Playing without Patrick

Playing without Patrick

by Myles Palmer

FEATURES

FRED STREET PROFILE

ARSENAL'S AGM

PETIT - ANNUS MIRABILIS

KANU - THE ENIGMA

NICOLAS ANELKA SPEAKS

KABA DIAWARA

OVERMARS SLICES THE BLADES

THE KIEV ANALYSIS

BRIAN GLANVILLE - GOONER

THE LETTERS FILE

DON HOWE INTERVIEWED

BLACKBURN REVIEW

SPURS DISSECTED

OLEG LUZHYNI

WILL SUKER FIT IN?

REACTION TO ANELKA

MORE THAN A GAME

NICOLAS ANALYSIS

ST.ETIENNE AND MONACO

THE ARSENAL AGM - FULL WRITE UP

SUKER - PROF POACHER

SOLNA ANALYSIS

FIVE REASONS: ARSENAL COULD WIN IN BARCELONA

CARLTON AND ITV UPSET US AGAIN

JEKYLL AND HYDE PLAY THE NOU CAMP

BUBBLE BURSTS - WEST HAM REVIEW

BARCELONA REVISTED

At 23, Patrick Vieira is certainly not the World Footballer of the Decade. But he must be, at £2 million, the Bargain of the Decade.

Amazingly, the youngster AC Milan sold for peanuts has become, in a team of seven World Cup stars, Arsenal's best player.

Unfortunately, Patrick Vieira is now suspended for six games. He was given a six match ban for spitting on Neil Ruddock at West Ham and an additional one match for his fifth yellow card at Tottenham.

Getting that fifth yellow was, in fact, OK. It means he serves seven at once, rather than in two stages. That is better for him and the team.

Arsenal now face the challenging test of playing without Patrick. An interesting scenario, playing without Patrick, and maybe a disastrous scenario. Why?

Because Patrick Vieira is half the team at the moment.

Who carried the game to Everton after John Collins scored that early free kick? Vieira.
Who did Newcastle's Gary Speed and Rob Lee kick and bodycheck from the first whistle? Vieira.
Who was flattened by Justin Edinburgh at White Hart Lane when Spurs were 2-0 up after 25 minutes? Vieira.
Who scored the 38th minute header to bring
Arsenal back into that game? Vieira.
Who got the Lee Dixon testimonial going with the first goal against Real Madrid? Vieira.

Patrick Vieira's immense competitive spirit is now fundamental to the Arsenal team. They depend on his dynamic tackling, his magnificent interceptions and his ability to add urgency to an attack.

He is at the heart of almost everything that Arsenal do, and try to do. His explosive powerglides into enemy territory lift the crowd and galvanise his teammates.

He has become the ultimate Arsenal gladiator, the indefatigable warrior who carries the banner into every battle, the blood brother who takes far too many risks with his personal safety, the new mercenary who cares as much as the oldest loyal fans, the masochistic champion who is prepared to go through the pain barrier.

Life today is bland, sport is shallow and swarming with cheats, and most of our entertainment is commodified, so we treasure the few true heroes, the brave warriors who don't just play the game but live and breathe it.

They give us an intensity which lights up our dim lives and makes the blandness bearable. Patrick Vieira, from day one, has been one of those.

His huge talent was first glimpsed in his debut as a sub against Sheffield Wednesday on September 16th, 1996.

He obviously had the equipment: the heart, the telescopic legs, the stamina, the skill, the timing, the confidence to try bold moves.

He was a steely gladiator who could win the ball and pass and break and compete and keep competing until the 94th minute. He was a midfield Viv Anderson who could intercept like the great Gerry Francis.

As a No.4, Vieira is better than Steve Williams (a more imaginative passer) because he does it every week, not just occasionally.

He has 50 times more craft than Mickey Thomas ever had. He is an all-round footballer who can attack and defend and score and inspire.

Last season we saw Vieira allowing himself to be wound up by inferior players like Neil Redfearn at Charlton. When Redfearn fouled him three times in one incident he foolishly checked his run and elbowed Redfearn in the chest.

Redfearn then fell down holding his face and Vieira was sent off.

At Leicester last year he fouled Emile Heskey and got a yellow from Paul Durkin.Then, when the score at 1-1 in the middle of the second half, Wenger took him off because he was in danger of getting a second yellow. That should not happen. It should certainly never happen again. Because there has to be trust. The players have to trust the manager between matches and the manager has to trust his players during matches.

Daily Express columnist Johnny Giles says Vieira is the best midfielder since Graeme Souness, and by that Giles probably means he would have got a game for Leeds United in 1970.There is no higher praise than that from Johnny.

At the moment Patrick Vieira is more resourceful than Roy Keane or Didier Deschamps or David Batty or Paul Ince or anybody else in the Premiership. If he matures, and controls his temper, he will improve even more.

