July 14, 2005: the date Vieira said goodbye to Arsenal?
The Gazzetta Dello Sport website is leading with the breaking news that Juventus and Arsenal agreed on Wednesday evening to the transfer of Patrick Vieira to the Italian Champions.
Gazzetta states the agreed price is approximately 15 million Euros (£10 million), while the Italian National Press Agency, ASNA, states the agreed price is approximately 18 million Euros (£12.4 million).
Gazzetta says the move will be officially announced later on today. We'll wait and see if they are correct...
P.S. If Vieira does go, the money raised should go on funding a bid for Arsenal fan and son of an Arsenal legend: Shaun Wright-Phillips.
posted by T at 7/14/2005 12:43:00 am
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EFT player of the month for February 2008: David James (Portsmouth)
EFT player of the month for January 2008: Ronaldo (Manchester United)
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13 Comments:
SWP?!?!? As great a player as he is, an attacking MF is not going to fill the massive hole that may now exist in the middle of the park.
I'm a firm believer that defense wins championships... something that Arsenal should pin up in their dressing room.
7/14/2005 1:23 am
Bergkamp wins Championships!!!!
No one else!
Oh, ofcourse the player who converts his ideas!!!
We need players like Dennis and Thierry, who are devoted to Arsenal, not Patrick!!!!
7/14/2005 1:27 am
To first anon: true, but Gilberto and Fabregas will now be the first choice pairing in central midfield- if these confident reports from Italy are correct- and they will do a good job.
The only way we were to get SWP is if we sold first. And he would be a lock-on great Arsenal player.
7/14/2005 1:34 am
ts- I hope that those two can control the game. I think Gilberto is a solid player, but wonder if it was because he was partnered with Vieira. Cesc surprised all of us last year. I hope there's no flash in this pan. He's young and still unproven in my book. Consistency is key and I can not judge after one season alone.
At the end of the day, I'm not that broken up about it. Now if there was a certain #14 that left...
7/14/2005 1:41 am
Vieira should have left last season and we could have got a sweet £25 million for him. He has been on the decline ever since our double triumph in 1998. Arsenal fans need to understand that its time for change. We need a new system that makes us less predictable. Since Wenger took over he has been a firm believer in having a defensive-midfield pairing. But all along Vieira has been saved by both PETIT and GILBERTO. Although we outscored every team last season, that wasn't the problem. Some goals needed to come a decisive times where we could exploit the oppositions weakness. A good example was Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This was a match that i recall Henry was absent from and neither of the strikers could pose that clinical threat. Imagine a midfielder who could score 10 goals a season, like Neved, Gerrard, Ballack or Lampard ( although i hate the pr**k, he did score many important goals in league and UEFA CL.
Vieira was seriously lazy last season. Not tracking back enough or making those killer tackles that intimidated our rivals. GILBERTO was the guy that we had been missing, since he was the one that defended us from those set pieces that cost us at least 10-15 goals last season. Now that we have stability at the back with Toure and Senderos, is it time for Sol to pave way as well. Who knows, but Arsenal have many options in the centre. If Cesc hits anything near his peak, then he might be the man or it could be Hleb. Does Wenger have more than one ace up his sleeve. We are sure to find out. Mammadou Diarra has already been touted as Caps replacement (already proven at european level with Lyon).
At the end of the day, there will always be a captain in the dressing room. Maybe this is the best thing that has ever happened to Arsenal, enabling us to finally win the coveted European prize that will deservedly place us amongst the Worlds elite.
7/14/2005 1:50 am
a domah-
I read earlier today that Diarra signed an extension at Lyon. And as far as Cesc is concerned, I hope he doesn't peak too soon!
Some other report fancied Sol and Senderos together, and has Kolo in MF to cover defensively. I'm just not used to seeing Kolo in that role, but it's an interesting thought. I think he'd have to work hard on his passing game.
