7/14/2005
Vieira
I know, I know. I've been meaning to write more. I have since become an assistant manager at my job...and, while it's been rewarding and even kind of fun, it completely drains me of all my energy most days. That said, I'm trying to get back to the two things I've been neglecting the most - playing my bass and writing.
Anyway, the news recently is that Juventus seems to have wrapped up the transfer of our captain, Patrick Vieira. You know what? I'm really not all that sad about it. Actually, I'm of two minds...the one that remembers the past is bummed out. This is, after all, a major cog in the teams that transformed Arsenal from a big club into a truly elite one? What's the difference? Newcastle United is a big club. We win lots of medals. Simple. The part of me that is concerned with next season and the future is just thiiiiiiiiis far short of actively celebrating his departure. There seems to be pros and cons to both sides here.
The Pros:
- I am no Juventus supporter (even though my stepmom's ancestors come from Turin), but they are far less odious and vile than Real Madrid. The thought of an Arsenal legend in a Juventus shirt doesn't bother me...the thought of an Arsenal legend in a Madrid shirt makes me want to vomit.
- As we all know, Arsene Wenger has rarely erred when it comes to selling off big names. Nicolas Anelka, Marc Overmars, even Paul Merson. The possibility that he knows something that the rest of us (including Juve) don't is quite large, to be perfectly honest.
- I believe I can speak for every Gooner on the planet when I say that I was tired of every summer having a marathon soap opera revolving around this fucking guy. Whatever anyone says, it has to have been a distraction and a disruptive influence on the rest of the side.
- If we can't find anyone of world-class stature right away to replace him, then this will give Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini plenty of chances to make the leap into superstardom. Of course, Fabregas has a far better shot of making it to that level, but Flamini is a player that I really like...I don't think we can discount him or let him leave without giving him a fair shot at CM as well. That said, Flamini at worst is wonderful cover for Gilberto Silva (they're pretty similar players), while Fabregas is more the guy who will link up midfield to attack.
- As the esteemed Arseblogger has pointed out on many occasions (and before the rest of us, to be honest), this is a guy who had the look of someone going through the motions. I wouldn't go so far as to say he tanked games, but he was nowhere near the combative fire-breather that made us all sing his name.
The Cons:
- 13.2 million is all we could get? Maybe we should have cashed in on those big-money Madrid offers of a few seasons ago, eh?
- I really, really hope we don't draw Juve in the Champions' League.
- I hope this doesn't set a precedent of making us a selling club when the rest of the top European powers come calling. If people think we're at a lower level than Juve or Barcelona or Madrid or Bayern Munich, then we're going to have a difficult time attracting the quality of player that will let us compete with Comrade Moneybags over there in the West End.
Anyway, the news recently is that Juventus seems to have wrapped up the transfer of our captain, Patrick Vieira. You know what? I'm really not all that sad about it. Actually, I'm of two minds...the one that remembers the past is bummed out. This is, after all, a major cog in the teams that transformed Arsenal from a big club into a truly elite one? What's the difference? Newcastle United is a big club. We win lots of medals. Simple. The part of me that is concerned with next season and the future is just thiiiiiiiiis far short of actively celebrating his departure. There seems to be pros and cons to both sides here.
The Pros:
- I am no Juventus supporter (even though my stepmom's ancestors come from Turin), but they are far less odious and vile than Real Madrid. The thought of an Arsenal legend in a Juventus shirt doesn't bother me...the thought of an Arsenal legend in a Madrid shirt makes me want to vomit.
- As we all know, Arsene Wenger has rarely erred when it comes to selling off big names. Nicolas Anelka, Marc Overmars, even Paul Merson. The possibility that he knows something that the rest of us (including Juve) don't is quite large, to be perfectly honest.
- I believe I can speak for every Gooner on the planet when I say that I was tired of every summer having a marathon soap opera revolving around this fucking guy. Whatever anyone says, it has to have been a distraction and a disruptive influence on the rest of the side.
- If we can't find anyone of world-class stature right away to replace him, then this will give Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini plenty of chances to make the leap into superstardom. Of course, Fabregas has a far better shot of making it to that level, but Flamini is a player that I really like...I don't think we can discount him or let him leave without giving him a fair shot at CM as well. That said, Flamini at worst is wonderful cover for Gilberto Silva (they're pretty similar players), while Fabregas is more the guy who will link up midfield to attack.
- As the esteemed Arseblogger has pointed out on many occasions (and before the rest of us, to be honest), this is a guy who had the look of someone going through the motions. I wouldn't go so far as to say he tanked games, but he was nowhere near the combative fire-breather that made us all sing his name.
The Cons:
- 13.2 million is all we could get? Maybe we should have cashed in on those big-money Madrid offers of a few seasons ago, eh?
- I really, really hope we don't draw Juve in the Champions' League.
- I hope this doesn't set a precedent of making us a selling club when the rest of the top European powers come calling. If people think we're at a lower level than Juve or Barcelona or Madrid or Bayern Munich, then we're going to have a difficult time attracting the quality of player that will let us compete with Comrade Moneybags over there in the West End.
