Vieira, Chelsea and the Premiership title
Wednesday, 04 August 04, 11:57 PM · Comments (18)
Something that could affect Chelsea's season in a big way is the outcome of the 'Vieira to Madrid' saga. Like many others I've always believed that a big part of why United and Arsenal have dominated the Premiership is the driving force in midfield that players like Keane and Vieira provide. For example, signing Gerrard would have increased my belief in Chelsea winning a title from hopeful to virtual certainty. I never thought that transfer would happen incidentally, not because I had any inside information but simply because it would have been too good to be true. In a way it would have also been wrong. Listen to Gerrard talk, he belongs at Liverpool. I don't mean that in a condescending way, I mean it in the same way that Terry belongs at Chelsea.
As others have also pointed out Chelsea will have inadvertently played a big part in the transfer if Vieira does leave. We left the gap in Madrid's midfield that Vieira might fill by seducing Makelele in the first place. We have also prevented Madrid from reinstating the very able Helguera into midfield by signing Carvalho, thus increasing their need for Vieira even further. Personally I remain unconvinced that Vieira will leave, partly because I know how much Arsenal means to him (sadly one of my closest 'friends' has his finger firmly on the Highbury pulse) and partly because it is too good to be true. i.e. if we can't sign one of the very rare players who can dominate midfield then the next best thing would be for one of our close rivals to lose their midfield dynamo, and conveniently at the same time as Keane's fire is waning a little.
I mean no disrespect to Makelele, who I rate as a very fine player, but he is thirty-one and although he may be pretty close he is not Keane or Vieira. I've no doubt at all that Vieira leaving would even up the title race, in which I would currently have Arsenal further ahead of us than the bookmakers do. They're already a team; we are potentially a team, very big difference. There's also a part of me that would like, in an ideal world, for us to better Arsenal as the force they are now rather than relying on the odious Perez to help us out.
My feeling is that if Vieira leaves then it would actually put United in pole position, loath though I am to admit it. They have the settled team, the experienced manager, have done it before, and they have Ferdinand to come back and Ronaldo is developing into a fine player -- despite appearing to have escaped from a circus when he first arrived. They also have firmly fixed in place a guaranteed twenty-five goal plus striker (Drogba might be that for us but we don't yet know for sure). Wenger could pull a rabbit out of his hat and come up with another Vieira, though in the short term -- certainly this season -- that seems unlikely.
So it gets increasingly interesting. I do feel that the destiny of the Premiership title this season rests as much with Vieira's imminent decision as anything. But of course whilst it may help us domestically, it sure as hell isn't going to make the Champions League any easier to win.
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Chelsea fan talking sense… thats a first…
with out vieira i still think arsenal still good,or faster team
than last year
Ok, i know this is a Chelsea board, but I stumbled across the article and thought I’d post anyway.
I don’t think anyone would generally write off Arsenal if they do end up losing Vieira. The will bring in a replacement, he may not be to the standard of Vieira but he is bound to have some credentials to rival anything Arsneal already have for the midfield. I think the more important thing about the transfer is in the implications on the rest of the Arsenal squad. Will Henry and co. be happy at seeing their inspirational leader leave? Will some want to follow in his footsteps sighting lack of commitment from the club for allowing him to leave to a European rival? And, ultimately, will Wenger feel he no longer has all the power and can only conform to what his board want. (remember Wenger is defiant that he doesnt want Vieira to leave, Dein and the board are the ones who have decided to “cash in”).
Chelsea’s fortunes from this transfer will obviously be affected, but I think with or without Vieira, Chelsea’s squad is good enough to overcome Arsenal anyway. Theres a lot of talk about gelling the squad, but the players signed this summer are proven quality and should be able to step straight in. Kezman should score goals for fun and Drogba could prove to be more worth the money paid for him than some think.
Marco.. I see your still struggling to speak sense yourself, grow up knob jockey.
I’m stunned. A chelsea fan who seems to talk sense, hasn’t made a comment that gerrard didn’t move to chelsea because he was to busy helping owen and carra steal car stereos, and who is prepared to admit their team are definitely no certainties to succeed. As a liverpool fan i agree with you in what you say and i think viera leaving will even up the premiership race. You chelsea boys better not forget about the real team from the merseyside though… we’ve finally got us a decent manager and just because he’s not telling everyone in the world how wonderful he is, (cough) that certainly doesn’t mean that he can’t pull a few surprises. lol.
Please allow me to comment on Viera’s impending departure to serie A and the consequences that wanna follow should the inevitable happens!
I heard Wenger crying fouls over Chelsea that they have become a dominant club interms of their wealth and they can get any player they desire and the leftovers are for others to choose!Now may Wenger the Asernal coach tell me frankly who real is a dominant power doing exactly what he was heard complaining about?Is it Chelsea or Real Madrid of Spain?.Afterall Chelsea hasnt bought any of Wenger’s lad!.To madrid try one from chelsea if you can! You wanted Lampard,Recardo Cavalho,Drogba I am not sure wether you did succeed!Bravo Chelsea! Cheerio Real Madrid!
18 Comments · Add yours
I believe Vieira will leave for Madrid, Blingo. And It’ll affect Arsenal more than their fans will care to admit. It may—as you point out—even influence the outcome of the Premiership.
His likely replacement—Porto’s Maniche—is a fine player, but he’s no Vieira.
I think you will be surprised at just how well Arsenal do cope without Vieira. If there is is one thing that is for sure is that Wenger has a the unique ability to take players from obscurity and make them into the best players in the world. Remember what people said would happen to Arsenal when they lost Petit, Overmars, Anelka Adams, Dixon etc?. Vieira is not half of their team – he is part of a whole managed by a very good manager who is quite capable of overcoming this latest departure.
Please lets not write off Arsenal – we usually regret it.