7/14/2005 2:01 am
It is vital that we secure the future of Pires, as he did finish as third highest scorer in the EPL, despite many people saying he's lost his pace. I don't agree with that. He could still beat every Tom, Dick and Harry that appears down his left side and still contribute with many assists. Cementing his future will be more important than the (former) captains. Rumours say Wenger may rekindle his interest in Argentinian Javier Mascherano. A fee believed to be around £10 million able to capture his services (The heart of the Argentinian team and his injury being the main reason why they didn't win the Confederations cup). Remember, its easy for the opposition to close down the flanks, but drop anothe offensive player into the equation, then you have team that can't be stoppped. Arsenal showed this many times with CESC and this is what led to goals galore and with Gilberto back and the central defensive positions solved, we won't leak as many goals. Before embarking on the new season, the team still needs at least 2 new recruits. Probably 1 defensive powerhouse like Diarra/Essien and a ruthless striker (Baptista- although many believe he's staying with Seville, the club are still keen to offload him to prevent the forward leaving for nothing next year). The 'beast' could be the answer to both postions. If one of these doesn't happen, then it would be in the clubs interests to sign a replacement for Lauren, whom i must say has looked lacklustre and was made to look a fool by both Giggs and C Ronaldo in the FA cup. Expect a revolution at Highbury this summer, with the title firmly in the cabinet before switching to the new Ashburton stadium. ALL YOU GOONER FANS WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS AND WILL KICK THOSE RUSSIAN AND AMERICANS A***S.
Ps Aliadiere will be Henrys partner when we move. He will re-discover his scoring touch with some practice at those empty nets in Scotland and ready to be that 'fox in the box' that everyones been calling for.
7/14/2005 2:24 am
Vieira may well miss the Premiership.
RedsMan.
7/14/2005 2:29 pm
I agree with TS, I wish to hear further before commenting more.
RedsMan.
7/14/2005 2:31 pm
Subject to the failure of his medical in Turin on Friday, Patrick Vieira becomes a Juventus player after 9 years at Highbury. He was a player of great stature, and it was only Arsene Wenger who saw the potential well before anyone in the English league did.
Someone needed to be appropriate enough to replace Tony Adams as captain, and despite his disciplinary record, Vieira was the man. Not so much because he may have left Arsenal otherwise, but the team needed another player of stature (not necessarily height wise) that stood out as 'Arsenal'.
My question on this point further is, who is worthy of the captaincy? Ashley Cole, after Wenger said he could replace Vieira whenever Vieira leaves. Bergkamp, would have been the best choice but he is around for 12 months. Perhaps even Henry, though I sense he would prefer to have the captaincy on occasion, not permanently.
But Wenger is quoted as saying "I share the sadness with our supporters that Patrick has left us. But on the other hand I would say to them 'trust us and support us'." And Arsenal fans should, Wenger's record on buys have more goods than bads. If he is something, it's shrewd, and with the possiblity, or probability, of Silva (why do Arsenal fans call him 'Gilberto'?) and Fabregas partnering in the centre, it could herald a new dawn for the Gunners.
We'll see.
One goal I remember was last season at St James' Park, just before half time ended, a left-footer from some yards, 30-35 parhaps. He scored a similar go, again against the Magpies, at highbury too. I'm not so sure he is a legend, but he was certainly a very good player. Pat Jennings, Liam Brady, maybe even Charlie George could be considered, amongst others, as legends.
RedsMan.
7/14/2005 6:34 pm
that guy who is talking about mascherano seems to have missed the fact that he has just moved to corinthians
7/14/2005 7:32 pm
Vieira now officially a juve player.
Bring in Baptista!!!!!! will provide a goal-scoring threat as well as defensive cover!!!!!
7/15/2005 10:43 am
ACCORDING TO A NEWSPAPER REPORT, A TAXI CAB DRIVER ESCORTED JERMAINE JENAS FROM HEATHROW TO HIGHBURY TO MEET UP WITH THE ARSENAL BOARD TO DISCUSS A POSSIBLE MOVE. THIS WAS ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THE WHOLE VIEIRA SAGA. THE GAFFER HAS ALWAYS SPOKEN ABOUT HIS ADMIRATION FOR THE PLAYER AND HAS OFTEN COMPARED HIM TO OUR EX-SKIPPER. DESPITE HIS YOUNG AGE, HE EVEN CAPTAINED NEWCASTLE FOR LONG PERIODS WHILE ALAN SHEARER WAS INJURED. DID WENGER ALREADY PLAN FOR VIEIRAS DEPARTURE????
IT IS PORBABLY 60% CERTAIN THAT JJ WILL MOVE TO HIGHBURY, BECAUSE HE IS UNSETTLED WITH THE GEORDIES.
ANYWAY WATCH THIS SPACE
7/15/2005 10:53 am
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