He should have learned from his stupendous aberration in the Nou Camp, when he juggled the ball in the six yard box and gifted a goal to Luis Enrique. Despite a few such silly moments, Patrick Vieira is the best player in England and many managers would choose him as the most valuable player, or MVP, as they say in the States. In simple algebra, PV= MVP !!!!

If I was picking a Premiership X1 to play for my life Patrick's name would be the first one on the teamsheet.

But now, in the third week of November, the gladiator-in-chief has been removed from his arena.

Will that absence highlight the cracks appearing in the Arsenal team? How much will the defence miss Patrick's protection? How much will the midfeld miss his driving athleticism? How much will the attack miss his runs and passes?

Is this situation similar to December 1991 when Tony Adams was jailed for drunk driving ?

In 1991, Steve Bould picked up the banner and led the team superbly during the eight league games Tony missed. Bould's performances defined Arsenal's resilience, and for the next couple of months they simply refused to be beaten.

Only one of those eight matches was lost, at Chelsea.

George Graham maintains to this day that the 1-0 defeat would not have happened if Bouldy had not gone off injured at half-time.

Playing without Patrick for these seven games will make or break the season.

Will Arsenal come through it? Will they be in the top three when Patrick comes back? Will they still be in the FA Cup? Clearly, this is the moment when ANR has to examine the fixture schedule closely. What are the games? Are they difficult games?The upcoming fixtures are as follows:

Thursday Nov 25th Nantes (h) Uefa Cup 3rd Round
Saturday Nov 27th Derby (h)
Tuesday Nov 30th Middlesbrough (a) Worthington Cup 4th Round
Saturday Dec 4th Leicester (a)
Thursday Dec 9th Nantes (a) Uefa Cup second leg
Saturday Dec 10th FA Cup 3rd Round
Saturday Dec 18th Wimbledon (h)
Saturday Dec 26th Coventry (a)
Tuesday Dec 28th Leeds (h)

Patrick can play against Nantes but he will miss Derby, Middlesbrough in the Worthington Cup, Leicester, the FA Cup tie against Blackpool, Wimbledon, and Coventry.

So his next Premiership game will be after Christmas! Against Leeds. What a blow!

Patrick Vieira will not play another league game until after Christmas!

But if Arsenal beat Boro in the Worthington Cup then he can serve a further game in the Worthington 5th Round in mid-Dec and come back two days sooner against Coventry on Boxing Day.

Are these seven tough games? No, just routine games. None will be easy, but none should be lost.

Arsenal have already been beaten by Man Utd, Liverpool, West Ham, Barcelona, Fiorentina and Spurs. If they start losing to Leicester and Middlesbrough there won't be a team for Patrick to come back into.






