Adebayor told to stay and fight for his place at City

SOCCER:EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR was warned yesterday by Manchester City that he must compete for a place in Roberto Mancini's expensively assembled team and stop agitating for a move if he is not selected.

The club’s senior football administrator, Brian Marwood, in Monaco for yesterday’s Europa League group stage draw, dismissed Adebayor’s public complaint that he would “definitely” look for another club if he does not regularly feature in the first team – despite having been at City for only one season following his €30 million move from Arsenal.

“These players need to realise that if you are paying them, they are salaried, contracted and have obligations to their football club,” Marwood said. “They are part of the squad. They have to work hard to prove they are worth a place in the team. We are trying to create a very competitive environment at Manchester City.”

Adebayor admitted yesterday that he would give serious consideration to severing his ties with City because of the growing sense that he will feature only intermittently in a season of change for English football’s most powerful spenders.

“The season is going to be very long and very difficult for myself,” he said. “I’m a footballer and have to keep going and not give up. I need to keep fighting for myself and enjoying my football. But if I’m not playing, and there is a team that comes in for me, then I will definitely be on my way out because I’m a footballer and I love playing.

“So if I don’t have a chance to play here there will be a lot of chances to play somewhere else. If they force you out then you always have to follow your destiny.”

Marwood was speaking after City were drawn in a Europa League group with Juventus, the Polish club Lech Poznan and FC Salzburg from Austria. Describing the prospect of meeting Juventus as “a mouth-watering tie” which “makes you realise you are in a top European competition”, Marwood said City need a squad full of top-class players to cope with the number of matches the club will play this season.

He said he understood the frustrations of Adebayor and the goalkeeper Shay Given when they did not feature in the first team, because as a player at Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday Marwood himself had to battle for selection.

“Emmanuel is no different to Shay Given, to other players in the squad who want to be playing,” he said. “I understand that. I’ve been there myself. It’s frustrating. But if we are to have a successful season we need to have depth in our squad, and Roberto will rotate his squad how he sees fit.”

Adebayor started both legs of the Europa League qualifier against Timisoara but has been a substitute for their two Premier League games, and when Mancini brought on a striker to replace Carlos Tevez against Liverpool on Monday it was Jo rather than the former Togo international.

That has led Adebayor to wonder how much of a contribution he will make this season, even though City have already loaned another forward, Craig Bellamy, to Cardiff City and are prepared to move on Roque Santa Cruz.

Mancini, however, still regards Adebayor as an important squad player and potential buyers will be informed he is not available if there are any inquiries before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

Despite the €145 million City have spent this summer, Mancini is not overly stocked with strikers, having failed with a summer move for Edin Dzeko of Wolfsburg and abandoned hope of luring Fernando Torres from Liverpool. Mario Balotelli, the €27.5 million signing from Inter, is regarded more as a left-sided attacker, leaving only Adebayor and Jo as natural back-up if Tevez is injured.

Mancini has been operating a 4-3-2-1 system, with Tevez spearheading the attack, and that could mean Adebayor is absent again when they play at Sunderland tomorrow.

Robinho is expected to leave Manchester, with Mancini saying there are “two or three choices” for the Brazilian to resurrect his career in Spain or Italy. “For his style of play, it’s probably better for Robinho in Italy than in England. He doesn’t want to stay in England, I understand this, but I hope he finds a good solution.”

Marwood, however, said there have been no firm offers for Robinho and that if he stays at City, he will be included in Mancini’s 25-player first-team squad.