“Arsenal are always going to be one of the teams who can win the title because of the way they play but at the same time they will be disappointed losing games they should win”.
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Patrick Vieira believes that Arsenal should reinforce the squad to address the longstanding lack of physical presence and leadership in the team.
Wenger remains hopeful of signing Shkodran Mustafi before Deadline Day, but Vieira, victor of three Premier League titles and four FA Cups with the Gunners, said: “My generation had lots of physically strong players”.
He said: “We had [Dennis] Bergkamp, who had the flair; Thierry Henry who could finish and had so much power; athletic players with the physical aspect like Sol Campbell; and some really strong personalities with [Jens] Lehmann or the back four”. The Hornets led against both Southampton and Chelsea (until the 80th minute!) but also have just a point to show from 180 minutes of Premier League football. In this last five or six years, Arsenal went more with this type of mobile, technical players.
The boss said, “I believe a club like ours is focused on giving chances to the players we develop in our own club”. He’s being really fearless not bringing in players who don’t fit the system he wants to play or aren’t of the value he seeks.
The involvement of former title winners at London Colney became an issue once more in the summer, with first Thierry Henry and then Tony Adams turning down the opportunity to work with the under-18 squad.
“Many Arsenal supporters will note [Vieira’s] progress, read his sensible views on the club’s direction under Arsene Wenger and wish he was developing as a coach with them”, he writes.
The 24-year-old, who can play all across the front line, was expected to stay with the Gunners after Danny Welbeck’s injury. You need to reinforce the team but he’s training every day with the players and may believe they can do it.
“So we want to keep our philosophy and play football”.
I really can see his point you know, apart from Sanogo.
“Arsenal are the first team – with Manchester City of course – that I watch”.
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In particular, drawing questions over Wenger’s commitment to the club as it has been well documented that this will probably be his last season, leaving many fans to wonder whether there will be much change in what is no longer a new project for the Frenchman.
