Spuds back down in the row over Kanoute – Sky News

[Ayo Akinfe]

Pleat holds out olive branch

Tuesday, 06 January 2004
 

Tottenham acting manager David Pleat seems to have made a U-turn on his Frederic Kanoute stance, saying the striker has every right to play for Mali in the African Cup of Nations.

Spurs were well within their rights to feel disappointed about the Frenchman wanting to play for Mali in the competition to take place in Tunisia at the end of January, and whispers had circulated that Kanoute's insistence could see him sold during the summer.

Kanoute had represented France at Under-21 level and Pleat added that the North London club felt "aggrieved" that they were oblivious to the forward's Mali qualification when they bought him from West Ham in the summer.

The player's stubbornness on the subject has not gone unnoticed by the White Hart Lane fans who made a point of awarding their Man of the Match award to Stephane Dalmat for Saturday's FA Cup win over Crystal Palace, despite Kanoute bagging a hat-trick.

Spurs face being without their top scorer for up to five weeks in a time when they need him most after slipping into relegation trouble, but Pleat appears to have adopted a more conciliatory stance on the matter.

Pleat told the Evening Standard: "We have to look at the long term. I am going to need Freddie later in the season and you cannot, in the end, go against a man's will.

"Let me tell you that Kanoute is a gentleman, a Muslim and an honourable person. He has said to me: 'I am not a boy. I am a man. You have to respect my feelings', and I do respect his feelings.

"Of course we want him to stay because we are fighting to improve our League position. But we should not be relying on one man."

Club and country will learn on Wednesday whether Kanoute's application to switch from France to Mali has been accepted by Fifa, with Tunisia's Slim Aloulou, the chairman of Fifa's Players' Status Committee, set to deliver his verdict.

Pleat added: "I do feel a bit aggrieved that we were not told about him using his Mali qualification when we signed him. We still thought he was French a few weeks ago when the France manager came to watch him play."

[chopeski]

David Pleat must have had his #$% kicked somewhere but all this contriteness means jack. That he could disrespect a whole race of people and continent is beyond the pale and he has to pay for it by losing his job including the BBC one. Anything short of this is inadequate.

[Ayo Akinfe]

David Pleat must have had his #$% kicked somewhere but all this contriteness means jack. That he could disrespect a whole race of people and continent is beyond the pale and he has to pay for it by losing his job including the BBC one. Anything short of this is inadequate.

Chopeski, Pleat has a point. Spouds did not knpow Kanoute was Malian. Would Arsenal be happy if all of a sudden they were told that Thiery Henry was a Burkinabe and would be away for a month?

[Akamoke]

Regardless, his jibe at Mali was totally uncalled for, in fact that takes away his point about not knowing Kanoute is Malian..it introduces the outright disregard for the country of Mali

[Waffiman]

David Pleat must have had his #$% kicked somewhere but all this contriteness means jack. That he could disrespect a whole race of people and continent is beyond the pale and he has to pay for it by losing his job including the BBC one. Anything short of this is inadequate.

Chopeski, Pleat has a point. Spouds did not knpow Kanoute was Malian. Would Arsenal be happy if all of a sudden they were told that Thiery Henry was a Burkinabe and would be away for a month?

Ayo, yes he had a point with regard to Kanuote's change of nationality but the comments he made about Mali and Malians were tasteless and most unfortunate. It was negative and bad publicity for Spurs too. Football is an international industry in our time and Pleat showed he was a man of a previous colonial generation which saw Africa as a continent to piss on. He is a disgrace.

He has been roundly condemned in all the broadsheet newspapers.

[Ayo Akinfe]

Regardless, his jibe at Mali was totally uncalled for, in fact that takes away his point about not knowing Kanoute is Malian..it introduces the outright disregard for the country of Mali

Did he actually make those comments? Please reporduce them again and let us analyse them now the heat has died down.

[YUJAM]

Ayo:
Please. With a last name like Kanoute, Spurs did not know that he is Malian? Chei!

Pleat to me is a very old man who was prolly raised during the colo days. His view of Africa has obviously not changed from then!

[Its a Goal]

Ayo, simply because Weeds doesn't have any quality African players doesn't give you the rigth to take a jibe at our name. We are Tottenham HotSpurs, getit?

[Ayo Akinfe]

Ayo, simply because Weeds doesn't have any quality African players doesn't give you the rigth to take a jibe at our name. We are Tottenham HotSpurs, getit?

Salomon Olembe - Cameroon
Lamine Sakho - Senegal

They are both more likely to win medals in Tunisia than the Cold Spud. Yujam, please get real. OK, let uis try this. What country does Stanbolski come from?

[Waffiman]

Ayo, simply because Weeds doesn't have any quality African players doesn't give you the rigth to take a jibe at our name. We are Tottenham HotSpurs, getit?

NO! You are Tottenham HotSpuds and your pervert Pleat who was fired in his first stinct as Manager for kerb crawling (i.e. soliciting for ahsewo) is the perfect face for your club.