	Playing without Patrick by Myles Palmer				FEATURES FRED STREET PROFILE ARSENAL'S AGM PETIT - ANNUS MIRABILIS KANU - THE ENIGMA NICOLAS ANELKA SPEAKS KABA DIAWARA OVERMARS SLICES THE BLADES THE KIEV ANALYSIS BRIAN GLANVILLE - GOONER THE LETTERS FILE DON HOWE INTERVIEWED BLACKBURN REVIEW SPURS DISSECTED OLEG LUZHYNI WILL SUKER FIT IN? REACTION TO ANELKA MORE THAN A GAME NICOLAS ANALYSIS ST.ETIENNE AND MONACO THE ARSENAL AGM - FULL WRITE UP SUKER - PROF POACHER SOLNA ANALYSIS FIVE REASONS: ARSENAL COULD WIN IN BARCELONA CARLTON AND ITV UPSET US AGAIN JEKYLL AND HYDE PLAY THE NOU CAMP BUBBLE BURSTS - WEST HAM REVIEW BARCELONA REVISTED
	At 23, Patrick Vieira is certainly not the World Footballer of the Decade. But he must be, at £2 million, the Bargain of the Decade. Amazingly, the youngster AC Milan sold for peanuts has become, in a team of seven World Cup stars, Arsenal's best player. Unfortunately, Patrick Vieira is now suspended for six games. He was given a six match ban for spitting on Neil Ruddock at West Ham and an additional one match for his fifth yellow card at Tottenham. Getting that fifth yellow was, in fact, OK. It means he serves seven at once, rather than in two stages. That is better for him and the team. Arsenal now face the challenging test of playing without Patrick. An interesting scenario, playing without Patrick, and maybe a disastrous scenario. Why? Because Patrick Vieira is half the team at the moment. Who carried the game to Everton after John Collins scored that early free kick? Vieira. Who did Newcastle's Gary Speed and Rob Lee kick and bodycheck from the first whistle? Vieira. Who was flattened by Justin Edinburgh at White Hart Lane when Spurs were 2-0 up after 25 minutes? Vieira. Who scored the 38th minute header to bring Arsenal back into that game? Vieira. Who got the Lee Dixon testimonial going with the first goal against Real Madrid? Vieira. Patrick Vieira's immense competitive spirit is now fundamental to the Arsenal team. They depend on his dynamic tackling, his magnificent interceptions and his ability to add urgency to an attack. He is at the heart of almost everything that Arsenal do, and try to do. His explosive powerglides into enemy territory lift the crowd and galvanise his teammates. He has become the ultimate Arsenal gladiator, the indefatigable warrior who carries the banner into every battle, the blood brother who takes far too many risks with his personal safety, the new mercenary who cares as much as the oldest loyal fans, the masochistic champion who is prepared to go through the pain barrier. Life today is bland, sport is shallow and swarming with cheats, and most of our entertainment is commodified, so we treasure the few true heroes, the brave warriors who don't just play the game but live and breathe it. They give us an intensity which lights up our dim lives and makes the blandness bearable. Patrick Vieira, from day one, has been one of those. His huge talent was first glimpsed in his debut as a sub against Sheffield Wednesday on September 16th, 1996. He obviously had the equipment: the heart, the telescopic legs, the stamina, the skill, the timing, the confidence to try bold moves. He was a steely gladiator who could win the ball and pass and break and compete and keep competing until the 94th minute. He was a midfield Viv Anderson who could intercept like the great Gerry Francis. As a No.4, Vieira is better than Steve Williams (a more imaginative passer) because he does it every week, not just occasionally. He has 50 times more craft than Mickey Thomas ever had. He is an all-round footballer who can attack and defend and score and inspire. Last season we saw Vieira allowing himself to be wound up by inferior players like Neil Redfearn at Charlton. When Redfearn fouled him three times in one incident he foolishly checked his run and elbowed Redfearn in the chest. Redfearn then fell down holding his face and Vieira was sent off. At Leicester last year he fouled Emile Heskey and got a yellow from Paul Durkin.Then, when the score at 1-1 in the middle of the second half, Wenger took him off because he was in danger of getting a second yellow. That should not happen. It should certainly never happen again. Because there has to be trust. The players have to trust the manager between matches and the manager has to trust his players during matches. Daily Express columnist Johnny Giles says Vieira is the best midfielder since Graeme Souness, and by that Giles probably means he would have got a game for Leeds United in 1970.There is no higher praise than that from Johnny. At the moment Patrick Vieira is more resourceful than Roy Keane or Didier Deschamps or David Batty or Paul Ince or anybody else in the Premiership. If he matures, and controls his temper, he will improve even more. He should have learned from his stupendous aberration in the Nou Camp, when he juggled the ball in the six yard box and gifted a goal to Luis Enrique. Despite a few such silly moments, Patrick Vieira is the best player in England and many managers would choose him as the most valuable player, or MVP, as they say in the States. In simple algebra, PV= MVP !!!! If I was picking a Premiership X1 to play for my life Patrick's name would be the first one on the teamsheet. But now, in the third week of November, the gladiator-in-chief has been removed from his arena. Will that absence highlight the cracks appearing in the Arsenal team? How much will the defence miss Patrick's protection? How much will the midfeld miss his driving athleticism? How much will the attack miss his runs and passes? Is this situation similar to December 1991 when Tony Adams was jailed for drunk driving ? In 1991, Steve Bould picked up the banner and led the team superbly during the eight league games Tony missed. Bould's performances defined Arsenal's resilience, and for the next couple of months they simply refused to be beaten. Only one of those eight matches was lost, at Chelsea. George Graham maintains to this day that the 1-0 defeat would not have happened if Bouldy had not gone off injured at half-time. Playing without Patrick for these seven games will make or break the season. Will Arsenal come through it? Will they be in the top three when Patrick comes back? Will they still be in the FA Cup? Clearly, this is the moment when ANR has to examine the fixture schedule closely. What are the games? Are they difficult games?The upcoming fixtures are as follows: Thursday Nov 25th Nantes (h) Uefa Cup 3rd Round Saturday Nov 27th Derby (h) Tuesday Nov 30th Middlesbrough (a) Worthington Cup 4th Round Saturday Dec 4th Leicester (a) Thursday Dec 9th Nantes (a) Uefa Cup second leg Saturday Dec 10th FA Cup 3rd Round Saturday Dec 18th Wimbledon (h) Saturday Dec 26th Coventry (a) Tuesday Dec 28th Leeds (h) Patrick can play against Nantes but he will miss Derby, Middlesbrough in the Worthington Cup, Leicester, the FA Cup tie against Blackpool, Wimbledon, and Coventry. So his next Premiership game will be after Christmas! Against Leeds. What a blow! Patrick Vieira will not play another league game until after Christmas! But if Arsenal beat Boro in the Worthington Cup then he can serve a further game in the Worthington 5th Round in mid-Dec and come back two days sooner against Coventry on Boxing Day. Are these seven tough games? No, just routine games. None will be easy, but none should be lost. Arsenal have already been beaten by Man Utd, Liverpool, West Ham, Barcelona, Fiorentina and Spurs. If they start losing to Leicester and Middlesbrough there won't be a team for Patrick to come back into.