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Saturday, July 16, 2005

Five players to replace Vieira at Arsenal

I keep wondering what Arsene Wenger has planned now that Patrick Vieira has left Arsenal.

I can’t image that he’s preparing to pile a heap of pressure on a teenager like Cesc Fabregas. So Arsenal with either move new signing Alexander Hleb into that position, give it Gilberto or spend.

With Gilberto you’d lose distribution. Hleb would be the more likely to play in the role, but that is a pretty big risk for Wenger to take knowing that there is Chelsea to compete with. It makes more sense to spend and bring in a specialist for that role.

So who out there, that Arsenal have a reasonable chance of acquiring, could replace Patrick Vieira?

1 – Arsenal need a player that can battle. They also need experience and are losing a lot of height. That is why I think Michael Ballack from Bayern Munich is the best fit. He also wants to leave Germany.

2 – Last season Michael Carrick emerged at Tottenham Hotspur and I was really impressed with his calmness and consistency. He’s not a battler in the same way Vieira was but he’s a great passer and is also tall. Having already broken into the England side, he’s got a big future and will step to a bigger club sooner or later. Arsenal would do well to try.

3 – In France last season 20 year old Rio Mavuba emerged at Bordeaux. He was so impressive, so quickly, that he was brought right into the French national side to replace the injured Patrick Vieira for a few matches. Mavuba has all the skills for the job. Arsenal would be getting more of a Claude Makelele in Mavuba, but let me tell you, he’s a fantastic player.

4 – Sure he is on the tail end of his career, but Edgar Davids could do well at Arsenal. He was apparently offered to Real Madrid in trade for Luis Figo and has hinted himself at a move away from Italy.

5 - Denny Landzaat was a big reason that Dutch minnows AZ Alkmaar did so well last season. He was given his first international cap and shows a lot of toughness and desire in defending in front of the box. He’s not a bad passer either and reminds me a lot of Roy Keane. He would not be the most elegant player of Arsenal’s 11 but his skills are well suited to England.

It’s too bad Maniche jumped so soon to join Dynamo Moscow.

16 Comments:

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

he has his eye on carrick for sure

7/16/2005 9:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Drifting from the point a little can I ask why the hell THAT PILE OF SHITE, Cygan is piping up now saying Henry will leave, the stupid git is lucky still to be with the gunners. Henry has never said he wants leave or even considered it, he must have had too much time on his hands with 16 year olds running round him in the reseve team

7/16/2005 10:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why don't arsenal get Micheal ballack he would be well good at Arsenal, he scores more goals than vieira so why don't we put a bid in for him?

7/16/2005 10:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

cygan = sh1te

7/16/2005 10:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

TH is retiring with us, PC is not

7/16/2005 10:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I want Javier Mascherano. He is not only tough but ruthless-he has that mean streak that Argentines seem to have (eg. Simeone) and we need some grit. Henry, Pires, Gilberto and Cesc all seem too friendly and nice (a bit like Alan Smith though obviously like him, they are great players for us)

7/16/2005 10:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Errr...Mascherano has already been signed by Corinthians!

7/16/2005 11:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

does anyone agree with me that we should get Ballack

7/16/2005 2:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I do, Ballack is the best thing we have going

7/16/2005 4:41 PM  
Blogger Football Commentator said...

obviously I think Ballack is the best fit.

I have a suspicion Wenger has Guti in mind.

7/16/2005 5:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wenger would never get Guti. Wenger signs players who can play football.

In my opinion, Wenger wil sign either Jenas and / or Julio Baptista.

Jenas is young, he's fast, he's got good tackling feet, he's got everything. He could well be the new Vieira.

Julio Baptista is just an awesome player. He's a playmaker who scored fifty ( ! ) goals in two seasons for Sevilla. Sure, he sometimes played as a striker, but for a striker, that amount of goals is not bad either.

Ballack is way too expensive. Besides, he would never fit in at Arsenal. He hasn't got the skills to play the ball around at the speed the Arsenal plays at Highbury.

And he's too old for Wenger.

7/16/2005 5:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I dont think wenger with sign ballack, though i like him very much.I believe we will sign someone aged between 21-25. Vieira's 29,ballack's 28 and would cost about the same amount to sign. So that doesnt make much sense.I like Jenas but heres nowhere near a vieira, but has the potencial to be very good.

7/16/2005 11:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hope they sign hedwiges maduro from Ajax. Upcoming star who's a frank rijkard kinda player.

7/17/2005 10:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

what about nigel de jong of ajaax

7/18/2005 7:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good choices in Lendzaat and Davids, but they are football old as well. Don't really know how good the latter is anymore as he didn't really play last season. Maduro would be an excellent replacement, very skillful player - he's seen as the next coming of the pitbull by some Ajax folk, but he's still quite inexperienced and unlikely to move abroad for at least another two years. Ballack is unrealistic; IMO Baptista would be ideal. He's played d-mid and a-mid/striker; whether he can combine the two to be a box-to-box player who initiates the attack as Paddy did so well is the question.

7/18/2005 8:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Diop, Baptista, Christanval, Song and Isaksson please!

7/18/2005 8:42 PM  

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