His comment about Mali will forever remain in my memory.

[YUJAM]

Ayo:
My point remains. How can you tell me that Spurs did not know that KANOUTE was a Malian?

OK, let uis try this. What country does Stanbolski come from?

[Ayo Akinfe]

Ayo:
My point remains. How can you tell me that Spurs did not know that KANOUTE was a Malian?

OK, let uis try this. What country does Stanbolski come from?

...because Kanoute grew up in France, has a French passport and has always been known as a Frenchman. I did not know he was Malian until recently. Did you?

Now can you please reporoduce that quote.

[PaJimoh]

Yujam, Makalele, sounds french, just as mush as Yujam sounds Tibetan, but he's still French and far as Chelsea are concerned, they bought a French National. I will not condon any silly remarks by Pleat, but he has every right to question the fact that they spend 4m on a French national that suddenly become Malian mid season.

Ayo:
My point remains. How can you tell me that Spurs did not know that KANOUTE was a Malian?

OK, let uis try this. What country does Stanbolski come from?

[Ayo Akinfe]

Pa Jimoh, actually, Yujam soiunds Afghani. Yujam, let me ask you this, what would be your reaction if suddenly Waffiman came here to reveal that he was Zambian?

[YUJAM]

YUJAM is not my name as you prolly now very well.

My name is African all the way!

Kanoute most likely told his team mates of his heritage and intentions to play for Mali.

Pa Jimoh, actually, Yujam soiunds Afghani. Yujam, let me ask you this, what would be your reaction if suddenly Waffiman came here to reveal that he was Zambian?

[Akamoke]

Ayo..Certainly

http://www.soccerage.com/en/13/s3733.html

[PaJimoh]

Yujam, Yujam, why you just dey try to feed us cold soup? You said
"Kanoute most likely told his team mates of his heritage and intentions to play for Mali"

Well, were you there? Did his team mates pay his transfer fees?

I beg shaarrrraaappp dia

YUJAM is not my name as you prolly now very well.

My name is African all the way!

Kanoute most likely told his team mates of his heritage and intentions to play for Mali.

Pa Jimoh, actually, Yujam soiunds Afghani. Yujam, let me ask you this, what would be your reaction if suddenly Waffiman came here to reveal that he was Zambian?

[Akamoke]

I agree with Pleat's points on the issue of him not knowing Kanoute was eligible for Mali, but he did not have to make the comments on Mali's population or whereabouts, I know this sounds kiddish but his motives were clear, to paraphrase - he is saying that who is Mali compared to a big club like Tottenham

[Eagle Winged]

YUJAM is not my name as you prolly now very well.

My name is African all the way!

Kanoute most likely told his team mates of his heritage and intentions to play for Mali.

Pa Jimoh, actually, Yujam soiunds Afghani. Yujam, let me ask you this, what would be your reaction if suddenly Waffiman came here to reveal that he was Zambian?

YUJAM, i know what your real name is and i can tell you this; to the common man, your name sounds Asian. Not African.

Names have little relevance to someones nationality in this day and age, especially blacks and especially black footballers. Even more so when it comes to France.

Saying Pleat should know Kanoute is Malian from his name is just plain ridiculous.

[monkeypost]

Please the man is malian period, if Pleat see's me on the street of London as blackman is he going to see me as British straight away is he it now that it hurts him somewhere he now sees him as french rubbish.

[Ziontrain]

Pleat added: "I do feel a bit aggrieved that we were not told about him using his Mali qualification when we signed him. We still thought he was French a few weeks ago when the France manager came to watch him play."

What does David Pleat mean by "we were not told". He runs the business side of Spurs football operations. How you gonna sign a player for £4.5MM and you don't know or ask anything about his background?

Lets see - he's a black French guy, that's your first clue that he possibly of is of foreign origin. Nobody ASKED? Second Kanoute has played in a friendly for Mali before. Nobody KNEW?

Many amateur fans on this board have mentioned Kanoutes Malian connection when he was at West Ham. How can a club signing him for bi money not know or ask these questions?

I don't understand how David Pleat fools of this magnitude can be signing checks for £4.5MM. That's less research than they would do if they bought a house for half a million, let alone a living player for 4.5 mil.

Whatever you do don't ever go ont he stock market and buy shares in a football team - the buiness side of football is often run by idiots. Now you know why Spurs is in the toilet - the fish stinks from the head down.....

[YUJAM]

EW:
I disagree with you on that one. How can anyone worldly person see my name or Kanoute's and think that is anything other than African? I can tell by most people's names whether they are African or not.

Pleat should have known.

YUJAM, i know what your real name is and i can tell you this; to the common man, your name sounds Asian. Not African.

Names have little relevance to someones nationality in this day and age, especially blacks and especially black footballers. Even more so when it comes to France.

Saying Pleat should know Kanoute is Malian from his name is just plain ridiculous.

[Eagle Winged]

YUJAM, you said it yourself. "Worldly person" - theres not many of those, especially when it comes to male, middle aged, Englishmen.