the fight then good
riddance to him, which I think is a bit harsh – at least he isn’t prepared to
simply steal a living from us as others have done and simply sit on his huge contract.
I like Adama, and I wish we could accommodate him.
But the reservations about just how underdeveloped as a footballer he is are clear. It’s
a shame it hasn’t worked out, and it's a shame he didn't even start a single league game for the club. But a parting of ways does seem to be a good option
for all concerned at this moment in time.
