Vieira deal off ( Nothing to do with Ken Dyer… )
10 comments August 15th, 2004
Friday was the most important day of our pre-season. It was the day that Patrick Vieira didn’t move to Real Madrid. It was not the day that he discovered that the place his heart truly lay was Arsenal, but instead the day that his move to sunny Spain failed to materialise. I don’t want to say too much on it, but I feel I ought to pass comment. The question of “why?” is one that everybody is asking. Some suggest that Vieira had a problem with being offered a sub-“Galactico” standard wage-packet. However, I am starting to believe Arsene and “Double D” David Dein when they insist that money was not a factor.
I believe that in the end, Paddy didn’t have the balls to go through with the move. Michael Owen left behind everything he grew up with to join Real Madrid. He accepted that he wouldn’t be a top earner, and didn’t even demand an automatic starting place, such was his determination to join the star-studded Spanish outfit. I’m sure Dein is right when he says that Paddy was “within the hour“ of joing Real. However, I don’t think Paddy could go through with it. He has everything he needs at Arsenal, and in the end, I think Madrid was just too big an adventure for our wantaway skipper. He couldn’t gamble 8 years of his life away on a glamour-driven change of lifestyle. To be succint: he bottled it.
I don’t know how it will affect our season. Ask me in a month.
Today we take on Everton at Goodison Park. The team should be similiar to the one that faced Man Utd in the Community Shield. Pires and Ljungberg are both available for selection, but Cesc could keep his place in the centre of the park. He faces competition, however, from the newly-registered Mathieu Flamini, who could play some part.
On Monday, I go away for two weeks to the Edinburgh Festival. I’m performing. That’s right, I’m a big limp-wristed am-dram type. Anyhow, during that period, the site might not be updated. Apologies. I could well be back as soon as after this afternoon’s game though.
Tata.
