Everyone Talking About A Vieira Return?
One Man In, One Man Out?
We know Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira are great friends on and off the pitch and now the Great Dutchman has spoken out and said he’d like Vieira to return to Arsenal.
Is this sentimental talk or serious contemplation?
Who knows?
What we do know is that Vieira is still a great player, and although no longer at his peak still a force on the football pitch.
But we also know that in the last 18 months of his Arsenal career his dedication and performances were sadly lacking.
That’s why Arsene gave him the boot!
The big question does Vieira still have the drive?
Juventus have been kicked out of Serie A, stripped of their Serie A titles and could even be relegated to Serie C next season.
While Arsenal have a new stadium, new optimism and some of Paddy’s dearest friends.
Will it happen?
I very much doubt it. Vieira looked okay on Saturday for the few minutes he was on the pitch but Arsene Wenger doesn’t want him back.
Wenger has changed the way Arsenal play with losing Vieira and Bergkamp and Cesc is the man who is the future of Arsenal. He is young, determined and more importantly to Wenger hungry. Patrick was great for Arsenal but times change.
And with reported interest from Barcelona and Inter Milan we’d have a fight on our hands anyway. But apparently we are still owed money from the Vieira transfer so we could possibly get him back on the cheap.
If Wenger did bring Vieira back then he would have to play Gilberto, Vieira and Cesc in the middle, which probably wouldn’t work. But he couldn’t leave any of them on the bench!
But if Gilberto or Cesc get any type of injury this season then we would really be in big trouble!
July 24th, 2006 at 10:49 am
Would love to see Patrick back at the new HOF, would be useful in present circumstances to shore up our defence
July 24th, 2006 at 10:55 am
I agree Alex, he could have a massive roll this season. with all the youngsters in the team and Cesc and Gibbers wrapped in cotton wool we need him to come in and be a mentor to them, and if he isnt playing every game (Which i cant see at Inter or Barca) he will have the fitness to help out. 30 games a season is all we need him for! and everyone will benifit. He wont come back as captian but his experience will count double what he did before! AW also dropped a hint by saying he would like to see PV4 play his testimonial at the NHOF so come on
July 24th, 2006 at 10:56 am
If Vieira came back Cesc would go to the bench.
And on closer analysis you’d find Arsene hasn’t changed the way we play, it’s just that we can’t do it as well with the personnel available
July 24th, 2006 at 11:01 am
I felt really quite touched seeing Paddy in the new strip and it reaffirmed that I’d love to see him back at the club, tho I doubt it’ll happen.
We need someone like him and i reckon that now he’s seen that the grass isn’t always greener then his devotion to us wouldn’t be in question.
He genuinely seemed pleased to be back with us and the reception he got was amazing.
He could also teach the young ‘uns a thing or two.
BRING HIM BACK ARSENE (EVEN IF IT’S JUST FOR ME!!!)
July 24th, 2006 at 11:02 am
Alex, hit the nail on the head, arguementively its not always good for players to return. But I think it could be good for both us and PV. He did let himself down in his last 18mths, he now regrets leaving, his face said it all on saturday. And as for us if it wasn’t for injuries we’d be ok, PV gives us cover for both CB and CM, his prescence and experience would aid all around. He would have the hunger again. I would rather see him than some other options which are extremely overpriced.
July 24th, 2006 at 11:07 am
I think he can still do a job, if he was willing to take a pay cut and not expect first team football all of the time he could be the one to start against Bolton and Blackburn away, when we get the cotton wool out for Fabregas.
However is Diaby not a direct replacement for Vieira?
Do we just need him for 6 months?
July 24th, 2006 at 11:31 am
much as i’d love to see him he won’t be back… his shirt’s already been allocated and if that’s not a clear sign i don’t know what is…
the one thing bugging me about the new ground (apart from one of the screens being obscured) is the clock….WHERE IS IT????
and where was Tony Adams - he was nowhere for the Wigan game (when they even managed to coax “disgraced” George Graham) and on Saturday pretty much every pivotal player from the last 10 years was there except for Adams - Thierry even chartered a private jet!
Adams obviously thinks he’s too good - he used to be a hero of mine… not any longer
July 24th, 2006 at 11:44 am
I cant see what the team would be if he came back. I mean I just dont think AW would drop fabregas. so therefore he would drop gilberto. I am not sure about whether he would. Fabreagas and Vieira would not work as they both like to wander up the pitch. this is also why fabregas and Diaby wont work unless Diaby can become more disciplined.
Gilberto when playing in a flat 4 midfield (normally with fabregas just to his right) is badly exposed, especially away from home. this is why he was so comfortable playing in a 4-5-1 formation. he had 2 minders sitting just in front of him breaking up the opposition attacks so that he could do the sweeping up. in a 4-4-2 the left side just in front of Gilberto is too exposed (especially with Reyes being so far out left) and opposition teams find that space easy to exploit.
I dont like 4-5-1 as there are not enough strikers so for me the solution is a 4-3-3. basically the 3 in midfield can defend and create while the 3 up top can create and score. since Arsenal dont have great wingers at the club there’s little point in playing 4-4-2. If we had overmars and Lennon for example then yeah sure 4-4-2 but we have Hleb, Rosicky, van persie, Adebayor, Ljungberg and Fabregas who prefer to play a bit more centrally.
July 24th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
For European matches, 4-5-1 with Fabregas, Vieira and Gilberto…. Sounds good to me!
July 24th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
Okay, we know it’s a longshot for Vieira to return, but on the issue of Fabregas.
I always say this, what has Fabregas done to make him undroppable and has anyone bothered to check Arsenal’s record in Vieira’s last two years.
If he was so out of it he would not have played with groin injuries and knee ligament damage. This whole let himself down sounds like tosh to me.
In my opinion the CL run has fooled a lot of people. Suddenly “potential” is something good again, but surely Arsenal are past that.
A player should have potential not a team, and certainly not a team as Arsenal.
July 24th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Scrss:
Great point about Tony Adams he defiantly seems to be very aloof these days, although I’m not ready to pan him just yet I would like to know the real reason why he’s gone AWOL.
As for Vieira I love him to death & he’s nearly in the same category as Adam’s as far as I’m concerned, but we need to move-on if Diaby’s ok ” I don’t like broken ankles” they never seem to heal right again. He’s the future & Vieira will just confuse things again in the long run. Unless we sign him for one year only.
As long as he don’t go up the road or take the retirement plan @ Chelsea, I wish him luck where ever he ends-up.
July 24th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Can we also re-sign Giles Grimandi. He’s the new Willy Young!
July 25th, 2006 at 12:39 am
Grimandi is a legend! I just loved it when he sythed down Davids! The Spurs twat…
Anyway, I think people are getting all sentimental about Vieira because we’ve just lost Dennis Bergkamp and the Arsenal fans got to see all the greats like Vieira, Seaman, Dixon et al.
Times change and football moves on. The futures bright, it’s red and white and Vieira isn’t going to be a part of it.