It is obviously not ground breaking news to report that many athletes are greedy, however sometimes the sheer audacity of their actions are breath taking. How stupid do these clowns think we, the fans, are? Why do they insist on the same clichéd, asinine statements about moving for trophies or whatever, when the only reason they are moving is so they can afford to wipe their backsides with surplus cash?

Consider former Sunderland strikers, the Ghanaian Asamoah Gyan

Gyan was plying his trade relatively successfully for English Premiership side Sunderland. He was scoring goals, and basically progressing his career in a positive manner. However, despite the fact that he has three years remaining on his contract, Gyan came back to Sunderland for training after the summer a completely hollow ghost of a player. In short, he was making no effort at all in training, or indeed in matches. He was, effectively, on strike. His agent and possibly other people in his inner circle were motivating him to look for a big money move elsewhere. Again, despite the fact that he had signed his name to a legal, binding contract promising his services to Sunderland at least until 2014.

Cue Gyan’s move to Al-Ain.



Unbelievably, Gyan has tried to paint this move as one motivated by his craft. He has laughably called the United Arab Emirates club Al-Ain ‘Important’. In doing that he is basically calling all Sunderland and sports fans, completely stupid. Gyan said
'I'm really happy to be here. Al-Ain is an important club and this is a big challenge for me. ‘’

So Al-Ain are an ‘important’ club, eh? Ever hear of their manager, Cosmin Olăroiu? Me neither. Al-Ain play in the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium which holds a whopping 15,000 fans at capacity. Gyan will be undoubtedly the talk of those throbbing terraces! I imagine many thousands will pour in to watch his first training session! Interesting to note that Al-Ain have not won their own league since 2004. Perhaps there are even more important clubs in the UAE that Gyan can move to, if this current stint doesn’t prove, you know, important enough for him.

Gyan is going from playing in front of approximately 40,000 a week to a league where the average attendance is currently 3,240. (Average crowd at Etisalat Pro-League games in the 2010/11). The ‘important’ team Gyan is joining can’t even match that average, their pitiful average attendance is 2,513 per match. I suppose we should mention that is actually in increase on last season’s completely pathetic 1,503 a game.

Let’s call this whole thing what it is, a very bad joke.

It is clear for all to see that the only reason Gyan is committing career suicide by moving to a club that has a lower average attendance than most English Sunday league teams, is money. Word on the street is Gyan has managed to triple his salary to pursue tax-free wages of £200,000 a week. Wonderful. Let us hope that his bed of money keeps him warm on those chilly Arabian nights.

Back to Gyan again;
‘’There will be a lot of expectations on me, but not pressure.’’

On that note, you are absolutely right, Asamoah. No pressure at all. How could there be? There won’t be anyone watching you! Have fun at the packed Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium. You will have plenty of personal space and time to roll around in your bed of extra cash, because, despite your artificially inflated salary, no one gives a damn about you anymore.




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